An education in "baby stuff"

Our first baby-related class occurred a few weeks ago. Moncho and I attended a breastfeeding class led by a lactation consultant who was very informative. We learned about how to achieve a proper latch. We watched some helpful, yet slightly uncomfortable, nursing videos (think colostrum flying across the room and a 45 minute migration of a newborn making her way to her Swedish mother's awkwardly tan-lined breast). I learned different methods of holding the baby so we are both comfortable and I'm sure Moncho learned a thing or two even though he was frequently in and out of the room between pages from the hospital. More than anything, it was mostly reassuring. The educational part however probably could have been achieved through some Google searches.

The best part however came when the 3 hour class ended. The room where the class took place was serendipitously right next to a wing of the hospital where Moncho often works and we were able to sneak into a room with an ultrasound machine and conduct an ultrasound so we could see Anabelle. Never mind that neither one of us knew what we were doing. Sure, Moncho knew how to work the machine but I lost all faith  in his abilities as a radiologist/ultrasound tech after 5 minutes of us both awkwardly proclaiming  "wait...I think that's a leg" or "is that her eye? Why is it open like that...that can't be an eye...can it?" clearly there is quite a bit of skill to getting those pretty pictures on ultrasound day. Skills Moncho and I do not posses. We did see her little heart beating. We also were able to identify the rough outline of her head, maybe a nose and a potential eye. The images were blurry and out of focus but she was in there and it was fun to try and sneak a peak of our future! 

Moncho getting ready to conduct our
fairly unsuccessful ultrasound.

Since writing this post we have also attended a birthing class. So I’m updating our experience here as well.

The birthing class, in contrast to the breastfeeding class, was not reassuring. Prior to this two day 6 hour labor and delivery (horror story) class I had been blissfully ignorant of what 10cm dilated actually looks like. I was previously happily free from the horrific mental image of a baby emerging from a birth canal and very confident in my ability to conquer labor with little pain and low dramatics. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a video of a live birth before, probably in my sophomore year women’s health class at Tufts. I just don’t remember it looking so dramatic and it certainly didn’t strike fear into me as a sophomore in college. I’m sure the imminence of my own approaching due date made me pay more attention to the actual proceedings of the birthing process compared to when I was 19 years old sitting in a class with the thought of giving birth light years away.

Either way, maybe the striking fear into my heart thing turned out to be good for me because ever since taking the class I’ve been learning and reading everything I can about labor. Watching documentaries, skimming through some of Moncho’s old med school books, looking up journal articles about the birthing process while waiting for meetings in the library…you know, just the normal, if not mildly obsessive tendencies one takes on to feel in control of an uncontrollable situation. I know it will be difficult but I’m not the first person to ever be faced with it and I certainly won’t be the last. However, I still kind of cringe when I hear people say or read the phrase “they call it labor for a reason”. I’m sure the person who named it “labor” was a man and never actually experienced labor… but whatever. It’s happening, and it’s happening soon regardless of whether it’s called “labor”, “a cakewalk”, or anything else.

Baby Shower

Thanks to lovely friends and a visit from mom and sis who traveled to Florida (yay), I had a very nice baby shower. It was wonderful to share the day with family as I prepare to grow my own and a blessing to have the company of friends we have made since living in Gainesville. Not underestimating the third trimester pregnancy hormones it was also a little emotional to think of all the people I would have loved to share this day with as well; family and friends far away, who I miss often and miss most during times when I’m feeling sentimental.

Anabelle’s first celebration was almost surreal at times. I would open one gift and think how cute it was and then open another and suddenly be shocked at the impending reality of the change about to occur. I couldn’t help but get a little sad as I thought of all the people with whom I would love to share special moments as Anabelle grows.

I’ve always liked being on my own and being away from family has never been something that was too difficult but now that I’m about to have Anabelle I wonder if those days are over. My guess is that it’s just part of being pregnant and trying to emotionally prepare for the unknown but maybe also there is a more keen sense of the way time seems to speed up as we move through the stages of life.

I hope the people that I love who just happen to be far away are able to know me as a mom and know and love Anabelle. With every event that brings me closer to this new part of my life I feel the distance of loved ones more and the realization that some people who have been so important to me may be unknown to Anabelle. Leave it to late stage pregnancy to turn a happy day into deep, thoughtful, hormonally charged reflection!

I should also mention that Anabelle has a very talented Grandma Sharon who not only made her crib bedding but also knitted a blankie to match the colors of her nursery. I will love the memory of receiving these gifts more than anything because I know all of the love and work that went into making them. After the shower mom and I sat in the nursery for hours unpacking gifts and talking. Dani, Emma, and Moncho joined us after a while and we all took turns trying to feel Anabelle move (pretty unsuccessfully) and listening to her heartbeat with a fetal heart monitor. These are the moments I miss when loved ones are far away but treasure on the rare occasion that I’m blessed to have them around.

  

The beautiful diaper cake that Danielle and my mom made.

Coconut Cake. Yum!

At one point, early on, I said there would be no pink in the nursery. Haha.
Beautiful pink dresser.

Bedding and blanket made with love by Grandma Sharon.

Becoming Mom

Counting down the days; half excited, half nervous. Being pregnant has already changed my life and lifestyle so much. I can’t imagine how my life will once again be different once she actually arrives but I know it will change again. 

Change is scary at times but it is something I like to embrace. I’m trying to focus on the good in changing and transforming into a better person every day for myself and for my soon to be daughter. Transforming into the person I’m meant to be (whoever that is) rather than conforming to the person others think you should be can be difficult and confusing but I think it’s the road to happiness. Accepting change and embracing transformation has led me to the miracle of being on the cusp of meeting Anabelle. There is no better feeling than being just weeks away from meeting someone who will forever be an important and essential part of my life and happiness. Moncho is convinced, based on our last ultrasound that she looks like me. I don’t know that I can make any such conclusions but one thing I do know is that I hope she has his kind spirit and heart.  

"Mother and Child VII"- by artist Lila Oliver Asher

Pregnant Math

The second trimester led me to believe the following equation. Pregnancy + 100 degree weather = guilt free ice cream. However, now older, wiser, and more advanced in my gestation I've been schooled. The correct equation is...Pregnancy + 100 degree weather + 2(guilt free ice cream) = oh shit, I've gained 40 pounds.

At 34 weeks I'll be pregnant for another 6 to 8 weeks. My doctor says I should gain another 5 pounds or so before Anabelle arrives. I hope her math is right (or at least not an underestimate)!

Yummy culprit...co-conspirator with fake pregnant husband
(see "Is my Husband Pregnant" post)

34 Weeks and 3 days pregnant. Day  240 of pregnancy.
Only 40 more days to go!

Is my husband pregnant?

Luckily, Moncho doesn’t read my blog much so I can write this without him getting all hormonal on me. The question I’m asking is a serious one (insert laughter) and I’ve actually done some research into this question only to find that the fact that my husband is craving more sweets than I am, experiencing heartburn, stomach aches, and trouble sleeping is not as abnormal as one would think. I first started to wonder what was going on when one night after dinner, Monch asked me if I wanted to go get some ice cream. WHAT? This has never happened before for a few reasons. He’s not a huge ice cream fan, in fact he hates Mochi (frozen yogurt) and I usually have to twist his arm to get him to take me when I want some. Also, the random drive-by ice cream request came on a weeknight and usually once he’s home after a long 10 plus hour day it’s hard to get him to go anywhere that’s not the couch or bed…understandably. Of course, me being the pregnant one, I didn’t refuse the offer. It still seemed a little odd to me and I filed it away in my brain as a freak occurrence. The random ice cream requests and inquisitive questions about whether or not I had bought any cookies at the grocery store kept coming and it got me noticing some other things.

The other symptom that seemed to be ailing my non-pregnant husband was random nausea. Interesting, as I have been essentially nausea free throughout pretty much my whole pregnancy.  The inescapable reality of pregnancy that Mocho has managed to avoid is weight gain. Unfortunately, for him I’m pretty sure this would be one that he would actually like. He’s the type of person who loses weight if he doesn’t go to the gym. I’ve been doing pretty well in the weight gaining category though…I think we probably weigh the same now (If I’m being totally honest I think at this point I must weigh more than he does but this is a theory I’m okay with NOT testing).

Anyway, I finally figured out that Moncho was not in fact pregnant…obviously…but instead experiencing a sympathetic pregnancy otherwise known as Couvade’s Syndrome. When I looked it up I found that it is an actual diagnosis where the daddy-to-be experiences pregnancy like symptoms. It’s nice to know that my husband is so in tune with me that he is taking on some of the work of pregnancy for me and sharing in some of the fun symptoms of pregnant life!  I’ll happily go to get ice cream with him whenever he wants but if he starts asking me for foot massages I might have to draw the line.       

Pregnant Birthday

The title of my blog is now officially inaccurate (the age part not the pregnant part...but I suppose if I keep this blog up eventually it will all be a total farce). Today is my 29^th birthday and I was so happy to wake up to a kitchen table full of fun birthday presents from Moncho who serenaded me with a sweet rendition of happy birthday before he left for work (or at least I’m pretty sure he did…I was still pretty much asleep). Being a pregnant birthday girl is actually kind of fun. My birthday present to myself this year was letting myself sleep in without feeling guilty. Once I did decide to wobble out of bed after reading all of the sweet messages and Facebook posts from friends and family, I started opening my birthday presents from Moncho. In addition to possibly the most romantic birthday card I’ve ever received I can now say I’m the proud owner of some pretty cool comfy pajama sets among other fun trinkets. Now, I know this doesn’t sound even a little bit romantic or exciting but the pajamas were actually a personal request, much needed, and very happily received. This is one of the ways you know your life has already drastically changed in ways you could have never before imagined. The size of the smile on my face as I opened my pajamas was a surprise even to me.

The truth is that most of my older favorite pajama bottoms are now on a wait list until after I’m bump-less and can actually fit back into them without fear of ruin. In recent months some of my favorites have suffered some pregnancy related injuries and deaths. Yup, now I know what it’s like to sit down and hear that lovely ripping sound as the seam of my favorite pajama bottom rips in half. The added mystery of not knowing if it’s a small (injury) or big (death) rip comes thanks to my baby bump which efficiently blocks the view. On more than one occasion I’ve been clueless walking around the house only to realize my inappropriateness thanks to Moncho’s laughter.  

The weather has even cooperated with this pregnant birthday girl today and instead of the normal high 90’s and 100 degree weather we’ve been experiencing, it is now a cool mid to upper 70’s. In short, it’s the small things that make you smile when you’re a pregnant birthday girl. The cocktails will have to wait until next year…maybe I’ll splurge and have a fancy Ginger Ale tonight when Moncho takes me out to dinner.   

So this is what being pregnant feels like!

Welcome to the third trimester. The days of “oh, this pregnancy has been so easy” are behind me and with the 25 plus pounds I’ve gained so far (the plus may or may not be 5 or more pounds) my body is starting to feel the little aches and pains of being pregnant. Sleeping, surprisingly, is one of the things that I have the most difficulty with now. I’ve gotten used to getting up to pee every few hours and the random bouts of insomnia are pretty manageable. Usually, I just get up and walk around aimlessly in the dark for a while, drink some water, maybe have a bowl of cereal, fiddle around with the baby registry, or if Moncho is on call (sleeping at the hospital) I might even turn on the early morning BBC news…that usually puts me to sleep pretty quickly. The thing about sleeping that is most difficult is the fact that I’m usually a back or stomach sleeper and after a full night of trying to stay on my side I’m waking up with achy hips and shoulders. While the achy hips and shoulders kind of suck, it’s definitely a good excuse to try to hustle some shoulder massages out of Moncho! Moncho has been a very good husband through my pregnancy and even gave me an unsolicited foot massage the other day.

Another new development, as Anabelle is growing, so are the alternating feelings of excitement and anxiety. Sometimes it feels as though I can’t wait another minute for her to get here and at other times the weeks seem like they couldn’t possibly be going by any faster. Usually, I like to feel like I’m at least a little bit in control of what is going on in my life so not knowing if Anabelle is okay inside my belly makes me worry at times. Worrying seems like the only thing I do have control over sometimes when it comes to being pregnant. Is she moving enough? Am I drinking enough water? Am I exercising enough or too much?  And upon reading some random pregnancy website, Why didn’t my doctor tell me not to do [insert obscure pregnancy restriction here]?

At my last doctor’s appointment I mentioned that I hadn’t been feeling Anabelle kicking or moving around that much. I, of course, had been reading “what to expect when you’re expecting” and got to a section describing how I should be feeling my baby’s movements more frequently and stronger now which made me realize I was only noticing subtle movements every once in a while. My doctor said I should do an NST (which I later figured out was a non-stress test) and strapped me up to a fetal heart monitor. I sat in a room and listened to her heart beat for about 45 minutes and was instructed to push a button anytime I felt movement. I got excited when about 20 minutes into the test I started to feel what I thought was a lot of movement…I was quickly corrected by the nurse who told me those were hiccups. They noticed some instances where Anabelle’s heart rate had dropped and decided to do a BPP (which I later learned stood for bio-physical profile) where they would do an ultrasound to look to see if her diaphragm was moving indicating she was taking practice breaths among other indicators of health. At the end of the day I was told everything looked fine and was instructed to do my “kick counts” every day and call right away if for some reason I did not feel her move 10 times within a two hour period…YAY something else to worry about!

The next few days I was glued to the “Kick Count” app on my iPhone counting every nudge, roll, or flutter that I felt. After a few days of obsessive behavior I started to find ways to not worry, like thinking about those girls from the show “I didn’t know I was pregnant” who SOMEHOW get through a whole pregnancy without knowing anything or worrying about anything. If those girls can deliver healthy babies without prenatal care or counting kicks (all the while drinking and smoking) a little lack of movement from my baby is probably okay…right? Nothing like a little downward comparison to help you feel better about yourself! The good news is that there are only 10 more weeks left until my due date so I will soon be able to balance my (new) worries with the joys of holding my girl.

Craving for Italian food  = good excuse for date night! 

30 week belly

counting kicks on the couch

Baby Shower Florida Style

We have a date… other than the due date! As most of you know the baby shower is going to be in Florida on July 28^th. Friends from Gainesville, Ilicia and Suki offered to throw me a shower and my mom is helping too! I’m hoping that most of my out of town loved ones can make it down for the weekend. Now, I know a baby shower is a hard sell to make someone get on a plane, and the lure of Florida in the middle of its hottest time of year is even MORE tempting, but I offer the promise of a good time and an abundance of frozen alcoholic (an non-alcoholic for me) drinks! Oh yeah, and a pool, that should be somewhat tempting for those of you living in the concrete jungle. Either way I know those of you who cannot make it will be here in sprit.

As far as planning goes, it’s still in the works but I’ve been slowly adding items to my baby registries at Amazon.com and Buybuybaby.com. Surprisingly, I’m actually more afraid of the registry than I am of actual labor and delivery. I think this is because there is a lot of stuff that people try to make you believe you absolutely need for the baby and these things also happen to cost hundreds of dollars. I have yet to fall for the trap… at least I think I haven’t ….and I’m trying to make sure I get the stuff that will be useful and not just expensive. I can’t help it; it’s my practical side coming out. Weeding through the million and one baby items is not all bad though, as it also gives me something to focus on that isn’t my dissertation. If you want to talk scary…..just ask me how my dissertation is going! If Anabelle ever tells me she wants to get her PhD I will suggest she re-evaluate! Anyway, baby stuff is a happy distraction from the chaos of research and department politics so I’m happy to be navigating the wonderful world of baby burp cloths, strollers, breast pumps and more!  

Totally unrelated pic of Lola on her birthday! 

What's in a name?

It seems I fell off the blog bandwagon for a while but I’m back with a fun update. Moncho and I decided on a name for our little girl. We can now add an official name to the list of cute names issued as place savers until a real one came along. No longer will she need to be called baby Vilaro, mini-Melissa or little lady V! She is officially Anabelle Grace Vilaro! So, you probably should know that while we love the name it took me a while to put it in writing because I was having some commitment issues obligating myself to a spelling- one N vs. two N’s, belle vs. bel. Another reason why it has taken me so long to put the name in writing is that our initial name was Ana-Lucia and we were totally committed to that name until we realized the logistics with the name, #1 being pronunciation. When I first told my mom we were considering Ana-Lucia and Anabelle, she kept saying “oh, Ana-Lucile…that’s cute!” Even when I corrected her with “no, it’s Lucia!” she replied, “oh LUCILE” very pretty. All I could think of was Lucile Ball and the scene where she is stomping grapes with her bare feet! The second issue with Ana-Lucia was spelling, dash vs. no dash, capital L vs. little l, and the N issue again. The third issue was the middle name; would people think Lucia was the middle name and call her Ana? Answer: probably yes! Was there a short middle name that we both liked? Answer: Not really! So we ditched Ana-Lucia in favor of Anabelle and we couldn’t be more pleased.

Another update is that I’m starting to look and feel very pregnant. I’m 25 weeks and apparently my uterus is now the size of a soccer ball. That explains a lot! I’m still trying to stay active, using the elliptical machine in the event that I actually make it to the gym and wearing out my prenatal workout DVD’s. Actually, the DVDs are quite amazing and a really good workout! After, doing a little research I found these DVD’s created by two twin sisters, former Cirque du Soleil performers. The first one, called the “Perfect Pregnancy Workout vol. 1: Sculpting” is quite perfect. In fact, the first time I did it my legs were really sore the next day…the good kind of sore that lets you know you were productive! The second DVD is “Perfect Pregnancy Workout vol. 2: Yoga” and this one is less of a workout but still is great for flexibility and overall strength.  

Otherwise, I’m feeling good, dealing with the rising Florida heat by keeping the house a little cooler. A fact that Moncho LOVES because he is always hot and I’m usually always cold. Now we are on the same internal temperature setting and life is good! 

Message to my hormones and other pesky players this week

Dear Prolactin¹,

     Can you please stick to your job of making my boobs grow and leave my tear ducts alone?

Sincerely,

                Tired of awkward crying for no reason

                     ¹ Prolactin is a hormone that increases during pregnancy and increases to its peak levels post-partum when it                          stimulates lactation. Prolactin facilitates crying because higher levels lower the threshold for tearing (Frey,1985)

Dear Dissertation Committee,

     Would you consider actually reading the proposal I spent months putting together before you start haphazardly making changes. I know you are experts in your field but you are starting to sound like crazy people and my hormones and “crazy” have not been getting along lately.

Sincerely,

                Pregnant PhD student who would rather stick a pencil in 

                her eye than make another change to her research

Dear Neighbor Kids,

     Please get out of the street when I’m driving past your house to get home. I don’t want to hit you with my car…not even when you point your water guns and Nerf shooters at me. It’s just that my bladder is full and there is a baby sitting on it and I have to pee so just get out of my way. Also, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, butt-head is not a nice thing to yell at random strangers.

Sincerely,

                Pregnant girl who lives down the street and looks forward to the day

                when she can teach her daughter not to call people “butt-head”

Dear Insomnia,

     Thank you for your frequent visits this week. This blog post would not have been possible without you.

Sincerely,

                Awake

Baby Bump Dysmorphia

Okay, so I've always absolutely loved the way pregnant women look and thought that I would relish the day when I also had a baby bump and a cute pregnant waddle. Apparently, I love the way other pregnant women look but am a little pickier when it comes to my own protruding midsection. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely times when I stare smiling in wonder at my belly in the mirror and am amazed at the biologic miracle that is going on inside of me. There are however other times when I catch a glimpse of myself in a reflective surface and feel a little sad at the sight of the unrecognizable nature of the only body part I've never been even slightly critical of….my stomach. I wonder “will it ever return?” In the grand scheme of things I know this is a very small and insignificant price to pay for the blessing of being able to become pregnant and give birth to my soon to be daughter, but I've always been the curious type and the question remains.

It all started on a trip to the gym. Moncho and I rode our bikes to the nearby 24 hour fitness and after a short stint on the elliptical I decided to use some of the stationary weight machines for some light toning. As I sat down on the thigh abductor machine (if only they could really be “abducted”- like in the alien sense- that machine would be much more efficient) and experienced my first episode of what I like to call Baby-Bump Dysmorphia. 

Body Dysmorphia (which I do not have) is actually a real clinical disorder where one constantly thinks about a real or imagined flaw with their appearance. I consider Baby-Bump Dysmorphia…totally made up by the way…an extremely benign and fleeting version of the real disorder. If Body Dysmorphia was a tiger, than Baby-Bump Dysmorphia would be a one day old kitten who can’t yet see and doesn’t have any teeth. Anyway, I saw my lumpy reflection in the mirror while at the gym and actually shocked myself at how much I did not love my baby bump in that moment. That was Baby- Bump Dysmorphia episode number 1. Episode number 2 came a few days later when I was attempting to put on some jeans and I couldn’t find my belly band. (Belly band = essential for any pregnant woman who does not want to walk around with her pants noticeably unzipped all day). Anyone watching would probably classify episode number 2 as a mini-meltdown. You know you are pregnant when you cry because you can’t find your belly band! Perhaps wardrobe-related meltdowns are a symptom of Baby-Bump Dysmorphia but I’m telling you it’s never good when you lose the only thing that allows you to not look like a total disaster in your clothes during that awkward stage before maternity clothes become a real option in your mind.

In the past few days or so as my belly is getting bigger I will say that I am actually coming to like it more and more. However, I think that trend might have a cap on it…bigger is only better up to a certain point unless you are Jessica Simpson. She seems to be enjoying her baby bump quite a lot! One reason why my growing bump is becoming more enjoyable may have something to do with the fact that I have graduated up from the belly band and officially am an owner of maternity jeans thanks to my wonderful mother-in-law. I never thought I would own, let alone, LOVE a pair of maternity jeans this much, but if ever there were to be an official cure for Baby-Bump Dysmorphia (other than giving birth) I’m sure it would include 1) waiting until your bump is big enough that you actually look pregnant and not just oddly shaped and 2) investing in a good pair of maternity jeans. It’s only fitting that my very smart and kind mother-in-law would know the cure to Baby-Bump Dysmorphia!   

Easter Egg Bump

Last Easter weekend instead of the Easter Bunny coming to town, Grandma Sharon rolled in with a box of fresh strawberries and visions of baby bedding patterns and material dancing in her head. I know I’m mixing up my holidays but the point is mom finally got to see the baby bump in person and help me accomplish the very first baby-related task on a long to-do list; plan the nursery.

After my mom happily informed me that she wanted to make the bedding for the crib we took a field trip to JoAnne Fabrics where we were to pick out a pattern (they kind of all looked the same to me) and some material (way too many options for me). On the way to the store, my mom told me about the bedding that was on my crib when I was a baby. Apparently the pattern I had was “Jemima Puddle Duck” a character from a Beatrix Potter story about a duck who searches for a place where she can hatch her eggs (see we are getting back to the Easter theme already…Eggs). Although Jemima Puddle Duck sounded precious I knew Moncho and I would be taking a more modern approach to the nursery.   

After searching through what seemed like endless yards of fabric and vetoing most of the clashing colors and patterns that Moncho was selecting (he has a thing for 70’s-esque olive greens and browns) we finally started to find some colors and patterns that were making sense. We ended up finding a patterned material with bright pink and orange “Mod” flowers. In the end, the pattern ended up having a bit of 70’s flair and everyone was happy with the choice. The next step is waiting for the crib to arrive!

some of the material!

I have also come to realize that I can no longer delay posting pictures of “the bump”.  So here they are…Enjoy!

March 29th

Easter Weekend

April 12th

Oh boy.....it's a girl!

Today was the big day and I can hardly describe how excited I am to report we are having a lovely little girl! Last night felt like Christmas Eve used to feel when I was younger. There was always excitement about presents under the tree and a little bit of anxiety at the thought that Santa might accidentally stumble into my room in a post milk and cookie stupor and scare me half to death. Now however instead of presents and stupefied Santa, it was the thought of what my future might look like that was leaving me excited, anxious…and sleepless. I did manage to fall asleep for a little while before our 8:00am appointment.

When the appointment time rolled around Moncho ran across the street (literally) to the doctor’s office from work to make sure that he didn’t miss one second of the appointment. By 8:45am we were finally in a room and looking at the images of our baby on the screen. After confirming that we did indeed want to know the sex of the baby, the ultrasound technician quickly informed us that we were “destined to bring beauty into the world”. At first I wasn’t sure if maybe she had gotten a little distracted and decided to go off topic for a minute, but her words were quickly followed by the ones we were waiting for…. “It’s a girl!” I’m not sure why I was preparing myself for her to say “boy” but when I heard her say it was a girl I felt instantly happy. I looked over to see Moncho wiping away a tear and smiling his massive smile.

For the next 30 minutes or so we watched the technician move through the various parts of our baby girl’s anatomy: the brain, ventricles of the heart, femur bones, nose, and lips. We saw that her tiny little foot was resting right on top of my bladder (thanks) and we even watched her yawn. Last night may have felt like Christmas Eve but today is so much better than any Christmas morning I can remember! 

Round and round we go

St. Patty’s day weekend was very eventful for this pregnant lady. Surprising, right? Well, friends were visiting in Orlando and I was so excited to spend some time with them and share the news that we were expecting. We spent a relaxing day at the pool, followed by a fun amusement park day at Universal’s Islands of adventure. Considering that I had my first trip to Disney at the age of 24, this little baby inside of me is already way ahead of me. (By the way, I know it must seem weird that I am referring to my unborn child as “baby” already but I have no idea how to keep an appropriate pregnancy blog so this is what we are all stuck with-it’s weird for me too!) Anyway, baby’s first amusement park ride was appropriately on the Dr. Seuss land merry go round otherwise known as the “Caro-Seuss-el”. This was pretty much the only pregnancy approved ride so I was happy when Moncho, Jackie, Lindsey, and Mike hopped on with me. We decided on the merry-go-round only after realizing that our first pick; the “High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!” was marked unsafe for pregnant women. Bummer. Considering that this slow moving children’s train ride was not safe, I probably should have put some more thought into my decision to fling myself down the hotel pool’s waterslide the day before. Pregnancy is full of teachable moments. Surprisingly, I was not the only sober person among our group during our St. Patty day trip to the amusement park. I was however the only person not hung-over from the night before. Pregnancy does have its perks!

baby's first amusement park ride.

This upcoming weekend is also baby’s first wedding a.k.a mommy’s first dry wedding. I love weddings, but let’s see how fun they are when you can’t take advantage of champagne toasts and open bar. I’ll let you know. To be honest though, the only beverage I’ve missed is my morning coffee but even that has been a pretty easy habit to kick.

And finally, the next big event is finding out the sex of the baby. This is going to happen on Monday, April 2nd. I’m not sure I’m ready for it, to tell you the truth. I can’t wait to know, but that means that we will finally have no more reason to hold off on starting to plan things. Moncho, on the other hand is feeling nothing but pure excitement! I just asked him and that’s what he told me. Any official guesses? I think girl and Moncho thinks boy!

17 Weeks and Counting!

I've decided to keep a pregnancy blog so that everyone I love can stay up to date with the latest news of my growing belly. A few things have been growing in the past few weeks including spicy cravings and awareness that-yes, I'm actually going to be a mom. It's not typical for me to do this kind of thing but it's also not typical that I have a human life growing inside of me. So, at the suggestion of a dear friend I am going to try this pregnancy blog thing out.

Today I had my 3rd doctor appointment and was able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the second time. Although my stomach is starting to show signs that I'm pregnant I still sometimes have a hard time believing that this is real. Hearing the heartbeat is a happy reminder that everything is going well.  I also steal little glances at the  ultrasound picture taken on February 27th. That was really the first time I had any idea of what was going on inside of me. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced to see live images of my baby moving around (a lot)  on the projected sonogram image. I hadn't even expected to have an ultrasound done that day, so it was a huge surprise. Unfortunately, Moncho was not at that appointment, but he was so excited to see the pictures the that nurse printed off for us when he met up with my later to meet our doctor.

As excited as Moncho was to see the first pictures of our baby, nobody was more excited than my mother. We text messaged the picture to both grandma's and by the end of the day my mom was excitedly insisting that I "facetime" with her. Why? Well, she had something very important to show me. Within a few hours she transferred the text messaged picture to her computer, saved the image on a USB, printed the picture at Walgreens, purchased a beautiful (gender neutral) picture frame, and had baby's first picture proudly displayed on the mantel. Meanwhile my pictures we loving folded, yet slightly crumpled, in my bag. I think it is safe to say we have an excited first-time grandma on the loose, one from whom I can STILL learn a few tricks (like how to properly display baby pictures). Technically he or she was still a fetus at that point, so I have a few more months to master that skill.

I probably look better on grandma's mantel but here I am at 13 weeks.