So, Dan and I went in for our much-anticipated 20-week ultrasound yesterday and found out right away that it’s a boy.  My initial reaction was shock because I really thought it was going to be a girl.  We went straight to Babies-R-Us to add some gender-specific items to our baby registry and looked at adorable little boy clothes.  While it seems like the store is hugely biased towards baby girls, as evidenced by the abundance of frilly girl outfits, there were some cute things for boys too.  Dan walked around the story saying “It’s a boy!” to anyone who would listen.. he is quite obviously elated!

Here are some new ultrasound pics:

His adorable little profile

His boy parts =)

Throughout the whole ultrasound, we could see him kicking and punching me even though I couldn’t feel a thing.  We also saw him arch his back several times and when we asked the tech what was going on, she said “He’s having a tantrum.”  Good times ahead!!    Here’s a shot of him punching me:

After we got home, we took the doggies for a long walk and talked about the advantages of having a boy over a girl..here’s what we came up with:

1) I will definitely spend less money on boy stuff than I would on girl stuff.. it’s so easy to get sucked in by all the adorable little girly-girl things that a daughter would, of course NEED.  This is true for the rest of her life, as boys won’t need the designer labels, purple cell phones, make-up, expensive hair-cuts, etc.  Boys are lower maintenance for the most part.

2) Along the same lines, we won’t have to pay for his wedding.  =)

3) Boys generally take good care of their mothers and from what I understand, the mother-son bond is just different than mothers and daughters.

4) We get to teach him how to treat a lady.

5) If we have a daughter next, she’ll have an older brother to help scare the creepy boys away.

6) Girls have so much more drama in their lives than boys generally do.

7) I get to have a mother-son dance with him on his wedding day.

There are plenty more but that’s off the top of my head for now.

Here’s what worries me:

1)  It won’t take long for him to be stronger than me..which could make tantrums pretty painful.

2) Avoiding him being a video-game child seems like a huge battle I’m not looking forward to having.

3) Higher probability of broken bones and ER visits.

4) Helping him mend his poor broken heart when girls hurt his feelings.

5) Bullies  =(

6) I’ll lose him when he gets married and then his wife will become #1.

While I realize that many of the items on both of these lists are not gender-specific and could still happen or not happen with a boy, these are just my initial thoughts.. I’ve been a worrier for most of my life and when I have nothing to worry about, I worry about why life is so quiet..  but no matter what, I know I will love my son with all my heart and would go to the ends of the earth to protect him and make his life a good one.. so the rest of these things are just going to have to figure themselves out.

18 weeks, 3 days

I am happy to announce that we are almost halfway there!  The time still seems to be marching by incredibly slowly for me.  In less than a week we will know the gender of the baby, assuming he or she cooperates during the ultrasound.. I have a feeling the rest of my 2nd trimester will move a little more quickly after we find that out.  I am so excited to start planning the nursery.. I have lots of ideas in mind already!

As of now, my baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches and weighs about 5 1/4 ounces..s/he is big enough to cradle in the palm of my hand.  =)  The ears have moved to their final position and the little bones and muscles inside the ear have formed, which means the baby can hear what goes on outside the womb now.  S/he is already a big fan of Dave Matthews Band.  LOL  Dan bought a fetal heart sounds monitor but so far we haven’t had any luck.  I lay in bed at night hoping to feel the little flutters or “quickening” that are possible to feel now.. the baby is constantly moving around  inside of me but due to the thickness of the placenta, I can’t feel anything yet..hopefully soon!  The whole concept of pregnancy still blows my mind on a daily basis.  I just can’t get over all of the changes your body just knows to make in order to prepare for the baby.   I could live without the hormonal change (and I’m sure my husband could too) but I know it’s just par for the course and I’m trying to enjoy my pregnancy as much as I can.

I have a few minor worries right now.  At my next appointment, we will find out the results of the genetic testing which will tell us whether there are any abnormalities.  I’m trying not to think about it too much but it is always a possibility, so fingers and toes are crossed for a clean bill of health.  The other thing that has been on my mind is the H1N2 epidemic that seems to be everywhere.  Since my doctor recommended the vaccine and it is also recommended by the CDC f0r all pregnant women, I went ahead and got vaccinated.. but since it is so new, there are no outcome studies, hence, no way to know what the possible adverse effects could be for the baby.  I’m doing my best to stay positive because I know a stressed out mommy is a stressed out baby.

I’ve been noticing some major behavioral changes in my Jack Russell Terrier, Bailey.  Normally he is more of a daddy’s boy, but for the past few weeks he has not left my side, has been more affectionate towards me and seems to be more protective of me when we’re outside around other dogs.  I got curious as to whether dogs can detect pregnancy and came across some interesting articles online:

http://www.babycenter.com/404_can-pets-sense-pregnancy_1379572.bc

http://www.pregnancy-info.net/pets_pregnancy.html

Yet another thing about pregnancy that fascinates me.  I just hope he behaves when the baby gets here!

Other than that, my pregnancy seems to be moving along very smoothly and most of the time, I feel good.  A few aches and pains here and there, no major cravings and no morning sickness.  Sleep is still problematic but I’m doing the best I can to catch up on rest during the weekends and minimize the amount of Benadryl I allow myself to take.

I’m incredibly grateful to have the support that I have.. my husband tries to convince me that I’m beautiful on a daily basis and I have the most amazing, loving friends anyone could ask for.

Here’s a side by side comparison of 15 vs. 18 weeks:

15 weeks 3 days

18 weeks 3 days

Since I don’t want to make this blog all about baby stuff,

GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!

It’s been a pretty mellow couple of weeks.  I’m starting to show a little more now but still at that awkward in-between stage where I’m not quite fitting into my regular clothes but not quite big enough for maternity clothes yet.  I did order my first two pieces of maternity attire–two dresses, since dresses are MUCH more comfortable than pants at work these days.  I think I’m still in a little bit of denial about what is about to happen to my body over the next few months.

Here are some pics of my new little baby belly:

Dan affectionately cut off my head.

So, as you can see, the baby has not just taken up residency in my tummy, but in my ass as well.  Good stuff.

I’m still craving some fetal movement.  I know I have a few more weeks until I can start officially feeling kicks but another little flutter would make me incredibly happy right now.  The baby is currently about the size of an apple (3 3/8 inches) and weighs in at a full ounce now.  It is keeping busy in my womb doing fetus gymnastics and practicing breathing, sucking and swallowing movements in preparation for his or her entry into the world.  As the baby continues to grow, it will start to put more pressure on my spine when I lay on my back, which can cut off circulation to my uterus, so my nights of back sleeping are pretty much numbered.  Overall, I am feeling good.. still tired and not sleeping well, but except for a few little aches and pains here and there when I move too quickly, I think things are progressing well.

I registered at Babies ‘R’ Us today, and that was quite the experience.  I had no idea there is so much crap necessary for a tiny little baby!  The registry is many pages long and that’s just the basics.. I decided to hold off on stuff like receiving blankets, crib sheets, clothes and big-ticket items (stroller, Pack ‘N’ Play, etc.) until we know the gender.   Now I know why moms usually can’t even remember the last time they bought anything for themselves, because all of their money goes towards their kid!   Here is the link in case anyone wants to take a looksee:

http://www.toysrus.com/registry/myregistry/index

If we even get half of that stuff I’ll be thrilled.  34 more days until we find out hot dog or hamburger and then I can finish up the registry.  I can’t wait to start thinking of my baby as a little boy or a little girl and start imagining all of the cute gender-related activities that lie ahead.  When would it be too early to start planning my daughter’s wedding?  =)

So, I am offically 13 weeks pregnant now!  My body continues to change daily and even though it doesn’t seem that obvious to me, many people at work have figured it out just by looking at me.  My appetite seems to have slowed down a bit and I’m still tired very frequently, but part of that is because I don’t sleep well most nights.  The Santa Anas are here now and that usually creates massive headaches for me…literally, and since I’m not supposed to take anything besides acetominophen, there has been little relief.  Last night was rough but hopefully tonight will be better.

Here’s what the baby looks like as of now:  

The internal organs have how settled inside the body cavity, gender is discernible and it’s head is starting to become more proportionate to it’s body.  It is currently approximately the size of a peach and weighs nearly an ounce.

Since I have plenty of time left to go until I start feeling kicks, it still feels pretty surreal to me that there is a tiny chid inside of me.  I am completely fascinated by the miracle we have created and how my body just knows how to change in order to accomodate the baby.  As the baby gets bigger, my organs will shift around to allow for more space..how wierd is that?!

I have some new concerns about delivery.  I know everyone is probably anxious about their first delivery but now I am starting to freak out a little.  A close friend of mine recently delivered a beautiful baby girl after being in labor for almost 3 days.  Her original plan was to have a natural water birth but I guess things were more difficult than she’d anticipated and she said nothing went the way she wanted it to.  I haven’t heard all of the details yet but it sounds like it was a horrific experience.  I had originally been planning to go as long as possible without any drugs but I’m not so sure I can handle it now.  I need to do lots more research before I can make a decision but as of now, I’m leaning towards GIMME THE EPIDURAL AND GIVE IT TO ME NOW!

Some of you may be wondering where the hell I’ve been and why I haven’t blogged for the last 3 months.. and others may not have even noticed.  With the exception of last night’s rant about the futility of the Poway Sheriff’s Department, I have taken a break from blogging until it was time for THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.

<drumroll>

So far, the pregnancy has been going pretty well.  There were some complications around my 6th week which had Dan and I pretty scared, but today was our 12-week prenatal visit and everything seems to be looking good.  I got extremely lucky in that I have not had any morning sickness whatsoever.. the doctor suspects it’s because I began taking prenatal vitamins many months before we conceived.  Aside from a few little aches and pains here and there and being pretty tired all the time, I’ve been feeling pretty good.

Here is what the baby looked like at 8 weeks:

Here’s what I like about being pregnant so far:

1) Knowing that I am growing a little person inside of me and reading about all of the changes that happen on a daily basis.. this is completely surreal to me.

2) Thinking ahead to what kind of child I’m going to have, trying to predict which gender and which characteristics of mine and Dan’s it will have.

3) Several of my friends are also pregnant right now, one of which has almost the exact same due date (April 1, 2010), so comparing changes and symptoms and being able to get really good info/help/support from them.

4)  Not having to feel guilty about eating more throughout the day and not having to watch calories too much anymore.

5) Maternity clothes are pretty cute.

6) It took 31 years, but I finally have boobs!

7) I get to design a nursery and buy cute baby stuff.

My shower as another occasion to get all of my best friends together.

9) Telling some people who are really excited for us.

Here’s what I could live without:

1) Feeling bloated every day, after every meal.

2) Feeling guilty every day for not eating enough servings of vegetables or fruit, then wondering all the time if I’m somehow lowering my child’s IQ or imparing it’s physical development by not eating enough fruit or veggies.

3) My skin has broken out in places I’ve never had problems with before.

4) Not being able to sleep on my stomach.

5) No drinking or caffeine.. not like I was a big drinker before, but I do miss happy hours and a glass of wine while I cook dinner, and I have not had ANY caffeine in 3 months.  I know you’re allowed to have a little but I have avoided it altogether due to possible miscarriage.

6) Not fitting into most of my cute clothes.

7) Boobs hurt every day and all night long so it’s difficult to get comfortable.

Telling some of my patients is going to be very upsetting for them.

9) Not being able to exercise as much as I used to because I get tired pretty easily.

I’m sure there are plenty more I can come up with in each category and even though it looks like there’s a lot of things I could live without, the concept of seeing my belly grow and bonding with our child far outweighs anything on that list.  The time has moved pretty slowly during my first trimester.  I’m hoping my second one moves a little more quickly so that I can start feeling some kicks.  Since I can’t see an ultrasound on a regular  basis, sometimes it’s hard to believe that there’s so much going on in there when I can’t feel any movement yet.

As of today, the baby has the rooting reflex, which means when you touch its face, it will move towards the source of the touch.. this helps it to locate its food source.  It is also able to swallow this week, and has developed tooth buds and fingernails.   The baby has doubled in size over the last two weeks and is approximately 2 1/2 inches from “crown to rump” right now.  He or she weighs almost 1/2 an ounce..a little more than the weight of two packets of sugar.  =)

Here is a pic of the 12-week ultrasound.. his/her little legs are crossed, head is down at the bottom.

So as you can tell, I’m pretty excited about all of this.  It took a few weeks to really sink in but I can’t wait for 11/6 when we will find out the sex.  Thanks to everyone who has been loving and supportive throughout this whole process!

So.. I get to work this morning and take a look at what lies ahead.   Looks like a good day.. all of my scheduled patients are pleasant and motivated.  Sweet.  I take my 9am patient back and off I go.  I don’t get a break until about 12:45, which is time for lunch.  Then I hear my desk phone beeping repeatedly, which means someone has called 911.  I notice one of the office assistants in the hallway with an ashen look on her face and I ask what’s wrong.  She tells me we received a bomb threat in the elevator.  Damn, I really wanted to enjoy my re-heated beef stew for lunch and relax before my afternoon started.

I take a look at the note which reads “<Name of therapist>’s office will blow up at 12:15 or 12:35.”  Hmmm.. not sure how seriously to take this.  The note has several grammatical errors and looks like it was written by a child, an adult with a cognitive impairment, or someone who speaks English as a second language.

We anxiously await the arrival of the police, who show up about 8 minutes later.  The first thing they do is make light of the situation by joking that they missed the deadline.  Not funny at all.  They ask some annoying questions and proceed to check our offices, then tell us they aren’t even going to take a report.  This did not go over well with any of us, so I ask the following question (in a pretty snarky tone): “So we have to blow up first in order for you to take a report?” and one of the officers said something like “You can report me if you don’t think I’m doing my job.”  I decided to back down at this point, albeit, very disappointed.  I am reminded of an incident that took place a few years ago when a former patient of mine who happened to be more than a little psychotic was stalking me, and the police told me that they couldn’t take a report unless he actually physically threatened or harmed me, and I asked the officer back then “So he has to hurt me for you to take this seriously” and I received the same shitty response.

The office manager left it up to us whether we wanted to evacuate or not and we all decided to stay.   This was not a cool way to start the week.

Before we got married, I remember having a conversation with my father in which he sat Dan and I down and told us how difficult marriage can be and I remember thinking to myself that I hope my marriage is easier than his have been.  My father hasn’t exactly had an easy adult life.. his first marriage to my mother had it’s fair share of problems and they had the ugliest divorce I have ever seen in my years as a therapist.  His second marriage ended with extremely unfortunate circumstances; his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away a few years later.  His third marriage has by far, been the best, but I know they still have issues that have plagued their marriage for the past ten years.

Granted, life is full of stressors.  Dan and I have definitely had a difficult first year.  He spent the first three days after our honeymoon in the hospital with a stomach infection from being in Mexico.. that was stressful for both of us and not a good way to start our life together.  He ended up having to return to the ER several times after that hospitalization for various complications.  Then, as some of you know, he was in a terrible car accident on the morning of 12/31.. he was released from the hospital that day but had to return a couple of times due to complications with pain management.  These past 6 1/2 months have been pretty difficult on both of us (him more than me, undoubtedly) because he has been in so much pain, has had to go to physical therapy 2-3 times per week, acupuncture sometimes twice per week for pain management, took a full courseload last semester and has been unable to return to work until recently due to the accident.  Needless to say, it has been tough both financially and emotionally for both of us.

One of the traditions some of my close married friends have started is that whenever one of us has an anniversary, we post a wedding picture, a current picture, and some advice/what you’ve learned in your first year of being married.  (Sorry betas–you don’t have to read this again).  Here is my contribution to our tradition:

Our first dance as a married couple--one of my favorite wedding pics

While to some of you, this might be fairly obvious, here are some things I’ve learned in my first year of marriage.  I consider myself a work-in-progress..while there have been many occasions when I’ve lost sight of the following, I try really hard to improve myself with each new experience we have together.

1) Try not to sweat the small stuff.  On many occasions I have had to tell myself to look at the bigger picture rather than getting myself worked up over things than can be insignificant, even though at the moment they seem to matter a great deal.  Dan has had to remind me to do this on a regular basis.  Try asking yourself, “is it really worth getting this upset about?” and try to let things go if it doesn’t seem to be.  Dan and I have both come a long way with letting things go more quickly rather than holding on to anger and arguing about the same thing multiple times in the same day.

2) Pick your battles wisely.. and watch your filter.  You don’t have to say everything that comes to mind, especially when you know it will probably start an argument. I’ve definitely learned when to keep my mouth shut about things even when I REALLY want to say something.  Again, the “is it worth it?” question tends to keep me out of trouble.  =) I’ve slipped up on this one a little bit lately..Dan, I promise I’ll do better =).

3) Either leave him a list (if he’s good at following lists) or just do it yourself, and try not to harbor resentment about things you think he ’should’ be doing on his own.  This one is difficult for me sometimes.  Not many guys are clean freaks the way I tend to be and I can’t expect that from him, so if I want it to be done my way, I just need to do it myself, but I really appreciate when Dan cleans the house without being asked.

4)  Communicate what you need and don’t need and ask him to do the same.  When we have a bad day sometimes we need help solving a problem, sometimes we want a hug or sometimes we just want to be left alone.  Don’t expect him to know what you need..just clue him in and tell him.  When he’s having a bad day, ask him what kind of support he needs from you.  Then, try your best not to be hurt if he tells you he wants to be left alone or he doesn’t want to talk about it.

5)  Don’t be too stubborn to say you’re sorry.  Even though some of us would like to believe we’re hardly ever wrong , it always takes two to argue.

There are lots more things I’ve learned about both of us independently and as a couple, but I think I shared the most important ones.  Hope it was helpful to those of you couples out there =).

Here is a little photo journal of our trip:

We got there around 10PM on July 9th so after we settled in to our room we set off to find something to eat.  We were pretty disappointed with what we found..the only place that was still serving food was a little hamburger joint that claimed to have milkshakes but apparently did not really make them.  Had a greasy burger and greasier fries.. and for the first time in my life (fries are my vice) I left most of them there because they were grossing me out.  Anyway, after that lovely dining experience we went to the pool and layed on the chairs and looked up at the sky.  It was a windy night but very relaxing.

Cool sky

The next couple of days were really relaxing..we met some fun people from various states in the midwest, tried out the various restaurants for our meals (the rest of the food was pretty good!), chilled out at the pool and made the most of the all-inclusiveness.  Our hotel was gorgeous.. lots of comfy places to relax, nice big shower with lots of water pressure and the waitstaff was incredibly helpful.. they were always checking in to see if you needed anything but they weren’t annoying about it.  I was really happy with the service every day we were there.  The hotel itself was very well-maintained.. the pool was extremely clean, trash was picked up immediately and they seem to take pride in keeping the lawns/shrubbery well-manicured.

Awesome lounges in the pool..one of my favorite parts of the hotel.

Every night there was some form of entertainment..one night there were dancers, another night was a “best couple” show where 3 couples competed in various activities, another night was karaoke, and another was a musical.  Here are some pics of the entertainment:

This couple had to switch clothes.. it was pretty hilarious!

DJ in the main lobby.

On Tuesday Dan and I were a little antsy to get out of the resort and check out Mexico, so we rented a car and drove to the ancient Mayan ruins in Coba, passed by the ones in Tulum, then drove through Playa del Carmen.  Here are some pics of the ruins:

I have tons more of those.. let me know if you want me to post some more.

That night we went into downtown Cancun to check out the scene.. after getting a little lost we found our way to the hotel district where we had dinner at Senor Frog’s..that place was a blast!

Funny placemat that tells you where to put everything.

The waitstaff was dancing on stage..so funny!

Interestingly shaped drinking glasses

Us

We spent the last day relaxing in the pool.. Dan took a long nap and I soaked in the sun.  It became overcast in the afternoon and then we had a great thunder storm (I don’t get to see those much in San Diego) so I watched it from our patio.  Then, I decided to treat myself to a facial, as my skin was starting to look pretty scary.  It was a great way to end the trip.  Overall, our vacation was fantastic..we both really needed to get away to get some rest and relaxation and that’s exactly what we did.  I highly recommend traveling all-inclusive if you are able to.  We got a ton of great food, beverages and accomodations for the price, and it’s great not to have to pay for meals and entertainment as you go.

So, that’s about it!  Hope you enjoyed my pics!

Today is our last full day here in Riviera Maya.  While I’ll definitely be sad to leave this beautiful, relaxing haven, it is definitely time to get back to my normal life.  Being the genius that I am, I forgot to pack my running shoes so I have been unable to get much exercise since I’ve been here.  I know most people don’t exercise when they go on vacation but exercise is something I have grown to need in order to maintain my daily balance.  Luckily my treadclimber will be waiting for me when I get home. 

Yesterday was an interesting day.  Dan is a major history buff so he wanted to check out the ancient Mayan ruins.  We rented a car and set off for Coba, which is about 60 or 70 miles inland from our hotel.  It was extremely hot but we walked around the pyramids and took lots of pictures that I will share when I get back.  We were going to hit Tulum on the way back but it was just too hot and we were exhausted from the morning excursion.  We headed back to the hotel, I went for a dip in the pool, then we took a long nap before dinner.

We ventured into downtown Cancun for dinner, determined to check out the party scene and we wanted to have dinner at Senor Frog’s.  We didn’t bother taking a map, which was kind of a mistake, so we definitely took the scenic route before finding the restaurants..lol.  Dinner was delicious and we had a blast!  More fun pictures, then back to our hotel.

We head back to the airport tomorrow morning and have a full day of traveling, then will be back in San Diego tomorrow night.  Hope all is well with all of you, see you when I get back!

Hey loyal blog readers!  Finally got some internet time so I wanted to check in.  We got here late on Thursday night after a hellacious day of traveling.. luckily customs was a piece of cake.  The hotel is absolutely gorgeous.. it looks just like the pictures do on their website.  The grounds are kept up really well and I´m really happy to be here.  When we got to our room we were a little diappointed with the mildew smell..apparently since it is so humid down here, it´s really hard to prevent that smell with the moisture from the air conditioning.. it has eased up in the last 2 days but is still kind of unpleasant.  The food here is kind of hit or miss.. I´m a little paranoid about what I eat since Dan got so sick from being in MX last year.  We´ve met some really cool people here..unfortunately they are leaving tomorrow so I´m looking forward to seeing who will be coming to stay here in the next few days.  The pool is so much fun in the afternoons.. the pool bar opens up around 10 am, so by about 3, there is some quality debauchery to laugh at.  Yesterday a really creepy guy decided to try to feel up as many girls as he could in the pool.. that part was not cool.. his wife was sitting a few feet away passed out on one of the lounge chairs.  Everyone else has been having good, clean fun.  My favorite part of being here so far is that around 10pm there is music and dancing in the main lobby..last night was club music and tonight was a live band.  I am having a blast people-watching with my hubby, relaxing and being near the ocean.

Today is our 1-year wedding anniversary (it´s 12:26 am where I am.)  Going to get a good night sleep so we can celebrate tomorrow.  I´ll try to upload some pictures before I get home.  More to come!