25 weeks 4 days

Oh my goodness! Time is FLYING!!!! I just realized the irony behind that statement......some days it feels like this will never end. I feel so uncomfortable and then some all knowing idiot feels the need to point out the obvious by saying "and you still have ALL summer to go!" Gee, thanks, like I haven't already thought about that one. Other days I feel like the time has flown by and I'm just wishing for more time to prepare for my precious baby girl.

Sam and I started the nursery yesterday. Well, really it was Sam who did all of the work because I kept having to take brakes. I honestly don't know what I would do without him. He is just amazing. Enough about him though - this is about the nursery! We have decided on a very light, not in-your- face shade of pink. We are going to do chocolate brown trim around her crib and then paint the inside of the window frame chocolate brown. It sounds terrible, but believe me, it will be cute! I got a call from my mother today and she told me that she has started working on the crib and bassinet. We are using the same crib and bassinet my sister and I used as babies and I can't wait to get it all set up in our Christina's room. It's in awesome shape and it's all chocolate brown wood. Sometimes I go up into the nursery and I play with her little clothes and imagine her wearing them. I can't believe I'm actually getting a room in my home ready for our child! It's the most surreal feeling in the world for me, especially since I have been told for so long that this would never happen for us. I am so amazed at what is about to happen. This is our inspiration for her nursery, but we will not be doing the polka dots even though I think they are adorable. We will be doing the trim, the initials, and some type of stencil.

I took a spill about two weeks ago at lunch, but luckily nothing was hurt (most importantly Christina) except my pride. I was wearing some cute strappy sandals with a slight heal and I slid on a laminate floor at BJ's when I went to lunch with some co-workers. I landed on my butt, but one leg went straight out and the other leg went behind me in a pseudo split maneuver. I was instantly sore, but figured I was ok since I landed on my behind as opposed to my stomach or side. My co-workers were insisting I call the doctor and my mother of course freaked out and insisted I call so I did the next day. The doctor said that at this point in the pregnancy, any fall regardless of where I land needs to be checked out, so he had me come in for an ultrasound. They basically did the entire 20 week ultrasound all over again where they check everything from the brain to the tippy tip toes and she was strong as a horse. She was moving all around and they checked again to make sure she was still our baby girl instead of a boy. Phew! She's still a girl! I was checked to make sure I wasn't dilating and everything was just fine. Dr. Rockman said that he is going to start taking it two weeks at a time in order to see if I need to stop working, but I'm doing my best to keep working up until I deliver. We'll see how that goes though.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in a previous blog, but Sam surprised us one evening with a pack n play for the Princess. He could not have chosen a girlier one, but we love it! It's in her nursery right now, but when she arrives we'll have it downstairs for her.

So, all in all, we are doing great and we're just plugging along. I'm getting anxious thinking about her actual birthday, but there is no way around it. I was talking to Sam the other night and I told him that I'm really starting to get anxious about it because it's not like if you happen to get hurt and then have to go to the hospital. It's something you know is coming, something you know is going to be the worst pain ever, and there is absolutely no way to avoid it. He pointed out that unlike other surprise hospital trips though, we will get to go home with baby we never thought we would be able to have. He's right.....it's worth it.

By the way, Christina is now roughly the size of a rutabega!

22 Weeks 2 Days

I got a call from Dr. Rockman's office yesterday evening saying he wouldn't be in next Friday so I needed to reschedule my appointment. As it was, I was supposed to go in this week for my checkup, but had to reschedule because I've been trapped in a training all week long. Well, lucky for us, he had an opening this afternoon, which was perfect because I had a slight scare Thursday.

We went in today and heard Christina's heart beat and got a clean bill of health for both of us! My cervix is completely closed and I'm not dialating *phew*. Christina's heartbeat was 150 bpm, which is great, and Dr. Rockman says that she's weighing in at about a pound and a half! Mommy's chunky monkey! I have a very mild infection, but nothing a little pill won't cure. I have gained a total of 11 pounds and even though I was concerned about that, the Dr. says that I'm fine so I guess I'm ok with it.

I killed some time this afternoon on my way to go get Sam for the appointment. I stopped in at a resale shop for baby and children's clothes and picked her up some onesies and sleepers. OMG they are adorable! I washed them when I got home and they are now hanging in her closet just waiting for her. I need to really get a move on getting things ready for her. I don't know what the hold up has been, but I'm starting to get anxious about getting everything done for her. I am waiting for her bedding to come in so I can decide for sure what color I'm going with for paint. The bedding is a pink with chocolate brown trim, but I can't remember now what shade of pink. Ha! Pink! Who would have thought that pink would catch my eye like it has been. Katherine, you were sooooo right! I still need to get her more clothes (girls can never have enough clothes), bath stuff, all kinds of stuff! I'm sure like most FTM's, I keep looking at the shelves at Babies R Us and I can't make heads or tails about what I need and what I don't need.

Sam's Grandma Hill sent her a white crochet dress and matching bonnet this week. It is the most precious thing I have ever seen! We have decided that it will be her coming home outfit.

Christina has been moving around so much these past few days. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going! I am cherishing this time when we are one in the same, and I can't help but wonder if I'll be sad when she's out here in the world. I can't believe I am having a baby! After everything we have been through and now this is really happening!

Cristina is getting a gift today!

Sam just got back from Tulsa last night, and since our anniversary was Tuesday we are going to celebrate it today. Our gift to each other this year - a pack n play for Baby Cristina! haha.....my how things change, right? We'll go looking around today to see what we find. We are going to Taste of Texas for a steak dinner and we are looking forward to it. mmmmm.......all I can think about it steak right now!

Cristina is doing well this week. She is very active and I'm convinced I grew over last weekend. Today is 20 weeks 3 days and according to Babycenter she is the length of a banana now.

Bean is a............

Beautiful and healthy baby GIRL!!!!

I should have updated this blog when we found out last week, but my life has been so crazy lately and I'm running on empty these days. So, rewinding to last week........

Our Moment of Truth

I usually get freaked out about a week before an ultrasound because I'm completely consumed with worry about how my baby is doing in there. I started feeling random flutters a few weeks ago, but nothing consistent and days would go by before I would feel anything. Ultrasound days are so precious because I feel like it's our time to visit with our baby. We see our baby on the screen and watch her move. We hear the heartbeat and talk to her. We tell her we love her and we dream about the day when we will hold her in our arms. How do you explain a love you feel for someone you have never even met? It's the most amazing feeling to see your baby, a piece of you and the person you love right there. So close. Literally a part of you.

We arrived early like we always do and waited in the lobby to get called back. Dr. Rockman was at the hospital delivering not one, but two babies so we were prepared to wait a while. The ultrasound tech called us back to do the ultrasound and this is where we were finally able to give our baby her name. After measuring all of her organs starting with her brain, going to her heart, her kidneys, all the way down to the tip tippy toes, we were told that everything looks great. The tech. asked if we wanted to know Bean's sex at which point Sam pipes up with zero hesitation "Yes!". At first it looked like we wouldn't be able to tell because Bean is incredibly modest. After jiggling my tummy, which I must say was a little embarassing, the tech announced "It's a girl!" We were stunned. I mean, we were completely aware at the fact that we have a 50/50 chance of either, just hearing that Bean was a baby girl was amazing. Even better was hearing that she is completely healthy. I stared at my baby girl and tears filled my eyes. My daughter was right there! So close I could almost reach out and touch her. I'm not sure how many times I told her "I love you, Cristina!" "Mommy loves you so very much!" Sam just kept asking over and over "She's ok, right" "She's healthy, right?" He just needed to hear that his baby girl was just fine. To date, along with the day we found out we are going to be parents, that was the most defining moment of my life. It was a point in time where everything we have been through to become parents came together and made sense.

So, Bean now has an identity of her very own. Her grandparents on both sides are thrilled, her aunts are so proud, her parents are eager to welcome her home. Needless to say, my mother and I have gone nuts buying pink, a color I have always hated. For some reason though, everything I've ever thought in the past is somehow different. I am struggling with the need to provide the very best for my daughter, but trying to figure out what the best really is. I'm a first time mom and I'm so scared that I'll do something wrong or mess something up. I am so thankful for my friends who are moms and for my own mother passing down their wisdom and support. It means more than these ladies, my friends and family will ever know. It's almost like a right of passage of their own. They have gone from being first time mommies to passing down all of their knowledge. It's amazing to see.

Baby Cristina Marie

We have decided that our daughter will be named Cristina Marie in honor of my sister and my mother in law. My sister's name is Cristina and Sam's mother's name was Tina Marie. I'm thinking we may spell her first name with an "h" (Christina) since it's more common, but my sister's name is not spelled with an "h" so it's very difficult for me to add it in there. We'll see.

How Mommy Is Doing at 19 weeks 4 days

I'm FINALLY feeling pregnant! The aches and pains have begun and Cristina has been constantly moving for the past three days now and I feel her on and off throughout the day. So far nothing more than fluttering around, but it's deffinetly there. She even woke me up the other night with her movement. Sam and I are looking forward to the day when he will feel her moving around from the outside, but for now it's just something she and I share. We both realize that we will have to include Daddy in this soon, but it's just nice having this special time with her right now.

I'm noticing that my hips are sore because I'm sure they are spreading now and my back hurts if I sit, stand, walk, or lay down for too long. Pretty much all the time. I get tired easily and it takes every ounce of energy I have to make it through the work day without a nap. I've decided that I'll start bringing my lunch to work with me and scarfing it down and then spend the second half of my lunch taking a quick cat nap to see if that helps. I live for the weekends when I can laze around and take my naps throughout the day and I hate when I have something to do on a weekend that gets in the way of my napping. Sam has been absolutely amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better father for my child. He makes dinner and cleans every single night without fail. He is such an amazing man and I can't wait to see him interact with our daughter. I'm seeing a side in him that is making me fall in love with him even deeper than before. I'm finding Cristina consumes all of my thoughts these days. She's all I think about and all I talk about. I'm sure people get tired of hearing about it, but I honestly don't care. She's all I can focus on at this point. I can't believe that Wednesday will be 20 weeks already! The half-way point! Where does the time go? I'm finding that I'm thinking more and more about Cristina's birthday and I'm very anxious about it. It's terrifying to me, but all that matters is that she's ok and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she is.

Babycenter says......
That she is the size of a heirloom tomato and weight 8.5 ounces. By Wednesday she'll be as big as a banana! That's a lot of growth in one week!

Bean's First Set Of Wheels

So I've been researching all of my options as far as strollers go and I finally decided on the Phil and Ted's Sport stroller. Christy and I went to Rice Village yesterday to check out all of the fancy shmancy baby stores and we got to take a look at the stroller in person and I was pretty much sold on it. Bean can use it from newborn until 55 pounds. It's super sturdy and it folds small enough to fit into my mustang even. It's not bulky like the travel systems and it can go on any surface with no problems at all. The best part is that if we have another little one anytime while Bean is still using the stroller, we can add a tandem seat and have a double stroller instead of the side by side ones that are so hard to manuver around the stores. I LOVE THIS STROLLER!

I told Sam about it last night and it took a little convincing once he found out the price of it. Let's just say that Sam is "thrifty" most times. Anyway, he decided that we would get it, at which point I threw a fit because I thought he was just giving in to whateve I wanted instead of having as stong of an opinion as I did about it. Needless to say it was a LONG morning going back and forth about it. We finally headed back up to Rice Village to pick up Bean's wheels and we both love it! I can't believe my precious baby will be sitting in it in a matter of months! Anyway, I've included a picture of the Phil and Ted's, but the one we got is black. WOOHOO!!!! Now I just have to buy the car seat, pack and play, and breast pump and I think that will be all of my big ticket purchases. Then I can focus on decorating the nursury and buying clothes for my precious bambino.

My First Prenatal Massage

OMG it was amazing!!!! I was a little apprehensive at first because I've heard there are certain pressure points on your body that need to be left alone while you are pregnant because they can cause early contractions. I was also nervous about it when because even though my doctor gave me the green light for massage in my first trimester, Massage Envy made me wait until I was in my second trimester before they would schedule me for the massage. The good thing about that is that I'm a member so I racked up three free massages waiting for the time when I could finally go in. WOOHOO!!!!

So I went in today and met my new massage therapist. Andrea, the therapist I was going to has moved to another location and she's not certified in prenatal massage anyway. Rita was great! She answered all of my questions and totally put me at ease before she started. She made sure I was absolutely comfortable and it was heaven! I was the most relaxed I have been in months and I can't wait to go back in two weeks!

Phew!

I had my first real scare with this pregnancy yesterday. I had a very quick sharp cramp on my right side that lasted about a second or two. The rest of the morning I was having constant light cramping. Finally around lunch time I got sick of it and called the doctor's office expecting them to tell me over the phone that it's perfectly normal and not to worry. I must have been on hold for hours (slight exaggeration on my part). Finally, the receptionist comes back on the line to tell me to go in to the office in two hours for an ultrasound. I'm freaking out at this point wondering what could be going on. The whole time I was actually cussing myself out for having a cough drop that morning without first running it by my doctor. I was convinced the cough suppressant in the cough drop was poisonous to my baby Bean or something.

I got to the doctor's office about 1:00 and had to wait an hour for the ultrasound tech to get there. OMG I don't think the woman could have been a bigger bitch, but that's totally beside the point. She did the ultrasound and there was my Bean all nice and comfy looking in there taking a cat nap. The tech started moving my tummy around and poking and Bean woke up, waved, put his/her thumb in his/her mouth and went back to sleep. Seriously, it was the most adorable thing I have ever seen in my life! We have something in common! We both don't like to have our naps disturbed. Love it! Anyway, she looked all around at all my inside parts and said that everything was fine. We heard Bean's strong heartbeat and she said that the baby was great.

So, at the end of the day my doctor said that my uterus is just stretching and that's why I was feeling crampy. DOH! I felt silly for a while there, but all my awesome mommy friends have been quick to reassure me that I did the right thing in calling and going in. All I can say is that I'm so happy that that's all it was and my little Bean is all safe and snug in there. The doctor said to keep our appointment for April 9 so we can find out if Bean is a boy or a girl. Hopefully the baby is not as modest as he/she was yesterday or we'll never find out!