Name Stress and Introducing......"Lady Yaya"

ever since finding out that Baby T is a he, i've been stressin'. i had a name all picked out for him when i thought he was a girl. but since i was relying on the stupid Intelligender test and my dreams being accurate (guess I won't really be having dinner with Pres Obama anytime soon), i didn't really bother too much with trying to figure out a boy's name. and of course, now i have to. why is a cute boy's name (that suits my taste) SO hard to find?? i've been obsessing over his name since finding out, and it's really becoming an issue. and what's so funny is that D who only a week ago was telling me that we weren't prepared because we weren't going to go to our appt with names picked for a boy and girl has now apparently flipped a switch and is not worried at all about our lack of a name. i'm thinking a trip to B&N is in order - grab a baby name book (or 2 or 3) and go to town!

unfortunately for everyone though, even when (or should i say "if") we pick out a name for Baby T, we won't be revealing it to anyone until he is born. why? simple. we like to be a tad mysterious! ;) well that and everyone has different tastes, so we really don't anyone trying to change our minds about a name we've settled on, or making fun of the name we've picked (not that i'm saying anyone would do that, but you can never be sure). this is something we want to do completely by ourselves as our 1st parental decision - lol.

and now on to some happier news...there is someone who HAS picked out a name...my mom! (insert eye roll here) my mom has already taken her role of grandmother very seriously (way to seriously if you ask me). for those of you that have met my mother, this will not come as a shock to you. my mom is a bit of a "character" to put it mildly (hey, she *does* read my blog, and i'm a little scared of her ;) ). anyway, since she found out that she was going to be a grandmother, she's been thinking of what HER name is going to be once Baby T gets here - because the typical names for grandmother (in spanish or english) are not to her liking/standards. you'd think that her name was going to permanently change! well a couple of weeks ago she emailed me a list of names that she wanted to be called (apparently she googled the word "grandmother"). among that list was "lola" (grandmother in filipino), "gigi", "mia", "mimi" (which is a no go since that's my sis' nickname and we can't have 2 "mimi's" running around), and her personal favorite and the one she is pushing for: "yaya" (grandmother in greek).

ok, overlooking the fact that we aren't even 1 ounce filipino or greek, i'm just really really really not feeling yaya. and me being the smart a$$ that i am, i dubbed my mom "lady yaya" 1) because the word yaya makes me think of the crazy artist lady gaga, and 2) i was hopeful that once i called my mom "lady yaya" she would see how crazy it sounded and would change her mind about being called that. little did i know that this would backfire in my face. apparently my "crazy as a fox" mother LIKES this nickname. *sigh* so anyway, i think my sis and i will continue to call her "lady yaya" (hey, why waste a good nickname?!), and i'll just tell Baby T to call her the good old-fashioned "abuela" (grandmother in spanish) once he gets here - lol.

"Pa-pa-poker face, pa-pa-poker face"

New Book: Hypnobirthing by Marie Mongan

i promised myself that as soon as i finished reading "the lost symbol" (which embarrassingly took me 4 mo to read since Baby T drained me of my energy and will to live) i would get my act together and start baby/parenting books. so the first book up is "hypnobirthing: the mongan method: a natural approach to a safe, easier, more comfortable birthing" by marie mongan.



from amazon:

Childbirth is not something to be feared; it is a natural expression of life. With HypnoBirthing, your pregnancy and childbirth will become the gentle, life-affirming process it was meant to be.

In this easy-to-understand guide, HypnoBirthing founder Marie Mongan explodes the myth of pain as a natural accompaniment to birth. She proves through sound medical information that it is not our bodies but our culture that has made childbirth a moment of anguish, and that when we release the fear of birth, a fear that is keeping our bodies tense and closed, we will also release the pain.

HypnoBirthing is nature, not manipulation. It relaxes the mind in order to let the body work as it is designed. The HypnoBirthing exercises—positive thinking, relaxation, visualization, breathing and physical preparation—will lead to a happy and comfortable pregnancy, even if you are currently unsure of an intervention-free birth. Your confidence, trust and happy anticipation will in turn lead to the peaceful, fulfilling and bonding birth that is your right as a mother.

More than 10,000 happy couples have had their lives changed for the better by HypnoBirthing. More than 500 news organizations—including Good Morning America, The Today Show, Dateline, The Richard & Judy Show, Time, Newsweek, Parenting and Better Homes & Gardens—have joined the movement for better
birthing.

Why is HypnoBirthing changing the way the world gives birth? That's simple. Because it works.

i'm really interested to see what it's all about. i've heard good things about the book/method, and figured that i would give it a shot. no harm in trying right? and hopefully it won't take me 4 mo to read this book (considering i don't have 4 mo to spare).

Baby T has a wee-wee

well Baby T is a he! i guess my dreams and the Intelligender test lied to me - lol. doc said there everything looked great, and he got some really good 2D/3D pics. so once we scan those in i will upload them. a couple of the pics didn't do Baby T justice, so those won't get uploaded. i took a crappy pic of 1 of them with my camera phone. but you can kind of make out the side of his face and his hands. man, i'm going to be out numbered in my house. but at least i won't have to deal with doing someone's hair and hannah montana!! :)

"Happy Gender Day"

...said my adorable hubby to me this morning! today is the day we (hopefully) find out if Baby T is a "mini-me" or a "mini-D". in addition to totally invading baby's privacy, it'll be nice to see how much he/she has grown/changed since last we saw him/her (at 12 wks). and to ensure baby's cooperation, i drank a cup of Cuban coffee this morning, so if that doesn't get him/her moving, i don't know what will.

i'll be back after our appt with an update....

Baby T's 1st and 2nd Gifts

not even here yet, and "Baby T" is already getting spoiled. Geez! My fam bought this adorable onesie set for baby during Christmas. We are BIG University of Miami fans in our house (as that is my alma mater), and it's only fitting that Baby T starts the obsession early! :)


and this week my in-laws sent this beautiful monogramed blanket. i may not actually have to worry about naming the baby since Baby T seems to have stuck - lol.

22 wks 3 da belly bump

no, your computer screen is not fuzzy. my mirror is just dirty! here's my belly in all of it's glory this morning!

Nesting

we got quite a bit accomplished this weekend, and oddly enough it had nothing to do with Baby T (well not directly). we have a pretty small house. and for the most part, we really don't keep a whole lot of random clutter. but we still have some. so this weekend, D and i went through the closet in our office and get rid of meaningless junk. there was a whole box of old workbooks, paper work, etc. that neither of us needed. and some boxes that used to house electronic equipment that was just taking up space. so we were able to free up some space in the closet. and i've listed a number of books on Paper Back Swap so that i can free up space on our bookshelf.

"so what does that have to do with a baby?" D asked me. well.....with babies come stuff. and we need all the space we can get in our small house. so we have to get rid of the stuff that is not meaningful to us. plus, i'm just a neat freak that has to do everything right.now. :) but for some reason, i feel so accomplished this morning! i love organizing things!!

Weeks 22-24: Papaya

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

Source: the bump

22 wk status and belly bump

How Big is Baby: the size of a papaya.

Total Weight Gain: as of 1/16 i was up 17lbs

Maternity Clothes: check!

Stretch Marks: well they haven't really made an appearance yet. i thought i faintly saw some last week, but i guess that was a false alarm

Sleep: still sleeping on my side, and i have been having the weirdest dreams every night for about 2 wks now. it's crazy, especially since i wasn't really a dreamer before

Best Moment this Week: baby kicks to my bladder are always a ton of fun!

Food Cravings: i have been craving tomato and cucumber salad. so tasty!

Gender: i took an intelligender test this morning and it predicted girl. we have our u/s scheduled for the 28th

Labor Signs: n/a

Belly Button: it's still shrinking

What I miss: not waking up in pain in the middle of the night because i turned in my sleep and the "round ligament pain" kicked in

What I'm looking forward to: our u/s appt on the 28th

Weekly Wisdom: every body is different, so i really need to stop worrying about what other people tell me and just experience my pregnancy my way.

Milestones: working on 6 mo of being preggo!

here i am at 21 wks 3 da

Ack...why do you keep kicking me in the bladder??!!

well first let me start off by pointing out the obvious - my blog background has changed! :) i decided it was time for some upgrading. i got this awesome background from hot bliggity blog. i also changed some of my blog fonts. i'm lucky enough to have a good friend that has an amazing blog with all sorts of neat *free* fonts. and voila! my fab upgraded baby blog!

i've been feeling Baby T kick a lot lately. Today he/she really enjoys kicking me square in the bladder. it's quite uncomfortable! d has still not been able to feel any movement from the outside, and i think that's making him sad. so i'm hoping that soon he will get a chance. on top of that a few days ago i *think* i felt baby hiccups for the 1st time. totally weird feeling! i thought they were kicks at first, but then i realized that there was a pattern to the "kicks".

this past week i worked out every day (except for wed and fri). in addition to my zumba class that i teach on tues, thurs, and sat; i've been taking aqua aerobics class (or swimming) on my off days. i think getting in the water has really helped me. i'm not sure if i've mentioned it before, but i broke my ankle in apr '09 and had to have surgery on it. so i'm still recovering from that. and i think being in the water has really helped my ankle. when i went for my massage on wed, my masseuse mentioned that she noticed my leg/ankle felt looser. and i've noticed that my range of motion is increasing a little. so i'm really excited about that. and it just feels good to be in the water working out even though it doesn't feel like i'm working out.

Budda Belly - 20 wk, 4 da

here's my budda belly right in the midst of 21wks. in my defense, i did take it after i had eaten, so that might also be a partial "food baby" belly - lol. and can you believe it, i'm now 5 mo preggo??? holy &*$$@#, where has the time gone???

anemia?? phooey!

well i had some blood drawn on tues. and my m/w just called to tell me that 1) i'm O+, so i won't have to have a Rh injection if we were to get pregnant in the future, and 2) i'm slightly anemic. i'm kind of disappointed, just because i hate for anything to be wrong with me. but this is something easily correctable, so i'm not too worried. i just need to increase my intake of iron, and get more rest. so i have a plan of action, and hopefully when i see them again on the 28th, this issue will be resolved.

20 week status and belly bump pic

How Big is Baby: the size of a cantaloupe making it's way to a banana
Total Weight Gain: as of 1/2 i was up 15lbs from my pre-preggo weight.
Maternity Clothes: i am all the way in them and getting rounder by the day.
Stretch Marks: i think they are faintly making their way into my life (and onto my tummy)
Sleep: i'm definitely a side sleeper now
Best Moment this Week: i've been feeling baby move more.
Food Cravings: i had a craving yesterday for fettucine alfredo
Gender: i took an intelligender test this morning and it predicted girl. we have our u/s scheduled for the 28th
Labor Signs: n/a
Belly Button: it's shrinking
What I miss: not having acid reflux after i eat pizza or have anything with marinara sauce.
What I'm looking forward to: our u/s appt on the 28th
Weekly Wisdom: this could always get much worse, so i need to stop complaining. :)
Milestones: i'm 20 wks this week which is halfway there. yikes, time is passing so quickly!



here i am at 20 wks

Weeks 20 and 21

21 weeks: banana

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

20 weeks: cantaloupe

Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

Source: the bump

Intelligender says...GIRL!

because i have absolutely NO self-control whatsoever, and $30 to blow (yea, right!) i went out and bought a gender predictor kit from tar-ghey yesterday. i took it first thing this morning, and it predicted girl (yes, that is my urine in the cup).

we have an ultrasound appt scheduled on the 28th to confirm the gender of Baby T (if baby decides he/she wants to cooperate). but even though i'll know the gender i think i may continue to refer to him/her as Baby T - it's catchy. :)

here's a belly shot i took during our trip (12/27). any gender predictions???

We're Back!!

Well, we are back from our holiday in England! We had an amazing time! It was so great to spend that quality time together as a couple. We hardly get to spend that much time together normally. We hit up all the typical tourist spots (Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, Covent Garden, etc). We did so much walking and site-seeing. I was completely exhausted by the end of each day. On top of being preggo, I'm also still recovering from the ankle surgery that I had in Apr, so I was a bit of a "weak link" on the trip. There were a couple of days that we had to stay in because I was just hurting, and couldn't do it. But Dennis was great about it, and even when we stayed in the hotel we spent the time together enjoying each other's company. It's funny to me, because Dennis is really uninvolved in any of the planning of the trip, but as soon as we get there, he takes over and does all the planning for which sights to see and in what order. I just kind of follow him around. I guess that's why we compliment each other so well. Anyway, here is a pic of us (and Baby T) at Stonehenge.