Saturday, July 30, 2011

All of the Above

I am officially 22 weeks today and there is no doubt in my appearance that I am pregnant nor are those dubious sensations of "is that gas or the baby moving?" even dubious any longer. As of today and in fact as of week 21, it is certainly fetal movement!

Several of my mommy friends and coworkers had prepared me on what these movements would feel like... "Oh they feel like butterflies in your stomach..." or "It's like a tiny, gentle flutter..."; "A tickling sensation!"; or my personal favorite: "The feeling is like swinging on a swing and as you swing back and forth, you feel a 'drop' in your stomach. And that's it! THAT'S what it feels like." Now that I am experiencing this wild sensation myself, I have to admit, they were all right. It really does feel like all of the above. Sometimes I am so startled by the unexpected movement that I jump or gasp because it is somewhat startling! (But in a good way, obviously.)

Baby Boy G's movements follow somewhat of a pattern. He is 'active' at night. (His timing is impeccable by the way.) Yep, as soon as I lie down to fall asleep, I feel that flutter that reminds me, "Don't forget Mom, only sleep on your left or right side." Yes honey, I am quite aware of the limited sleep positions there are so I don't constrict blood flow to you. The other night the kicks were so punctuated that I had Joe place his hand on my belly and he felt them! The musician jumped up, grabbed one of his classical CDs and placed the headphones on my belly. We couldn't tell if Baby Boy G had a positive or negative response to the sounds of Bach. Only time will tell.

Oftentimes I will feel kicks during the day while I am working, and I appreciate life's little reminder to stop for a moment and relish what's happening. After all, I am growing a miracle!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Mommyrexia

There is a new obsession brewing in the pregnant community. 

Women - terrified of gaining weight during their pregnancy - so will follow draconian diets and exercise regimens to keep their pregnancy weight gain 'to a minimum'. It's called Mommyrexia and was covered this morning on the Today show.

Supposedly it's a growing trend among the pregnant socialites in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. (Seriously? They don't work; they don't contribute to society; so their looks is all they have to worry about. Go figure.) Personally, I've come to terms with the inevitable weight gain during pregnancy. In fact, I've resigned to the notion that a few kilos will be added to 'my number' - and guess what? I am okay with that. Too little weight gained during pregnancy can actually cause a host of problems for the baby, so why risk it? (Granted, too MUCH weight gain poses its own threats.) For me, I'll be happy if I don't go over the 40-pound mark. (For those avid followers of mine keeping track of my weight gain, I am currently at the halfway mark!) You do the math. Physicians say gaining anywhere between 25-35 pounds is considered healthy. And if I end up going slightly over, which, I think I will, then that's okay, too. As long as I don't really lose control and go overboard, I'll be fine. A little sensibility coupled with reality - that's the key.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

'I'm pregnant; I can't...'

I've reached a point in my pregnancy where reaching for something too high up is no longer an option (God forbid I should tear anything inside.) So when I find myself in a sticky situation (i.e., at Old Navy where the last black roll-up pants in my size happen to be on the very top shelf), I have no qualms asking a fellow shopper: "Do you mind reaching this for me? I'm pregnant." Or when the air duct cleaning company vigorously disinfecting and cleaning our air ducts inform me, "We don't vacuum the area next to the vents." I say, "Oh really? That's too bad. I'm pregnant and it would be very difficult for me to..." Their response, "Oh okay - don't worry about it. We'll take care of it." Ah, the kindness people show to a growing belly...

Speaking of growing belly, here I am at 21 weeks. We braved the heat and the crowds at EPCOT on Sunday only to find there wasn't a crowd and the heat wasn't unbearable! If that had been the case, I would have said, "Sorry honey, I can't walk in this heat; I'm pregnant."


EPCOT - 21 weeks. I'm almost as big as the symbolic EPCOT ball!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Mini-meltdown

I had a mini-meltdown this morning. I know, I know - what on earth can cause me to break down emotionally during this non-fragile period in my life? I mean, I should be impervious to all things that don't seem to flow splendidly, shouldn't I? Well, the culprit in today's episode was my boobs. Yes, my boobs. I cannot seem to find a bra that adequately 'lifts' and 'supports' my burgeoning boobs while giving me a nice enviable shape underneath my clothes. 

As I was getting dressed, I realized my current set of hideous maternity bras were in the laundry and the only clean maternity bra (which WAS actually a nursing bra from Target) RIPPED as I was putting it on. Great. As if I need another reminder that I am getting BIGGER and nothing FITS. And don't even ask me about my pre-pregnancy bras; they don't even close! (My husband, by the way, is the only one happy about this expansion.) 

So, I relegated to my only known option: wear a sports bra to work.

I hate sports bras. I don't even like to wear them when I am working out (on the rare occasion I actually work out that is.) They provide no lift, compress my boobs resulting in endlessly weird-looking cleavage (not really the look I am going for at the office by the way or any day really), and let's not forget they certainly don't provide any kind of appealing shape underneath clothes. I hate sports bras. The undesired undergarment set the tone for a bad day. And here's why: When you feel good in a fantastic-fitting outfit, good bra, whatever it is, you automatically feel good about yourself. And the same can be said for the contrary. It's a simple equation that most, if not all, women can attest to. So this weekend, I have vowed to myself to find and purchase good-fitting bras that are actually comfortable during this delicate period in my life. Oh by the way, it's virtually impossible to wear a bra with underwire during pregnancy (it's more like suicidal), so on top of all the other factors working against a pregnant woman, you have to forgo underwire - the foundation of any well-fitting bra. But boobies and I will prevail. Anything is better than a sports bra. I'd say "Pics to come of me and my new bra" but that would border if not trample onto inappropriate material. You'll just have to take my word for it. :-)

Monday, July 18, 2011

Progress makes perfect

I write today's post with extreme jubilee. Over the last two weeks, I have managed to accomplish a myriad of projects to date (I'd like to say I am ahead of schedule!)
  • Ordered the nursery furniture 
  • De-cluttered our garage to make room for the piles of baby stuff headed our way
  • Cleaned out our closets, again to make room for precious baby loot
  • Painted the nursery (Thanks to Miguel Valecillos and his extreme handy-work prowess. Message me if you need a handyman guru.) And yes, I will post pics once the room is ready to be revealed...
  • Ordered Baby Boy G's very stylish (and affordable!) bedding
  • Started on my registry (Talk about a nightmare. Am I the only person who thinks registering for baby stuff is insufferable?)
  • Began the 'nesting' process... I'm a drill sergeant when it comes to getting things done, especially cleaning the house. Just ask my BFF, Christina Valecillos, who helped me this weekend while her dear hubby painted. Thanks CP! Hope I wasn't too militant!
  • Started stocking up on diapers (they were on sale!)
  • Purchased a diaper bag that I know Joe will be THRILLED to carry! :-) No, seriously. It's black, sleek and is also a designer label, so he shouldn't be embarrassed. I mean, I could have easily gone for the bright dynamo-red diaper bag but considered his ego first (I'm so nice.) By the way, the outlets here in Orlando offer GREAT deals. I got my bag at 70% off!!
So for now, I can relax on the pregnancy to-do timelines. 

This week we are headed to Winnie Palmer for a tour of our delivery hospital. Then next week, it's back to my obstetrician for my monthly check-up. Let's see if I've managed to better 'control' my weight these last four weeks (while trying to feed a growing baby boy, mind you. Is that even possible?)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Week 19: Welcome insomnia

I love to sleep.

I love the fact that my head and pillow have such a deep affinity for one another that as soon as one touches the other, I am in the land of Nod.

I take pride in being able to sleep through the night.

I pity those who cannot enjoy a full night's sleep uninterrupted; who wake up in the middle of the night only to find themselves unable to fall back asleep.

I really really love to sleep.

But thanks to a growing belly (forcing me to sleep in two very limited positions - more on that later), stretching ligaments and achy muscles, I am now part of the unenviable crowd. I wake up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning (my dear husband can attest to this), desperately searching for the perfect sleep position while trying not to constrict blood flow to the uterus (don't I have enough to worry about?) I bought a 'body pillow' (which sounds sexy but looks more like a giant snake), hoping its ergonomic design will cure my sleep woes and help improve the quality of my sleep. While it does alleviate some of the back pain and pressure around my hips, I'm still exceedingly uncomfortable. 

Back to the limited sleep positions for a moment. Pregnant women have two sleep options (unless they choose to sleep standing up): They can sleep on their left side or they can sleep on their right side. WOW - so many choices! The thought is that if you sleep on your back, you are putting too much pressure on the uterus, possibly reducing blood flow to your baby. ("Dear God, can I just have five minutes of 'back time'?") Then of course sleeping on your stomach is a no-go for obvious reasons but if you need me to tell you: Would you find it tranquil and relaxing to sleep on top of the equivalent of a watermelon? I didn't think so. Plus let's not get into how dangerous that is for the baby!

In the end, I guess this is all God's way of preparing me for motherhood. Perhaps He really is giving me a sneak preview of what my life will soon become in 20 weeks and 2 days when Baby Boy G enters our world, and we will be relegated to feedings every two hours, regular diaper changes, melodious crying (let's hope it's melodious and not the intolerable kind) and a complete disruption of normalcy. 

Me at 19 weeks...see the growing watermelon?

Friday, July 8, 2011

Epiphany

I ran to Target on my lunch hour to pick up a few household necessities. While I was there, I stopped by the children's clothing department to enjoy my first experience of buying boy gear. Buried underneath tutus, ribbons, lace and layers of pink girls' clothing were some really cute boy outfits (the ratio of girl to boy clothes is completely disproportionate if you ask me but I'll get to that later.) Anyway, I must admit it was hard to ignore the girls' clothing because it's all just so freaking cute! But alas, I am now strictly in boy mode unless the ultrasound technician says we are having a girl at my next appointment at which point I'll seriously start to question my baby's indecisive anatomy. Lol. 

I did find a few cute items (all on sale thank you very much...) and one adorable outfit that said "Loverboy" for $2!!!! Then it dawned on me: Thank God I AM having a boy. I mean, because the clothing choices are inherently limited for boys, it forces you to stay on a budget. If I were having a girl, I'd seriously consider dipping into my retirement to buy her every cute outfit and accessory I find (which I know is ridiculous and I wouldn't actually do it but I would at least consider it.) HA. So in the end, my heart has grown even more for the baby boy inside me and for now, our savings account will, too.

Check out a few pics from our ultrasound earlier this week. I am 18 weeks along and these pics happen to be 4D (real time shots!) Isn't he so cute??!?! 

Baby boy G at 18 weeks...4D shot



Another 4D shot...

Thursday, July 7, 2011

It's...a...BOY!

Well most of my followers know by now that Baby G is no longer without gender, and in fact Baby G is a BOY! I will be honest and say I was completely shocked to hear this since the last technician had assured me it was a GIRL weeks ago. (Yes, I was told it was a GIRL at first. Who knew the anatomy of both could look very similar at this gestational age.) So, for the last few weeks, we had been working under the quiet assumption that we were having a little girl. We chose a name (a very beautiful French name - which, unlike mine - was actually easy to pronounce), I had mentally designed the nursery and even started buying a few girly items here and there (I couldn't help myself.) Joe was also planning on purchasing a UCF cheerleader's uniform for our baby girl (insert collective awwww...) And in all honesty, I felt comfortable with the idea of raising a little girl. I knew it would be something that would come naturally to me, and I wouldn't be intimidated. 

I am in the process of readjusting my mode of thinking, and I will admit it has been a challenge. But once again, God had a different plan for us and a baby is a blessing regardless of gender.

Everyone keeps playfully telling me it's better to have a boy first so that he can protect his baby sister once she comes along. (I do like the idea of having a big brother keeping a little princess safe.) Plus, I also like knowing I will always have a small advocate who will love me just a little more than his father. :-) So here I am...changing gears...changing mindsets...and nursery colors!...and going from thoughts of ear piercings to reading about circumcisions. And what was once my biggest fear of being overruled in a house full of testosterone has come to pass. But Joe and Joe Jr. beware: I'm a tough gal and I will manage just fine!

I was touched to find a small gift waiting for me at my desk this morning from my coworker Jack and his wife Jancey. Jack and Jancey have two beautiful kids: a boy and girl. They left me a very sweet note along with this adorable gift inside... Joe will be so excited! We are already honing Baby boy G's athleticism (with a very fashionable ensemble). Who says I can't have the best of both worlds?! (Just don't expect me to turn into a football/soccer/baseball mom.) :-) 

Until my next post... thanks for reading!

Already a fashionable athlete! Thanks Jack and Jancey!