A Note on Pregnancy

At 38 weeks I sit here really contemplating what it's been like to be pregnant and the miracle that it is. I have been pregnant for 266 days. That's crazy right? And if the "What To Expect" book is right then today he is about the size of a medium watermelon weighing around 6.5 lbs+ and between 19-22 inches long. Pause for second with me. SERIOUSLY? I can honestly say though I am physically feeling the effects I don't think that I have actually been doing the work this whole time. Yes my stomach is a basketball and my whole body is currently unrecognizeable, I just seriously cannot take the credit. Seeing him in the beginning on the little screen as a blip, then with his full body makes me look at this growing, breathing, living thing and know it's not me. It's all God. It is his miraculous hand and work that have led me through it and helped him grow to the large baby I will soon deliver. There's no way vitamins and "eating right" can alone lead to this beautiful boy who's about to come.

So that being said and the sap being pretty much out of the way I thought of the things I will miss and the things I won't about being in my current state (without the overshare). Let's start with what I won't miss since it's always good to end on a positive note:

Things That I Will NOT Miss

1. Sweating to death because my hormones are nuts (hence the nickname Derek has provided of "Crockpot" - because I am slow cooking a baby and always running warm)
2. How much we spend on toilet paper because I pee every half hour max. 1 hour
3. The constant stuffy nose that accompanies pregnancy
4. Maternity clothes - let's face it most of them are not the cutest and the band in the pants just gets awkward toward the end because it doesn't go all the way over your (my) huge stomach
5. The awkward and sometimes rude comments you get from people such as "Are you sure there isn't two in there?" "You must be due any day now" "Wow you have just gotten so big!" (Yes people along with my belly came the thickest skin ever and I no longer am sensitive to rudeness!)
6. FORGETTING EVERYTHING - Pregnancy Brain which I know will turn in to Mommy Brain but atleast I have hope at this point that some of it may return

Things that I Will Miss

1. The constant movement and kicks that he does in there always surprise me and make me so happy. He is so active and I love knowing he's in there wanting to get out and be with us.
2. Sitting on the couch or in bed and grabbing Daddy's hand telling him to feel this or that - his face and reactions always make my heart skip a beat
3. Though I can't wait to meet our son, I will miss being able to rub my belly and know he's safe and protected in there where no one else can get to him
4. Yes I use the excuse "I'm pregnant" so I can eat some dessert, so I don't have to lift things, etc. So what?
5. There are people who are so nice to you when you're pregnant  (despite the afforementioned #5)- the nice ones open doors for you, let you go first, always tell you how children and babies will change your life, and encourage you, etc. For some reason they think a pregnant woman is approachable and nice, which I like!

I am sure there are more which I can't think of at this moment. But I guess it's really wrapping up here. I just can't wait to actually meet him, see his face, and start this next chapter as a 3 person family!!!!

Overdue Shower Post

This post has the best title don't you think? It's very overdue but the last few days/weeks have been a whirlwind for me that blogging was the last thing on my crowded pregnant mind.

So a few weeks ago my bestie and her loving family through us the most beautiful shower. It was simply beautiful filled with the greatest details. I am so thankful for Ashlee, her sister, mom and grandma all working hard to give me the intimate, relaxed, and fun shower I wanted! Thank you guys - you know you are so loved and appreciated. Here are some awesome snapshots thanks to Ashlee!

Yiayia-to-be, Prego, Bestie Ash, and Gigi Lee

Grandma Cari, Prego, and Great Grandma B

 

My trio of besties and precious "niece" Hannah

(thank you for driving down you 2!)

The adorable favors included a plantable seed packet, candle, and these delicious treats:

Vanilla/red velvet cupcakes + made by Auntie Jordann = Prego's sugary downfall

(girl if you are reading this - start your business already!)

The CUTEST CAKE EVER matched the invite perfectly

It was such a perfect afternoon. Thank you everyone who came and the few of you blog stalking reading this right now. I am truly grateful for the piles of clothes, swing, play mat, books, blankets, quilts, etc. etc. I have the most generous family and friends and I am so grateful you already love my son just as I do.

 

Our First Baby Shower

Saturday, May 7 we had our very first baby shower. We went to the Anaheim White House for lunch and of course, gifts. Most of the attendees were my mom's family and Derek's dad's family. I know some of you traveled quite far so many thanks that you came. It was a really nice day and I can't tell you how surreal it was to be there opening gifts for our little guy and talking about him all day. He's one blessed and loved little boy already.

I really am thankful to my mom, sister, Yiayia, and the entire Hernandez clan for throwing us the shinding. Thank you guys so much! The only thing I really missed that day was getting some good pictures! So sorry there are few. Thanks Lil for those you took below...

The yummiest cupcakes matched the invites

Adorable diaper cake made by my cousin Taylor

Table of fantastic guests and shower hostesses

Pretty sure that's an "aww this is too cute face"

Blanket by mom's friend

And this is probably one of my favorites - he recieved the "Love You Forever" book... which Derek's mom actually gave Derek at our wedding. It has special memories and it's sorta a family book and I am so glad Peanut has his own copy now.

I am so grateful for everyone that came and the many clothes, blankets, toys, etc. that we received. Everyone is so generous. Later that night we went through it all and were so overwhelmed at everyone's geneorousity and love. But more than anything laughed at the piles and mounds of diapers we got. (But surely if he's related to the boys in this family we'll need them. HAHA)

5 Things

Sorry for my absence and this irregular post... It's been a bit busy lately and exciting all at once... That's one reason this post shifts focus at the end.

Number 5
The baby's room was painted! Yipee! Now don't judge because this was officially our junk room. And between giving away furniture, then accumulating furniture we just closed the door on that mess until painters were able to come.

Number 4

Daddy put together the crib. I supervised.

(sans sheet and etc. because I haven't washed it all yet)

Number 3

The artwork was hung with great care. And yes daddy won out the debate that it should not be hanging on the large crib wall. He didn't want glass falling on our son's head. Good call I suppose. But we are starting to baby proof as we go. Thanks to Quake Hold, a.k.a. one of the coolest things ever invented. It's this putty-like stuff that you affix to anything and it will hold everything in place. So we have been sticking it to the back of pictures and etc. That way one day when someone gets curious or doors are slammed nothing moves. But these pictures help you see the room color a bit better. I am still working on our fancy new camera.... 

Number 2

We re-did the entire closet space in this room. The walls had never been painted and it was really in-effecient storage in there, just one long shelf and no place for shoes, etc. Derek designed a little system, painted, and then we installed this beautiful storage. It is so exciting because it will hopefully help me get organized especially once it fills with more socks, shoes, and diapers. 

Number 1

Now this has nothing to do with peanut's room per say but a future play mate! My best friend Ashlee had her beautiful baby boy Luke David Thomas on April  16, 2011. He is a precious little man, who will one day be peanut's best little buddy. I have been spending some (not nearly enough) time with him and of course the proud new parents. He is so tiny, so sweet, and a big cuddler. He's definitely a good baby and was born to fantastic, caring, loving parents. I can't begin to express my love for her baby, her, and her supportive husband. It's been amazing watching my best friend of around 15 years go through his birth and now adjusting at home. I have seen her change already... and yes it has been a big eye opener and a blessing for me. I am so grateful for the advice she's giving me, things I am observing, and of course thankful to our Lord who has given us all this healthy baby boy to love on. It makes it so real for me that in not too long I will be holding my son and falling in love with him too.  Congrats Mom and Dad Thomas!

Sorry for the poor photo... I snapped this picture the other day from

my phone when I was trying to "get some practice in" and loving on Baby Luke

Warning: Sad Post Ahead

So I have some sad news to address. (Remember how I said my blog was cathartic? Well, here it is...) On March 31, 2011 my grandma (Peanut's great grandma) passed away. There's no way to put it other than to say my heart is really heavy. I am happy in knowing that she is no longer in both physical and emotional pain, but also very sad to know that she is no longer on this earth. My heart breaks for my dad, his brother, and for my family who lost our matriarch.

I want my son to know that one day he will hear funny, off-the-wall stories about his great grandmother Alice Patricia Burns. She was a very unique, headstrong woman. There was no questioning how she felt about something or her opinions. To put it bluntly sometimes she was off-putting and upset people, but my mom said it so beautifully and gracefully that I admire her so much, "Even though grandma didn't always let us in or say the nicest of things, God forgave her the moment she did anything."  She wasn't always the kind of grandma who took you shopping or asked about every detail of your life, but she was the kind of grandma that had great pride in her beliefs, her heritage, and her family.

What I know now in reminiscing is that she always stayed true to herself. I hope that one day when I tell my son about her I teach him how she never made apologies for standing up for what she believed in or thought. She was a woman of traditions and deep convictions. She went to church every Sunday, even in the care of her nursing home. She taught all of our family to pause and pray together before every meal. We spoke two prayers together, on in English and one in Swedish.

Bless us, Oh Lord,
and these thy gifts which we are about to receive

from thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

(Then in Swedish)

In Jesus' name we go to the table

To eat and drink at thy Word.

She was also fiercely loyal to my grandpa and loved him beyond words. Grandma was married to my grandpa, Robert Leo Burns and loved him since she was 14. He too was a strong man, but more importantly a spiritual man. He always told us how much he loved us and tried to teach us things about his passions like gardening, farming, photography and reading. I will always cherish our family swim parties at their house and fun Christmas traditions. Grandpa died March 11, 2004 but there is no doubt he has been waiting for my grandma in heaven. Above all I am so thankful to God that they raised my dad to be a loving, strong, intelligent Christian man that peanut will love as fiercely as I do.

Although I am sad because this meants peanut won't get to meet another great grandparent, I am rejoicing in knowing that all of my grandparents loved me so much (he still has his ProYiayia to love on him!). And I praise God that Derek's grandparents are still living and have embraced me and loved me like they do. I am grateful they let me call them "grandma" and "grandpa" and that they treat me as one of their own.  I will miss my grandparents but I am forever indebted to have had them all as long as I have because each of them shaped my life. I hope that the greatest Papou ever, the sweetest Grandpa, and the strongest-willed Grandma are all dancing in the Golden Streets together!

5 Things

In my efforts to be an organized mommy we've checked these 5 things (of 1,000) off our list this week:

Number 5
Cleaned out peanut's closet in preparation for closet organizer and etc.

Number 4
Painted the room!!! Yeah! Thanks to dear family friends and painters we got his room painted the beautious Lunar Eclipse color that we blogged about here. Pics to come!

Number 3
Daddy assembled the crib Sunday. He did a great job as always... and it is quite sturdy if you ask me. He makes everything look so easy even though it had some bizarre directions.

Number 2
Researched and starting registration for some birthing classes. GULP. No I am not nervous. I'm not I'm not I'm not!

Number 1
Registered at the hospital!! Say what? I know isn't that crazy... it is suggested to do this about 2 months out from anticipated delivery. But I just wanted to get this done sooner rather than later.

Bump Watch: 25 weeks...

... and huge! This picture was taken last week at the Ducks Game. My best friend Ashlee and her husband Chris (Auntie Ash and Uncle Chris) invited Derek and I to the game - it was fantastic! We had a blast and the whole time kept thinking that that may have been the last outing of the 4 (ok 6) of us were going on because she's due VERY soon. Thanks guys for a fun time!

5 Things

Number 5
On March 22nd we had our 24-week doctor's appointment and got to hear his heart beating again. Yes, 24 weeks = 6 months already! He's getting stronger and stronger and bigger and bigger. Each day and time I hear him I am just so amazed at our small wonder God gave us.

Number 4
Friday night we had dinner with my brother Bobby and my sister Lillian. Afterwards I talked everyone into a much-needed ice cream run, and following that peanut was quite active. I think he's like me and loooves ice cream and sugar. My dad (peanut's papou) got to feel him move! And he jumped up pumped his fast and screamed "YESSS!" He was so excited and it was probably one of the funniest moments.

Number 3
Saturday I went to a photography class offered by the photographer who will be doing our maternity pictures! It was a lot of fun and so exciting because I can now sorta understand the fancy new camera we bought. We had been eyeing the fancy specimen of a Canon for awhile and now that peanut's closer to his arrival we invested in a nice camera to take a million trillion pictures of him!

Number 2
Today I got to have lunch with this lovely lady and of course her dog Ava (snapped with my iPhone). Peanut's Aunt Tricia has been living in D.C. since the end of December. We've all missed her so much. It was good to see that she hasn't changed much... she's still the crazy, sarcastic, loud, and wonderful sister I love. She even got to feel peanut move while we were together. She was so excited!

Number 1
This weekend we celebrated my Yiayia (grandma) and peanut's ProYiayia's (great grandma) 89th birthday! What a fun-filled, blessed day! It was quite the celebration as my mom's family never does anything small or with half-effort. There were 40 plus people there, and not all of us were able to make it. Yiayia tells me every time I see her that my Popou is surely smiling in heaven because he not only loves Derek and I and wanted us to start a family, but he loooved a pregnant woman. She always says that he thought pregnant women were the most beautiful... and that explains why she was pregnant 5 times! Although, the best part of all was my sweet little second cousin Calista, who is 3, gave peanut a book. She gave him her favorite book "Guess How Much I Love You" and told me to make sure I "tell him I love him every day, from the moon and back." Seriously I cried because I don't even know his face, but love him so much already!!!! Thanks cousin Calista and I can't wait for you to play with him too!

Yeah!!!!

Peanut's bedding came today! Nice job Restoration Hardware, it came over 1 month earlier than promised! Now we are pretty much decided on the paint color...

Yes, for those of you who knew I was debating between a mocha and blue.... softer blue/gray in the form of "Lunar Eclipse" looks way better. And husband, see it and hear it just this once: you were right.

5 Things

Number 5
Got some of the house painted in preparation for the baby! Here are some before and afters....

Number 4
Went to sushi this week with my brother and sister and of course Derek. Lots of laughs and great conversation. I love spending time with peanut's soon-to-be Aunt Lillian and Uncle Bobby (how weird is that to say?!).

Number 3
Also went out to Derek's dad's house (um peanut's GRANDPA!) to celebrate Uncle Adam's 19th birthday! Had a very wonderful time and couldn't help but looking at the 4 boys and how much I love each of them. Peanut has so much to look forward to with all of his uncles. They are an entertaining bunch of characters.

Number 2
Daddy Derek got his son a present.... I know I know "wait until after the shower!" But he you see he got it from some incentive points he earned via work. And believe me there's tons this baby still needs!

Number 1
Sunday I went to my best friend's other baby shower. It was so nice to be invited and be a guest at a shower not the hostess. I am overjoyed and can't wait to meet her son. Definitely a huge blessing on the way and it makes me cry just thinking of him!

The Nursery

Let me just tell you that dreaming of a nursery is way too fun. I have had "fun" decorating our home, but really I have a hard time deciding what I like and where it should go, etc. You see, I just like too many things. But in starting to think of my little prince's room... I really have had fun. When I imagine my son I think of him as a miniature version of my husband... and seriously it not only melts my hurt but make me so excited. Therefore I think the nursery of my imagination, I mean OUR imaginations, is designed with a lot of Derek's tastes and likes in mind. If you know Derek, you know he loves cars. I don't think you get it... the guy bleeds motor oil. But no he doesn't really like Nascar, even though it's fun to tease him he's a redneck. He loves road racing - specifically European racing. And being that he literally watches the full 24 hours of Le Mans, I have come to like it too. (But shhh don't tell him that because if I want him to change the channel....) So we've begun planning peanut's nursery around all of that: a classic, vintage racing room. We picked out the furniture and no sooner did his ProYiayia (great grandma), Yiayia and Papou/Grandpa buy it! Which first, thank you mom and dad. We are so grateful because it's just beautiful and he will have it forever. No really, for-e-ver. And Yiayia, we are so grateful. I love that you have the tradition of buying the crib for your grandbabies.

So we have this little inspiration board I quickly did to show you what we're thinking thus far:

The 3 posters are reproduction prints of vintage racing posters. Derek has loved those for years and now I am finally letting him put them up in our house. The 3 prints will be in some espresso frames... all equal sizes of course. They are pretty beautiful graphics and very colorful. Not to mention, I think they will be something that can grow with him and not just "nursery" ish. The zinc letters at the bottom right will spell out his name... once we decide on that.  We will still have plenty of little things to add but this is our ideas thus far. Oh, and the bedding is also quite sophisticated for a little guy, it's European menswear-inspired  from Restoration Hardware kinda looks like houndstooth suiting materials on the bed skirt. Now, to halt you before you think that's not very kiddish... well that's kinda that point. We don't exactly care for the blown-up, cartoon-y cars that you see out there. It's not exactly our taste and we want to keep this classy folks. But I am sure it will have piles upon piles of legos and Matchbox cars in a short while.... and I kinda can't wait for that.

I'm so pregnant....

.... that this morning when making my breakfast bagel (yes I indulged so hush) I put the cream cheese in a Ziploc and then put it back in the same drawer we keep the baggies. I went and sat down and started eating. Lo and behold suddenly I realized I had put it in the drawer... not in the refrigerator. Gosh.

Hope I made you laugh.

5 Things

Being that this past week we were on a semi-vacation to Hawaii this post will all be pretty much vacation-related. Hope it doesn't bore you folks.

Number 5
We traveled safely on our first family plane ride! Yeah, so peanut's still on the inside but it was still fun to say he went on a trip with us, went in the Pacific Ocean (oh man was the water beautiful) and even got some sunlight finally! (Yeah, my extraordinarily white belly is now just semi-white.)

Number 4
Came home to our house still standing. (Thanks Dad and Clint for checking on Patina. She appreciates it too.) No major issues to fix... except the alarm. Which had some sort of cellular back-up failure and beeped the whole time. But that's been fixed already today by the wonderful, albeit late, alarm man who came early this a.m.

Number 3
I got to see my husband "in action" this week. You see our trip was actually business-related because Derek's company offers customers an incentive trip each year. If his customers reach a high volume of sales, they qualify for these trips that are pretty much all-expense paid. This year he was asked to attend. He was responsible for entertaining the customers, picking up the tab when we were out, and generally hosting other guests. It was amazing to see him in this role. Yes, I have heard him on the phone with customers and he talks about all of the problems or his typical day. But one thing I really noted about him, after almost 9 whopping years together, is that he is probably one of the most honest, hardworking people I have ever met and known. His customers absolutely love him and even attribute their successes to him. In watching him with them, he never changes who he is, puts on a "show" or acts like some scheezy salesman telling jokes. He is so kind, considerate, and very real. He treats his customers with a great deal of respect and tries hard not only to please them, but get to know them so that he can service them better. He really shows a genuine interest in their successes not only from a business perspective, but because he knows they are family-run businesses and he genuinely cares about their welfare. And it make me so proud. So I hope I am not bragging here, but remember one day I will share this blog with peanut. So son, I want you to know what an incredibly honest, genuine, and hardworking man your daddy is and has always been.

Numbers 2 & 1
I am cheating because I think this deserves two (and it's my blog so I get to say so!). Though our trip was so wonderful and we met some amazing people, it was also a crazy one. March 10, 2011 was a bizarre day. I have already told this story to so many people but that's ok I will tell it once more so skip ahead if you want to. Thursday we took Derek's customers back to the airport, said goodbye and picked up or rental car. We decided to head to the Haleakala volcano crater that afternoon since it was the final thing we had not done on the island. We were on our way back down (which is when Derek felt peanut move!) and headed to the hotel to just relax. We decided to hang out and lay low for the rest of the night when Derek's brother Grant texted us randomly that Japan had this huge earthquake and there was now a tsunami warning in Hawaii. To be honest, we laughed it off because we hadn't heard anything about it there. We turned on the news and it mentioned Japan but nothing in Hawaii. Lo and behold a few minutes later,  the Pacific Ocean Center came on and reported the possibility of a tsunami hitting the islands. So we continued watching for updates and suddenly they confirmed the possibility of 6 foot waves hitting Maui. To put in to perspective, Japan's first wave was at the time estimated at 13. That was roughly half the size... but Maui is like 1/20 the size of Japan. Uh oh. So we decided to pack our bags up and put together a to-go bag of snacks, water, sunscreen and hats, and essentials. The news said the first things to go would be power and water so Derek (my genius husband who is better than a Boy Scout he's like some awesome Man Scout) filled the bath tub with water. We headed to get some cash and determine our plan for evacuating or staying. We went downstairs and it was panic. People running around, buying all the food in the Sundries shop, trying to leave and call people, etc. By this time however we could no longer call out or text and the Wi-fi was jammed up and we couldn't communicate with anyone. But I remembered (see I did contribute somehow) we could plug his laptop in to the room's ethernet. We used it to text  and e-mail our families from the Web (an amazing resource by the way). We looked up elevation levels on the island in case we had to get to high ground and there was nowhere safe except Haleakala (over 1 hour away). We knew there was no way to get there on the one-lane highway now because panic had officially ensued and people were literally trying to flee. They didn't realize that streets had been closed except police-escorted evacuation. The hotel manager then came to our room and said no one can leave. The hotel has a tsunami emergency plan and moved us from the 2nd floor to the 5th. She explained that as long as we were above the 4th we'd be fine but to be prepared and "do NOT go to sleep." Awesome. Ok, so Derek kept his cool. Me... not so much. Ask peanut one day about his momma's irregular heart beat on that day. Pregnant + scared + super tired at 2:30 a.m. = BAD.  So "it" was supposed to hit at 3:07 a.m. and it didn't happened at that time. We set up our vigil around the TV watching but it was the same info. over and over. Because we didn't see or hear anything we learned from the TV that it did happen closer to 4:00 a.m. and even then because of the island's position to the east of Kaui it didn't hit West Maui as hard. The water did rise about 6 ft. but it was not an actual wave which is what really brings the destruction. The brunt of it did hit the North side of the island and cause significant damage, but we were so blessed to be out of harm's way. What a scary night. The next day the two nosy Markos's went scouting for damage and to see what happened. The streets had finally reopened and there was loads of debris, sand and water. Lahaina (Front Street) had flooded but water was receeding. We headed to one beach and saw locals taking pictures and talking. They all told us that they had never experienced such craziness and some of them hadn't even been home yet. They were evacuated to the airport area and spent the entire night awake in rooms without a cot or chair. They explained the ocean was so irradic and unpredicatable, showing us that the tide was so low it exposed rocks and coral they had never known was there. We sat and watched the current change directions in small whirlpools, then suddenly it would swell up so fast. It was strange because there were no waves (it was more like it just slowly rose and fell). I am so thankful that the Lord kept us is his hands, that he guided us to stay stay at the hotel, kept Derek calm, and we were absolutely fine and safe. It could have been something, but it turned out to really be nothing in comparison to Japan. So while I count my blessings I will also pray for the people who really were affected.

Oh, and once I go through our pictures I will post them to prove our trip was on the whole, wonderful!

Finally....

... Daddy Derek felt his son move! We are still on vacation in Hawaii and today we were driving down the Haleakala Highway after seeing the volcano crater. Our son was practicing his afternoon martial arts routine or perhaps gymnastics flipping routine and I reached over and grabbed Derek's hand. He has been getting quite upset lately that after every time I insist he touches the bump, peanut stops moving. But today, he was so active I grabbed his hand and put in on there. He suddenly yells out "WHOAH! Was that him?" I looked at him and smiled saying "TOLD YOU!" Then we both had a moment... some tears might have been shared by an overly emotional momma and Derek was smiling probably for a good 4 minutes. He was thrilled. 

5 Things

This week's amazing things and blessings....

Number 5
Today, March 8 peanut is officially the size of a papaya. Thought that was fitting for number 4!

Number 4
A little trip to Maui this week... YIPEE! Although it's mostly a business trip for the hubs, I am so excited to get away for a bit and celebrate his accomplishment and a bit of a baby-moon before July hits!

Number 3
God's goodness and guidance this past week. It feels like I had soooo much to do getting ready to go on our trip and I was hopefully able to accomplish it all. I also had a very successful bridal show this past Sunday and I am so grateful that the Lord led me to do it even though I had my doubts. I am so grateful that He sometimes takes over. And more importantly, thank you friends and especially family who helped us get everything in order and (who are checking on the house while we're gone)!

Number 2
Our active little baby is moving and kicking so much now. Every day I can feel his movements and especially in the evenings around dinner. He moves a lot and I really feel it when I am calm and sitting down. All of the books say I should start being able to sense his "waking and sleeping patterns." I am still figuring this one out because the little guy seems to have lots of energy all day! He's definitely a sleeper like his momma and usually doesn't move lots and have lots of energy in the mornings until he's got some fuel. Meaning, again, he's like me in that he gets going after breakfast and something to drink! Then he keeps moving lots throughout the day, especially though in the evenings. It's all truly amazing!!!! But sad that Derek's has been able to feel it yet. I grab his hand every time and put it there and the little guy stops. It's like he senses his dad and already is playing a game with him.

Number 1
Derek finished his schooling for his bachelors of science in business from the University of Redlands. Allow me one moment to brag and then cue the standing ovation! I am truly so proud of him because he not only dedicates himself 100% to me, his family, and his full-time job, but for the past 2 1/2 years he has been going to school full time. He has worked so hard to put himself through school and successfuly finished as of Tuesday. His capstone project was a 50-page paper that was quite the project around here. Redlands is a wonderful university, but with that means tough curriculum. And I am ridiculously proud of him and that he will have around a 3.5!

What's in a name?

In addition to the usual "How are you feeling?" or "How far along are you?" the question of late has been "What is his name?"and "When can we stop calling him 'peanut?'" Sorry darling readers we don't have a straight answer on that one. I come from a family that its tradition to name children after another member of the family as an honor to the elderly. My mom's side (the Greeks) is chalk full of repeats - My mom Nikki is named after her dad, my Papou Nicholas, and there are three Lillians named after my Yiayia Lillian. I am named after my Papou's sister Madeline, who passed before I was born. And then my brother Bobby is named after my dad and grandpa Robert. You get the point. Then on Derek's side the "tradition" is similar. His dad Tom is named after Grandpa Thomas. Additionally, there's a tradition to have a nickname with initials. Derek John (D.J.), Clinton West (C-dub),Adam Jordan (AJ), Grant Thomas (GT).. you get the picture. So needless to say it's very important to have a name with "meaning" to our families.

But more importantly, I want our son to have a beautiful, strong, and professional name. Peanut can't be out there conquering the world with a name like... well... peanut. I would love his name to be Biblical or have a Christian meaning. But it seems we're having a really hard time with it. So we're down to about two names and seriously it's tough because we each like different names! We're not sure but at this point (and who knows it may still change) it's down to: Blake Robert and Cole Thomas.

Blake in Old English means "black" or "dark" but can also mean "blac" meaning "brightness or shining." Hmm... that's an oxymoron to me but ok. Robert is Germanic and it's a family name, clearly honoring my grandpa, dad, and brother. Robert means  "bright fame" (yes fame not flame!). While Cole has two meanings. One being "dark" and the other as a derivative of Nicholas meaning "victorious." Thomas is also a family name, honoring Derek's dad and grandpa. It means "twin." Well like I said I wanted the names to have meaning, but clearly a literal definition isn't going to happen if we go with one of these. But hey, atleast we had good intentions. Because as it is if we go with either our son's name could mean "dark." Eeks. (Well he will be the light of my life! Just accept that I am cheesy!)
 
To be honest we were deciding whether or not to keep it all secret but it's honestly too hard not to tell the people you love and get feedback. And so far we're happy because no one has had a negative or adverse reaction to either. Or maybe people are just nice about it. We may just decide to keep driving ourselves and family crazy and wait until he's here to see what he really should be named. Or we'll just pray for divine intervention since HE already knows his name!

5 Things

I am a total copy cat. But at least I own it right? I read a bunch of blogs and one of my favorites writes weekly posts called "5 Things" that the author experienced/went through/loved during her week.  So since my favorite number is 5 (any guess as to why?) I wanted to do my own "5 Things" each week. (And  since I am blogging all of these things late I will do this post as a "5 Favorites" for the last couple weeks.  Yep another seriously over-due post seeing as how I am behind on blogging.)

Number 5
Finally, I am thankful we had some time recently to... REGISTER! Yesss it was so much fun. We got on it and started peanut's registry. See in my efforts to be a hip, in-touch mom I signed up on thebump and get these e-mails, reminders, checklists, etc. It has been telling me to get my butt in gear and start preparing for this little one. (In case you couldn't tell by Number 4 it's on to the nesting phase evidently.) So finally Derek and I spent a whopping few HOURS in Babies R Us picking out tons of fun, cool, and let's face it obscure little baby items for peanut. It was a lot of fun, even though Derek spent literally in excess of 30 minutes over car seats. I just wanted to pick out the cute stuff, you know decor and clothes, little bottles, pacifiers... but he was determining his son's his first mode of transport so naturally it was a major decision. Then a few days later he surprised me by taking me to OC Tykes... one of my new favorite places! This amazing store in San Clemente specializes in Derek's favorite topics: transportation. This store is owned by the most amazing people - and they are parents who actually use the stuff they are selling. We spent a lot of time there and got a great education on car seats strollers, safety of the items and the most important updates on recalls. Really important stuff that momma never thought about until now. And being that 2010 and now 2011 have seen the greatest number of recalls on baby products EVER I am thankful for Derek's preparation and those people who spent time educating us!

Number 4
Now I know this is random (but that's who I am) but number four this week - decluttering! Seriously I have yet another confession to make: I am a pack rat. See I am a sentimental person and often times can be considered maybe borderline paranoid. I just can't seem to get rid of stuff because I either have some emotional attachment to an item or I sit there and say "but I might need it one day...." Husband doesn't like that. He's a very clean, organized person and if it's not useful, productive, or has a place then he's definitely getting rid of it. Sister Patricia is also like this. She will throw away anything that takes up too much space, including precious family photos or mementos if you're not careful (haha just kidding - sort of). Now if I wasn't such a clean freak and obsessed concerned with the way things look this might be me on TLC's "Hoarders"...

BUT NO WORRIES! That's not me. Yet. Anyways, I am grateful that I have had some time to do some de-cluttering in peanut's soon-to-be mini-palace and got rid of a TON of stuff. We even went through our own closets. I am so grateful for my home, but because it's 5 rooms that means plenty of space for me to stash things Husband doesn't want me to keep!

Number 3
Finally starting to really show that I am preggers not just looking like I have a bit of a gut. In the past few weeks I "officially" look pregnant and not like I was just gaining a beer gut (first off no worries, I don't drink beer and second, not while I am pregnant duh!). I am not going to lie it's so fun to be asked by strangers and talk about it so often. Everyone seems to be happy and nice to you when you're pregnant!

Number 2
It was so fun to hear people's reactions at finding out that peanut was a HE-nut. Some people said "Oh! I just knew it!" while others just screamed like crazy into the phone (like Yiayia Nikki a.k.a my mother). And And many others like my bestie Ashlee who is also having a boy. So obviously, Luke and peanut will be besties. They really have not choice... I mean hello it's our destiny, a match made in heaven..... the only problem is they will probably fight one day over my other bestie's, Lesley, daughter sweet Hannah girl...man is she gorgeous!

Number 1
February 1 was Derek's 29th birthday and I surprised him by taking him to the 4d Ultrasound place to find out peanut's gender. On our way over he said that he was over-joyed either way... cute little daddy! But you should have seen his face light up to find out his first born is a boy! Yep it's a HE-nut! (Warning: the following photos may be considered rated PG-13 or R!) Sorry son if you get embarrassed one day...

Handsome baby's profile

His foot - 5 cute toes 

(Clearly kicking the ultrasound wand)

Gender: Definitely Male

(He is cross-legged and the tiny arrow points to the goods)

20 on the 22nd!

Today, Tuesday the 22nd marks 20 weeks of this pregnancy! Yipee!

We're officially at the half-way point today. According to all my books and e-mail blasts at 20 weeks baby peanut is approximately the size of a cantaloupe! He is "gulping down amniotic fluid" and he's practicing swallowing and digesting. And his taste buds are also starting to work, which means what I eat he's starting to develop tastes for.  (So since Daddy eats plenty of Mexican, making Mommy follow suit, peanut will probably also be in to the Mex!)

We went to the doctor today and heard his heart beat again. Our doctor, Dr. Fee, was moving the little Fetal Doppler around and peanut was squirming all over the place! We would hear sudden swish movements like wind, then little thuds. He clearly didn't like being disturbed or sitting still. The doctor laughed and kept repeating that our little guy was "very active." I can feel most of his movements but I have to sit still, and again, its still not felt strongly from the outside. She reported that all of his scans and screenings have come out "perfectly" and he's growing wonderfully. Praise God! He's working hard making this little one grow and we are so thankful.... She also gave us our "Personal Pathway through Pregnancy" booklet. Do you know what that is? It's our hospital registration packet!!! AHHHH crud. She said it was a bit early to start it but we needed to get it at least two months prior to our due date. She also said it was time to research classes and our "birth plan." Wow. Looks like we have lots more to do...

Guess what?

He's moving. And I can really feel it! Sunday, February 20, 2011 I finally really felt the little guy moving. I know he's been moving since the beginning, but I can actually distinguish his movement versus the strange things my body is doing these days! Can't wait for it to be felt from the outside - for his daddy and the rest of his loved ones to feel it too!

Fast Times at the Markos Househould

So clearly I was nervous to start this blog. Then I waited so long to actually do it and tell people about it that I really missed a lot of the good, juicy details. So we'll do a fast times fast forward if you will...

4 Weeks (November 10, 2010) - Second round of blood tests, get poked by another needle!

5 Weeks (November 16, 2010) - Go to the doctor (again)  and finally see the little peanut in the first of many photo shoots. We also got to "see" the baby's heartbeat at this time. It was very exciting, emotional, and overwhelming. We seriously sat there like gawky kids staring at their Christmas presents; just reveling at our news and that this tiny little sac (see below) was in fact a BABY!

5 Weeks 2 days (November 18, 2010) - We meant to wait to tell all of our family until the following week at Thanksgiving. It was supposed to be a big dinner surprise that actually we couldn't wait any longer to keep secret.

5 Weeks 3 days (November 19, 2010) - The Morning Sickness begins. Or should I say ALL DAY Sickness in which this momma sadly ditched her former favorite activity of eating for ice cold water, vomiting, and the occasional cracker and Gatorade.

8 Weeks (December 1, 2010) - Finally get to hear the heartbeat of our little peanut for the first time! It was truly a miracle God shared with us. The baby's heartbeat was so fast, so strong, and so precious. This little noise will be forever be ingrained in both of our minds!

11 Weeks 6 Days (December 27, 2010) - We went to the genetics center for the usual testing.  I felt so disconnected before this appointment because for awhile we hadn't seen the baby, still didn't know the gender, or had even heard the heartbeat again. We hadn't even seen the full baby except for 1 scan to show us his "home" (or to be medically correct - the sac) .But finally, we went for an ultrasound and the series of tests that are performed to thoroughly examine the baby's development, specifically checking for spina bifida and Downs syndrome. Obviously we had made many important decisions in our lives but when to start our family was to date the biggest. Deciding to date, get married, and buy our home really are easy  in comparison to bringing a life in to this world. Truth be told I hadn't really thought much about the "gravity of the situation" before the genetics testing. Why? I was too busy feeling sorry for my nauseous self. But it really hit both of us before going to this testing because we realized not just that genetics testing is expensive when your PPO insurance doesn't cover it, but the responsibility and the multitude of decisions ahead of us.

13 weeks (January 3, 2011) - I woke up without nausea. Now I know it's not really a "milestone" but audience of 1-2 let me tell you this leaving my body made me finally celebrate being pregnant. I was feeling so rotten before that it just wore on me greatly physically and emotionally, and especially on my poor husband. But waking up this day really changed my perspective on the pregnancy. During the nasty phase I was convinced I had a disease not a baby. I felt so disconnected because for awhile we hadn't seen the baby, still didn't know the gender, or had even heard the heartbeat again. Not only was I getting frustrated, but I truly had a lot of fear. As I said before, I will always be honest as I rant here, but I did let fear and even anger grip me during the 6 weeks that I was not feeling well. Sometimes it was the intensity of nausea or sometimes the height of my emotions, other times the fears of miscarriage or failure were there. But a good friend finally told me that it was ok to pray for myself. Huh? Well yes I knew that. But it was just that someone finally reminded me that it's ok to be upset, tired, and frustrated. But more importantly,  Yes, it was ok to pray to God to take over the nausea and bring forward a healthy, happy pregnancy. I truly thought well, if I pray will He take it away? I don't want to miscarry it's just that I selfishly couldn't stand being nauseous anymore! Irrational as it sounds, these are the crazy thoughts of a pregnant woman. So every night I closed my eyes and just prayed. Prayed for myself, my husband, my family, and even my friends who were all dealing with me. I prayed for more patience within me, patience toward me, and for the precious life growing in me. And guess what? Upon my realization and prayers (and yes, the wonderful second trimester) it just went away.

So.... since these milestones and uber-exciting appointments (yes there is a twinge of sarcasm there) we have progressed through this pregnancy.... of course more to come because we're furhter than just those 13 weeks. Thanks for bearing with me through this long post and for the written therapy I'm allowed here!

The Most Exciting News to Date

So I thought that I would start off with the most exciting bit of news as of late. If you didn't already know audience of 1, we're having a baby! Yep this crazy lady and the man crazy enough to marry her are adding to their family!!!! So for those of you who don't know I thought I would tell the story... NO not the birds and the bees story (you can Google that or go ask your moms).

So, rewind back to November 3, 2010. I woke up that morning with the same persistent cold that had been bugging me for a couple weeks. I thought I need to call the dr. again to get back on an antibiotic I just don't have the time or energy to continue being sick. Later on my bestie calls at her lunch break that day and we were chatting.... she was listening to me complain about this cold and my need for some drugs. She said "before you call make sure you're not pregnant." I told her there probably was no way. We hung up and I decided before I called maybe it's a good idea. Don't want to start off hurting the thing. So I found a pee stick that came free in a box, did my thing, and jumped in the shower (yes I showered at around noon because I am lazy and work from home... moving on...). Getting out of the shower I glanced at the stick and sure enough it was positive. Wait, it was positive?!?!?!?! Holy moly. I need to pee on another stick. So I throw my wet hair up, dress, and run to the drug store down the street.

I grabbed two boxes, different brands to be sure and put them on the counter. I felt so embarassed because in my head I still am 16. The rude  older lady says to me, no joke, "Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" Uhmmm what? Seriously did you just hear yourself? Me: "It's a good thing." I quickly grabbed the bag full of $50 pregnancy tests and stormed out. Ok, so maybe my lack of wedding ring, make-up, and wet-hair threw her into a tizzy thinking I was some out-of-wedlock hussy but still..... So I go home rip open the pack and pee. Ok positive. Next one, positive. I decide to come back later for further testing and confirmation. Again, hit the fast forward button it's around 4:00 and I peed on two full packages and they were all positive....

So I think: Derek will be home soon. I gotta tell him in a fun/cool/memorable way it's our first baby! And I've got nothing. He'll be home in like an hour and a half. So what does any good Greek girl do? Make him his favorite Greek meal of course. I wrapped the 50 million pee sticks in a little box and started cooking (yes, I washed my hands). So when he got home he just thought I was a nice wife making on of his favorites. He saw the little package next to his plate and proceeds to say "Oh what did you buy? You shouldn't have spent money... blah blah... I don't need any presents!?" To which I answered "Well, it's something I guess I have been carrying around for awhile." So he opened it and within two seconds went from confusion to sheer joy and happiness. We both hugged and kissed and cried.

So we went to the doctor the next day to get some blood work and sure enough she says, "Yep honey you are pregnant!" I think aside from excitement we were both shocked. Shocked that yes, the two crazy people who fell in love almost 9 years ago, now will become 3 crazy people!

It's official...

I have joined the blogging bandwagon. I honestly have thought long and hard about this because I really, truly didn't know what to say. I read seriously about 50 blogs and love every single one of them. It seems to me the authors are always so witty, intelligent, well-spoken, and well-informed. I lead a pretty normal, suburban life... What on earth would I contribute? And my friends all keep saying you need to blog... but I have procrastinated because I think I am a bit boring. Seriously... my best friends have blogs and sometimes I literally laugh out loud (by myself... in my office) at the things they write. They're hilarious, insightful, and so entertaining. I am the one who laughs at others not makes other laugh. I mean I make my husband laugh but largely because I am ridiculous or dramatic and he has no choice but to laugh it off or shake his head.

But I got to thinking about it and I really want to catalog my thoughts. Look back one day at how I was thinking and feeling during a time in my life. You know it's like Amy Adams in "Julie & Julia" when she thinks absolutely no one will read her ramblings and gets over joyed at her firts comment... but she really isn't just writing it for others. She's writing for herself and to just try it. So, with her in mind (and since I really like that movie) I am just going to try it. But be warned my audience of 1 (ok maybe 2 counting my loyal mother) this blog may be boring sometimes, may be a little sad or pathetic at my attempts to be funny. But I can guarantee it will be 100% me and I will try to hold nothing back!