30 weeks-At 30 weeks we are all cheeks!

"Peuuwiii, something is stinky!"

It has been a while...I know.

Hi all,

I know its been months since my last post. I am now around 7.5 months, 30 weeks. The second trimester was a toughy to say the least. Between the move which started at the end of September, classes, research, adjusting the marriage to the pregnancy and all the hormonal craziness that comes along with baby baking....phew Im getting exhausted just typing it.

Baby Boy is doing great. He is big and a bit of an energizer bunny. From the last appointment it is predicted that he will be around 8.5 pounds! He seems to love when I am in the sun (thats my boy) as in the Dominican Republic from where we recently returned from. He was kicking non stop for the week. The trip was such a needed thing. Yuriy and I came back revived and I cannot express what a change it has made for me.

The next two weeks are the end of the semester and it will be crunch time, but after that its finally ME time! I am so excited to be able to focus on all the baby stuff. We still need to paint to baby's room and do the registry.

The baby shower type thing is likely to be the weekend of January 10th, a weekend full of get togethers for family and friends. But the registry is so much work especially when I cannot give it my full attention like now.

I will now do my very best to consistently update and take more pics. For now, here is a few from the vacation.

Don't give up on my blogging just yet!

It's a Boy!

As we all suspected, the Baby is a Boy! In the start of the ultrasound he was sitting like the little Buddha that he is, his legs crossed under him. The doc pointed out what was supposed to be his male parts, but for the life of me I could not see anything.
But the cutest thing he did which we have a photo of is laying flat on his back and kissing the placenta floating above him.
We just moved to Queens so this week has been the most hectic of the pregnancy yet. Stories of the drama of moving will come soon.

20 weeks: Half Way There

This whole 40 weeks, 9 months business is very tricky, at least for those of us who can do math. 40 weeks aint 9 months and you're a month off depending on what your reading or who you're talking to. Anyway, I know most people say that the first trimester is the hardest and the second is the easiest. It hasn't been going that way for me. The first three months were easier for me, both physically and emotionally. There are more baby health related fears in those months and of course the new-ness factor. But I wasn't sick and wasn't achy and now I feel like somewhat of a mess. I miss the first months of sleeping all the time and anywhere because now even in my bed, I can't sleep. Miss Insomnia is kicking my butt. I got the maternity pillow thing which is supposed to help, and I think it is, but it's like having two more bodies in the bed with us! So I kinda of don't notice Yuriy in the bed anymore, and that's a trade off. Which brings me to the emotional upheaval of late. Its been a rough time. There are concerns floating in my head as I'm sure most first time parents have, and with not being able to sleep it just gets worse. Yuriy and I are both really tired, working a lot, but the difference is he sleeps to recuperate and I suffer awake.
My back hurts, I've been waking up with these ultra ridiculously painful calf cramps, my legs feel like I've twisted everything from my ankle and above....I can sorta keep going. I'm not feeling the ease of the second trimester. And I'm not even huge, I don't know how women that are houses by now handle things. I can feel when the baby kinda jams all the way low into my uterus, its not a pleasant feelings and has been going on more and more lately.
On the bright side, school and research has been going very well and my friends in my program have been beyond amazing with me being pregnant. Its really a wonderful feeling to have them around and it makes me grateful and happy.
So to 20 weeks, now that I've complained a bit I feel better and can tell you that you've been great and for the next 20 to be just as great and more!

For your viewing and laughing pleasure

This pillow sausage thing is supposed to make us pregnant folk sleep better. yes.....

Ok I guess this is how you're supposed to use it:

I'm keeping you in suspense since we still are!

So the baby would not show us the goods on the last ultrasound :(
I was very disappointed. I really wanted to know the gender because I feel like it would create a deeper connection with the Baby. But, we will have to wait till Sept 22nd and hope the baby won't be so shy.
In other news the new semester started and its been great but tiring so far. People in my program took the news amazingly and I was so relieved and happy. They are all very protective of me which is both so sweet and funny. As I am not yet used to accounting for the space I need for this new body, I sorta got stuck in the doorway in class... Everyone in unison screamed "Baby!!" as the door knob was against my tummy and people rushed to widen the door. I found that hilarious!
So its been a very sweet ride.
On the down side, NYC is not going along well with the pregnancy. Walking the street is like...like...I can't come up with a metaphor for all the varied stinkiness of NYC streets. Its just really stinky and nasty. I've also noticed that unlike most pregnant women who have aversions to various foods, I do towards people. I know, I feel guilty about this, but I just find myself repulsed my people. On the train, the streets, waiting endlessly for the bus....there are people that just make me feel icky.
Then there are scenarios like a woman who likely soaked herself in some horrendous perfume for a few days choosing to sit next to me on the bus. What do I do in these situations? While I feel like saying: "excuse me, you stink. I cant sit next to you, your stench is making me and my baby sick. Please leave. Thank you." I understand I cannot. So I just end up blasting the AC that is overhead directly at my face as to diffuse the smell of 2 tons of fermented flowers that this lady has decided to drench herself in.

In other news, people have started to officially come to see our apartment which we are renting out. This makes me very sad. I have mixed feelings about the new place in Queens, but I'm sure once we move in and make it our own, I will like it. I'm also looking forward to only having to take one train instead of a bus and train.

Since I could not find any yoga classes that will fit my schedule I've ordered a bunch of dvd's that are highly rated on amazon. They will be on rotation. Even though I've only gotten to sitting on the coach with Yuriy, eating a Popsicle and laughing at the video, I have high hopes for them and I.

"I'm Not Showing You My Goods!"

Well, our appointment came and went and no baby gender yet.... Baby will have to remain just Baby for another month. I was very dissapointed with the entire appointment actually. I was never told that my doctor and his father who he is in practice with basically take turns with the maternity patients. So it will be a surprise of who delivers the baby...as long as that is the only surprise.

The news is spreading

Hi all! It has been a while, I know. Things have been busy since my long awaited arrival back home. The day after I came back we had a welcome back party where we told some close friends. Some memorable remarks:
Julius: Oh that's why the baby carrots, we should've known!
Julius: Uh huh! Another one, we're so blind!

It was a great evening fully of good food, good friends and lots of catching up. ALTHOUGH girls beware when you tell your partner to announce the big news, as Yuriy's announcement went something like this: Yuriy pours himself a drink and under his breath says " so guys, we're having a baby". Some didn't hear, others were speechless, it was a mess, and I was upset. However, it was all good at the end.

A bit over a week ago we had an ultrasound done and it was absolutely amazing. The baby was putting on a show for us full of waving, a thumbs up (o yes, you are reading right, Baby did a thumbs up!!), touching of the head, knees and toes, flipping over and doing a riding a bicycle type things, standing up....it was UNBELIEVABLE.
While I felt Baby is a boy for a while, after the ultrasound I felt so even more. Even Yuriy who would not say anything gender related previously said he thinks its a boy. We should be finding out on the 27th hopefully!
Seeing the Baby like that really strengthened the connection. Its so odd knowing that there is so much activity going on but I cant feel any of it yet.

My belly is slowly growing, way more than enough for me and some of my clothes to notice, not enough for most other to notice. I am almost 4 months now and am not showing like the photos of other 4 monthers I've seen. However due to extreme growth on the top region of my body, my dresses and shirts have become useless unless I plan to go work the streets for a while. I can make a potato sack look slutty at this point. When it took me an hour to find something to wear, I knew I needed to do some shopping. Its a very strange stage you see, as I could just go a size up from my regular clothes but it makes no sense because I'll be expanding. So I went to a Maternity store and I am such a happy camper now! I went to Motherhood Maternity and Mimi Maternity which is conveniently located in the same store. The clothes are great and they look like what I would wear regularly but are made so well that the belly area has a lot of room but you cannot notice the material if you are not using it up. And the jeans, everyone should be wearing maternity jeans! So comfy. I began to feel normal again, even sexy. Mimi maternity is more expensive than Mother hood which is like an Old Navy for the pregnant folks, but the material and cuts of Mimi are worth the extra money.

Belly photos, gender update after our next apt and more news to come!

Our growing baby

Well I can't wait until our baby outgrows its current space and Eleonora starts showing a belly!

I'm extremely curious about the development and found some great photos on EHD.org:

 

Label Key:

• 1. left palm
• 2. fingertips
• 3. right palm
• 4. thumbs

 

 

Currently about 3 inches tall and doing all sorts of things with its hands!

 

 

Label Key:

• 1. palm
• 2. thumb
• 3. web space
• 4. pad
• 5. nail fields

 

 

The plump fingertips look like gecko toes from the bottom.

 

 

Label Key:

• 1. slightly flexed fingers
• 2. nail field
• 3. joint of small finger
• 4. pad
• 5. palm

 

How incredibly small they are...

More to come.

Welcome! Now you know...

As I am writing this first entry, most of you do not know that I am pregnant. Those that do are just immediate family and 2 very perceptive friends. I want to catch all of you up who did not know during my first trimester just how these months have gone.
Here is a very abridged version of the main events, feelings, firsts and some tips for all your future pregnant couples. I suggest you read this at a time you are relaxed and have some time; I suggest a cup of tea or hot cocoa even. Maybe treat yourself to a cookie because I have a lot to share:

-driving-
Me: “Yura, maybe we should buy a pregnancy test.”
Yuriy: “Nah, lets wait, they’re expensive.”

-A few days later…-
Me: Scrutinizing the instructions, reading them over and over, making sure I can handle the difficult science of peeing on a stick.
-A second after I finish peeing on the stick-
Yuriy: “Baby, you’re pregnant!”
Me: “No, no, it hasn’t been 3 minutes yet, we have to wait for it to be 3 minutes, the instruction say to wait 3 minutes” I keep saying as I’m staring down at the big blue plus signs.

Now see there are two windows on this particular test, one shows that it has worked and the other shows whether you are pregnant or not. I scrutinize the instructions, looking back and forth, instructions, peed stick, instruction, peed stick. Yep I was so pregnant that the 3 minutes were not necessary, it was a plus before I even finished the arduous process of peeing on the stick.

I was shaking, I was in shock, my mind raced, I was insanely happy. I need to sit down.

See Yuriy and I have wanted to have children together since we first started dating, but as reasonable and practical adults we took the measures to halt this moment to a more suitable time. Well the best time is the present because nothing in the world could have made us happier. I was traveling with my brother in Florida and wasn’t really tracking my cycle, so by the time I got to California to Yuriy, I had the feeling I was ovulating but didn’t know 100% as I usually do.
This is a California Baby.

After we took the pregnancy test, something horrific hit us. I’ve been partying heartedly for the past few weeks. ^%$^%*^(*&((&(%%^ oh my god.
Me: “Yuriy, you have to call my doctor, I can’t, I can’t” At this point, I don’t think I’ve ever been so terrified in my life.
Yuriy calls the doctor as I go into the living room staring out the window thinking, this can’t be, it can’t be, things have to be alright.
WARNING: DO NOT GO ON THE INTERNET AND LOOK FOR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION DURING EARLY PREGNANCY WHEN YOU JUST FIND OUT YOU’RE PREGNANT. STEP AWAY FROM THAT LAPTOP, FAR AWAY, AND CALL YOUR DOCTOR.

The doctor tells us it’s perfectly OK, that the fetuses and mothers blood do not mix until 5 weeks. Well duh! Otherwise we would all be walking around with some deformity.
He congratulates us and tells us to come in for an appointment.

I have never felt such relief in my existence.

So now what? Who do we tell, what do we do? We’re gonna have a BABY!

My brother had just left our place that morning, and was with me as I am reading the instructions to the pregnancy test. He sits with me on the couch stroking me, calming me down. In reality I’m totally fine, I’m not really nervous. I don’t think he quite understood this concept however.

So we decide to call him first. Yuriy does the honor.
Yuriy: “hey, Gary. Congratulations.
Gary: ugh, for what?
Yuriy: “You’re gonna be an uncle man”
Gary: “what, wait…..what”
-More shock ensues-
I take the phone, and Gary is speechless. I tell him we are really happy with the news, its good news. He says he is happy if I am happy and that things just keep getting weirder.

A few weeks earlier, my brother and I were talking about who would have kids first, we concluded it was most likely me. We spoke about how we want to be a really close family, give our kids the closeness we didn’t have enough of with our family. I tell him, we gotta have kids close together! So Igariosh, get cracking, my baby needs cousins.

Next we go to Queens. First stop: grandparents.
My grandpa knows something is up when we come in. I was nervous and antsy. We tell them we have something to tell them. With big smiles I say “we’re gonna have a baaabbby!”
There are tears and hugs and excitement, and “ I knew its”. It was great.

Next: Mama and Francois.
We decide to order sushi (which I miss sooooo much at this point, I’m salivating just thinking about it, but no raw fish allowed).
So I say, “I think we’ll need to order for 5”.
Mom:
Francois: Congratulations. Baby, she’s pregnant.
Mom: “What? Wait what?” Extreme shock, then extreme hugs and omg’s.
She says something along the lines of that she didn’t realize she would be so happy because it’s a bit earlier than she expected, but she was ridiculously happy. Then the reality hits “Oh my god, I’m gonna be a grandma”
Since then Francois has come to the habit of calling my mom grandma to get her used to it.

The next days are very exciting ,with the first visit to the OB and continuing telling our close family. We got the print out of the first sonogram, there it was , my uterus with a dark spot where the baby would form. We got these cute little albums and a matching gift bag, stuck the sonogram in there and headed that evening to Yuriy’s parents. We hand the bag, the open the album and just stare for a bit. Lots of wows and hugs and a “you’re crazy” from Yuriy’s sister. They were very happy and we went to dinner to celebrate.

It hasn’t been easy keeping it a secret, so I’m really looking forward to coming back home and telling everyone.
As the days went on many symptoms amplified. I have never felt so exhausted and sleepy, ever! I would fall asleep everywhere. That first month could be pretty much summed up by me falling asleep everywhere. Girls, enjoy this, you can slumber without feeling guilty and people won’t bother you. It also took me about a month to get back on NY time from Cali. I usually adjust really easily but my body refused.

Other things to look forward to in those first months:
1. You will be in constant shock at how it is POSSIBLE for your breasts to hurt so much. If you girls remember the soreness you went through when your boobs were first growing, or if you have been on the pill, well multiply that by a few hundred.
Boys: DO NOT touch the breasts, or you will be sorry and possibly deaf.
Girls: Sleep in a bra and get up in the morning slowly as to prevent from tipping over from the weight and pain of your new breasts.
The good news is that after the second month or so I haven’t had too much pain, it goes away. Thank goodness!

2. Boys: DO NOT get in the way of a pregnant woman and the bathroom.
Girls: Get ready for more running, you will be needing to pee ALL THE TIME.
Now I was confused by this, obviously I don’t have a heavy baby pressing on my bladder, what’s goin on? Well, as your uterus shifts and grows, it presses on the bladder and you will be getting up 5 times a night and visiting the toilet more than ever before. Resistance is futile my friends.

This also gets a bit better as time goes on. In Florence because it’s so hot I think I’ve been sweating everything out which lessens my trips to the bathroom.

I feel really blessed that I have not been barfing everywhere. Over 70% of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness. Reading pregnancy books and other women’s stories, I am so grateful at how wonderful my pregnancy has been so far. While I have my share of nausea, I’ve only thrown up once (Mr. Italian bus driver, I’m deeply sorry for throwing up an inch away from you, but you just did not stop the bus on time).

Some tips here:
1. Eat lots of carbs for breakfast, skip the fruit and get something solid in your tummy. Unless you want to see that fruit on the bus again.
2. Avoid bumpy rides.
3. Don’t take long hot showers, you will get nauseous and light headed.
4. Most importantly, listen to your body. It knows when you need to get out of a place and get some more air. The baby doesn’t like being in a stuffy or smelly place, closed spaces are no good and it will make you need to get off that bus or out of that Italian Church. Listen.

Now one friend in particular was very curious about the level of horniness with all these hormones and such. Well it hasn’t changed much but being away from Yuriy definitely has been difficult. It’s been almost 6 weeks in Florence now and for 2 weeks he came to visit. What I do have a hard time is not having any kind of human contact, I need hugs. Once you’re away from the comforting touches and hugs, you really realize how much you need it on a daily basis.
And girls, don’t be scared to have sex when pregnant, it’s all good, no harm (unless you have a high risk pregnancy).

Before I left to Italy we saw the baby’s heartbeat, it was amazing, this little flutter.
Other stuffs:

1. A feeling like your stomach is eating you up, they say its heartburn which feels different from non-pregnancy heartburn.
2. When you get hungry, you need feel like you need to eat THAT second.
3. I haven’t had extreme cravings but I can hear someone mention a food and man, I can’t get it out of my head, partly because I know I can’t get it on demand here in Italy.
4. Lastly, let’s discuss some body image. In the beginning before Florence, I felt quite fat. It’s like my body was preparing and gave my tummy an extra layer of cushion to protect them baby. Here in Florence however, I do an extreme amount of walking and climbing hills and have become thinner than pre pregnancy. I feel as long as you continue eating healthy, if you slim down in the beginning, it’s perfectly fine. I am not showing much yet and am actually looking forward to the belly. Why would you want to get bigger and have back pain and need maternity clothes you ask? Well, I will tell you. I get to have that seat reserved on the bus and train for special people like my fat self, without feeling like I am not deserving of it cause people won’t see that I’m pregnant. Man, I want that seat.

Some last tips for you men out there:
-when your pregnant partner wants a sandwich, you will go and get her a sandwich. Do not bitch that its not healthy. I mean it, get her that sandwich.
-give your partner that special attention that she needs at this time. More than ever we pregnant women have a need to feel taken care of, supported, loved and protected. Give this to us even if it takes a few extra minutes out of your busy work days. You will be appreciated instead of being resented.

So my friends, now you know of my first three months and I cannot wait to see you all and introduce you to my pregnant self.