First Night Home

Last night was Ian's first night at home and I have to say, it was interesting. He woke up a whole lot and I know it's because he's getting adjusted to the environment. I did get to take a little nap during the day though. Other than that, it was fine. He's eating well and breastfeeding is going ok. It can go better, but right now it's going well. I just have to remember not to give up and keep going because that's what's best for him. I thank God for getting us through our first night with Ian and I look forward to many more sleepless nights. :)

Baby Ian Came at 34 Weeks

Where do I begin? I am writing now that I actually have time to do it. The last couple of days have been exciting. On Sunday I started losing my mucus plug. On Monday I didn't go to work because I had terrible lower back pain. On Tuesday I went to work, but I started noticing that the baby had not been moving or kicking as much as he normally did, so I called the doctor and they told me to go to the hospital. I left work at around 11:30 am. We came to South Miami. The first thing they did was an ultrasound and the baby was moving and his heart was beating fine. Then in triage I was hooked up to the monitors to monitor his heart rate. It started out fine, but then for about 4 minutes, his heart rate completely dropped. Like a scene out of ER, I was rushed into another room and in a matter of 2 minutes I was hooked up to an iv and in a hospital gown. They hooked the monitors back up and his heart rate picked up again. We waited it out for a while. We were nervous, but praying to God. He is always in control and knows why He does things and so we completely trusted in Him and let Him do what He wanted to do. About an hour later the nurse let us know that the baby's heart rate was not stable. It was going down and up and down again, so my doctor arrived and decided to do a c-section immediately. Getting the spinal block was the worse because since I'm so petite they had a really hard time doing it, but again, with a lot of prayer, it got down and I didn't have to go under general anesthesia and got to experience Baby Ian come into the world at 3:34 pm. Everything happened very fast. My doctor told me that my placenta was calcified and if I wouldn't have come in when I did, Ian might not have made it. He weighed 5 lbs and 1oz and measured 17 1/2 inches. Even though he has had to be in NICU, he is doing great. He is now off the oxygen and breathing on his own. He is drinking out of a bottle. The doctor says I might be able to keep him in my room tomorrow and we might be able to bring him home before Christmas Day. I cannot even begin to express how absolutely grateful I am to God for taking care of our baby boy. It has been an emotional, scary, happy, exciting past couple of days and I have felt God's presence all throughout this experience. Thank you all for your prayers. They are very much appreciated. We will soon be bringing Ian home and eventually to church so everyone can meet him.

With love,

Chris and Keren

Soldier Daddy Comes Home

This one's for Priscilla. I'll totally join you in the crying for this one.

Week 32

This past week has been rough. I've had a lot of leg and back pain and even walking is difficult. Let's not even mention sleeping. I really thought I was probably going into labor, but today we had an ultrasound done that the doctor requested and it was not a surprise to see that Ian is extremely big. That explains all of my discomfort. He's healthy. Has a head full of hair apparently. The only problem is...he's weighing around 5.9 lbs and he shouldn't even be near that right now. According to BabyCenter.com he's supposed to be weighing around 3.75 lbs. I hope those were miscalculations. But it was very clear to see how little space he has and how crammed he is in my belly. We got to see half of his face on 3D because the other half was being squished. I'll post up pics as soon as they get scanned. Please continue to pray for these last weeks of my pregnancy. I have to work for another 2 weeks and then I'm putting myself on bedrest. Just pray I make it far enough to a point that his lungs will be healthy enough for him to be able to come out.

Thankful

This year I have sooo many things to be thankful to God for. Not that I didn't have a million things last year, but every year things change. So...here's my list and I'm sure I'm forgetting a whole lot.
1. My salvation
2. My family
3. My husband and the things God is doing in his life.
4. My husband's new job.
5. Provision. It has been a rough year and God has provided in ways I cannot even explain.
6. My job and how much I actually enjoy doing it
7. Friends (You all know who you are. There's a lot of you so I can't mention everyone just in case I forget somebody)
8. Church family
9. Food....I'm really loving food these days.
10. My church and my pastors
11. For God giving me the opportunity to serve Him.
12. For hard times because through those I have learned important lessons.
13. My home
14. And of course...cannot leave out Ian, our baby and his upcoming arrival. I am a million times thankful to God for giving us this baby and allowing us the chance to be parents and I pray that everything we do as parents may honor Him.

Thanksgiving Day is just one day out of the year, but everyday there is something to be thankful for. :)

30 Weeks

I can't believe how quickly time has gone by. I am about 10 weeks away from having the baby and I am getting anxious. Not anxious to get him out because I enjoy feeling him kick and move, just anxious to meet him. As far as how I'm feeling, it's getting even harder to sleep. I can't seem to find a comfortable position. I am definitely feeling the extra 15 pounds I have gained and at the end of the day I am so exhausted, all I want to do is go to bed. God has been good though and I really have to thank Him for the easy pregnancy I have had. I always though that with my petite frame I wouldn't be able to handle it, but God has given me the strength I've needed to go about my day as I normally would. So...baby Ian will be arriving before you know it!! Can't wait!

The Past 2 Days

The past 2 days have been a bit rough. I shouldn't complain because I know others have had it worse. I got a bad stomach virus and vomited around 5 times at home, 1 on the way to the hospital, and 4 more times at the hospital. I could barely stand up on my own two feet by the time I got to the hospital. On top of the dehydration, the baby decided to tease me a bit and I was having contractions about every 10 minutes. That led to a couple of shots that made me feel like if my heart was going to come out of my chest. Fun, fun, fun. The baby was head down in the ultrasound too. The doctor decided to keep me at the hospital to monitor the contractions and thank God, by this morning, they had died down. I'm very thankful to be home, sleeping in my bed and almost back on a regular diet. It's very scary when you're 27 weeks pregnant and you start getting thoughts of having a preemie. That's when I have to remember that the baby I'm carrying belongs to God and He's in control of that life. So, thank you all who prayed for me and Ian and thanks to my dear husband who stayed by my side the whole time. And of course I have to thank God for being so faithful and for bringing me peace these past 2 days. :)

2 More Nights

Well, here I am in my 26th week of pregnancy and feeling a bit down when nighttime comes. Chris went on a Missions Trip to Nicaragua and I had no idea how horribly lonely I was going to feel especially at night. We always have dinner together, watch some tv together, and these past nights have been hard, not only for me, but for the other wives as well. I thank God for the opportunity that Chris was given to take this trip and even though I miss him like crazy, I'm sure this trip is something that he will never forget. I haven't heard his voice, but through other people that have had some sort of very minimal communication, I've heard they're all doing fine. So, only 2 more nights to go and I can't wait to hear all about the trip. Good Night!

Week 24

I am just now entering Week 24. Only 16 more to go. I've been feeling ok. My ribs really hurt whenever I'm sitting down for too long, so I have to stand up and walk around. Sleeping gets harder. I guess I'm just being prepared for the sleepless nights that are to come. I can't find a comfortable position to sleep in so I spend the whole night tossing and turning. The leg cramps are pretty bad too. Regardless of all of that, I'm really enjoying being pregnant. I'm also anxious for Baby Ian to come because I can't wait to meet him and hold him and see what he looks like. I thank God that everything is going so well even with my very petite frame.

Reaching 100!

I went to the doctor today and I have for the first time in my life reached 100 pounds. I'm so excited about that!!! I know some might say I'm crazy, but pre-pregnancy, no matter how much I would eat, I wouldn't go past 92 or 93 pounds. I was worried I wouldn't gain enough weight during pregnancy, but the doctor says I'm gaining just enough for my size. So, yay for me!!!

20 Weeks and Counting

I am 20 weeks pregnant. Officially halfway there unless Ian decides to come a little earlier. God willing he won't. I'm feeling ok. This weekend was kind of rough because we went to Rock the Universe with the young adults and that was too much for me to handle. I got home feeling horrible. My body ached all over, especially my back. It was one hot, exhausting weekend for me. Other than that, everything is going well. Baby Ian is moving a lot. He especially likes to move when I am ready to go to sleep. I have gained a total of about 6 pounds. It's all belly apparently. Well, as promised, here are some pics from the last ultrasound I had done on August 21. This was when we found out we were having a boy. There are also 2 pics of my growing belly. One at 13 weeks and one from this week.Enjoy!

It's a Boy!!!

This week I am 17 weeks pregnant. Today we went to have the ultrasound done where we were immediately notified that we are having a boy!!!! While we would have been happy with whatever gender the baby would be, I am so happy it's a boy. I had a feeling it would be a boy since I found out I was pregnant and I almost cried when it was confirmed. Everything is going well. Baby Ian is measuring above average. He gets that from his father. I thank God everyday for this little in size, but HUGE blessing He is sending us. We'll have pictures posted soon. :)

14 Weeks

I am officially out of the first trimester. Yay! I've been feeling a lot better with the exception of lack of sleep. I can't even nap. I've been swimming about 2-3 times a week. Those days I do get really tired and fall asleep without a problem, but other than that, it's been hard to get a full night of sleep. In two weeks we will hopefully find out the sex of the baby. I can't wait because then I'll get to start picking things out for the baby. Anyway...here's what's happening this week.

14 Weeks Pregnant

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Week 12

Yesterday we went to the doctor. Everything is going fine. All my tests came back fine. We heard the baby's heart beat again and that's always exciting. I got a third opinion on my chances of giving birth naturally and this is the third doctor that recommends a c-section. I don't want to get into details as to why. All I can say is I'm going to leave it in God's hands. He knows what's best for me and He'll somehow reveal to me what would be better for me and the baby. My blood type is A- so I will have to get a shot at 28 weeks. It's routine. We'll be back August 12 and hopefully we'll know the sex of the baby then. Can't wait. Here's what's going on this week:

The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.
babycenter.com

12 Weeks Pregnant

What's Up with Miss USA????

Miss USA at the Miss Universe pageant in 2007.......




Miss USA at the Miss Universe pageant in 2008.....




One year later and a totally different girl. What is going on???

Week #11

So this past weekend we got to spend a few days away from home. We went to Orlando and got to go to Sea World. I'm sad to say it was not very enjoyable simply because it was so hot! Hopefully we'll get to go some other time and it will be much better. Being away from home for a few days is always a nice thing, however, so we're happy we got to go. Here's what's happening with baby Rivas this week.

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

Vote

Vote on our baby names list.

Week 10

Yay! Week 10. Only 30 more weeks to go more or less. I'm feeling great. Haven't had any morning sickness for about a week and a half now. I'm on vacation this week and I'm super excited about that. We're going to leave to Orlando on Thursday and come back on Sunday. We'll be going to Sea World on Saturday. It's always nice to get away. Here's what's happening with the baby this week:

10 Weeks Pregnant

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.
He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.
If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.
In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Baby's First Picture

Sorry I skipped Week 8. Either way...I'm in week 9 of my pregnancy right now. All the symptoms are starting to die down and for that I am very grateful. We went to the doctor yesterday and got to see our baby...or what looks more like a little alien right now, but still our precious baby. We also got to hear the heartbeat and that was very exciting. It all became extremely real yesterday to me and I'm sure to Chris also, actually seeing the baby develop. I can say I didn't cry, but definitely got excited. The doctor says everything is fine and he/she is measuring 2.8cm. You do the math. Here's what's going on in week 9.

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

Summer is Here

Today I thought I'd write about something besides the pregnancy. I imagine it can get pretty irritating reading about it week after week. I'm so glad the school year is finally over. I survived my first year teaching music and art and while it was a lot of work, it was also a lot of fun. I'm very grateful to have been given the opportunity to work at my church's school with great people and great students. However, I am very glad summer is here. A few months of relaxation. While I will still be working during summer camp, things are different and a little more relaxed. I'm looking forward to my week of vacation and hoping to actually do what it was meant for, relax. No specific plans for the summer, but I think we'll just be spontaneous about it. Can't wait.

7 Weeks

Thank God the nausea has eased up the last couple of days. I've been eating a lot of peaches and natural strawberry popsicles. I can't live without them. The more time goes by, the more real this all becomes and the more exciting. I catch myself looking in the mirror a whole lot more than I used to. Every time I go to a store I go directly to the baby section. Can't wait to find out what it is. The bad part this week...I have a cold and I had to stay home today because my stuffy nose barely lets me sleep. Other than that, things are going great. I'm loving being pregnant right now and I thank God everyday for this blessing He has sent us.


Here's what's going on this week.

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of his/her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering his/her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of his/her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and his/her liver is churning out red blood cells until his/her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. He/She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into his/her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from his/her tiny body.

7 Weeks Pregnant

6 Weeks

6 Weeks Pregnant

6 Weeks pregnant. Time seems to be going by so slow. I guess it's because I'm so anxious to get out of the first trimester and out of all these crazy symptoms. Morning sickness is really kicking in. These past few days have been rough, but I've made it through thanks to God, preggy pop drops, and saltine crackers. I've been rejecting certain foods that I thought I would crave more of. Such as ice cream, cake, anything sweet. Today I went to the doctor. My first visit. I was very nervous, but everything turned out fine. He did a sonogram and he saw something. He tried to show Chris and I where the baby was, but I couldn't see anything. What's important is that he saw it and he says everything seems to be going fine. Either way....here's what's going on this week.

This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears are beginning to take shape. If you could see into the uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where the baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, the baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil bean.

www.babycenter.com

5 Weeks

5 Weeks Pregnant

I am now 5 weeks pregnant and so far, so good. No crazy morning sickness and aside from feeling tired all the time, everything seems to be going fine. I have a doctor's appointment June 2 so I will say more when I know more. I have a crazy feeling it's going to be a boy, but of course, I might be wrong and there's still a long way to go until we get to find out. For now...here's what's going on at 5 weeks.


How the baby's growing:
Deep in the uterus the embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point, he's about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. He's now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm — which will later form all of his organs and tissues.


The neural tube — from which the baby's brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout — is starting to develop in the top layer, called the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to his skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel.

His heart and circulatory system begin to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, his tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form the baby's muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue.

The third layer, or endoderm, will house his lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as his thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to the baby, are already on the job.
www.babycenter.com

Big News!!!

This week I found out that I'm pregnant with my first child! Chris and I are a bit freaked out, but at the same time very excited. We are very grateful to God. I love children and I've always had the desire to have a few of my own, so here we go. Please keep us in your prayers. So far, no crazy symptoms, but I'm praying it'll all be smooth sailing.

Sunday Afternoon

I'm very happy to say that on Sunday afternoon we did something else besides eat. We did eat lunch after church, but then Me, Chris, Marien, Naty, Bryan, and Danny went to play some basketball (or attempt to play basketball) and some tennis (or attempt to play tennis). We did, however, manage to break a sweat and have some fun. The funniest thing that happened was when Danny swallowed his gum playing basketball and then managed to get it to come out of his nostril. Pretty funny. The following two days, though my arms and legs hurt quite a bit, I felt like I had accomplished something, which was to get off my booty and enjoy some physical activity out in the sun. This kind of pain was totally worth it and I'm proud of us for getting through the 3 1/2 hours of it.

No More Sun!!

Last week was Spring Break and for weeks I had planned with my sister that we were going to go to the beach. Soo....on Friday, we went to the beach and it was a beautiful day. It was cloudy and even though I know that's the worse time to get sun, I refused to put on sunblock because the whole purpose of me going to the beach was to get some color. Well....big mistake!!! Those of you that saw me over the weekend know how ridiculously burned I was and still am. I think after 4 nights of not getting the sleep I would like, I will finally and hopefully be able to sleep tonight. No Aloe in the world has been able to give me the comfort I have needed. So, even though the color might be nice, it is definitely not worth the pain. Next time, I will make the sacrifice and go to a tanning salon.

Looking Forward to More Whatever Days

It was been a while since my husband and I have been able to spend a Saturday together. I was very happy when he called me this Saturday after having left the house early to work a little bit, to tell me that he was going to pick me up to go out. Of course, we didn't have any specific plans or anything so we just decided to do whatever. We drove around, went to Knauss Berry Farm. Picked up some delicious cinnamon rolls. We also went to CP Baseball game. They lost, but it was still fun. Then we had lasagna at Oliver and Marelys' house. The best thing about the whole day is that nothing was planned. We just went with the flow and I absolutely loved it. I'm definitely looking forward to more days like that.

It's Been a While

Well, it's been a very long time since I've written on here. There are many reasons and excuses, but the top two are....my laptop broke, and I haven't really felt I've had anything to write about. However, great things have been going on in my life and I would like to share them in as little detail as possible. (For those of you that know me, know that my stories come with a lot of detail). We're in a new place. Smaller, but better and God is really blessing us. Penny had 7 puppies on Jan. 22. I'm dying to get rid of them and I have 2 left, so if you that are reading this wants one or knows someone who does, please let me know ASAP. I would really like them out of the house this week. Moving on to more important things. God has been really working in my life. He has shown me great things these past couple of months. A couple of weeks ago, a group of us went to a Young Adults retreat in Lake Yale and it was really eye opening. I received so much from it that it is almost impossible to share it all. I just want to really thank God for all His blessings and for putting me in hard situations. I know that sounds crazy, but it is through those situations that I've been able to just let go and give Him full control. Well, in a nutshell, that's what's going on in my life. :) I'll try to keep writing. Good night!