April 4, 2008: 20 1/2 weeks and it's a "mommy and me" weekend!

I had my 5 month appt this morning. The ultrasound went very well, and while the pictures aren't as vivid as the 4D, they are still very cool. The first picture is from above and shows his little fist in front of his face. The second picture is his profile. The technician told me doo was moving alot and we had a hard time catching him sitting still. He's also in the breech position right now, meaning he's lying horizontally across my abdomen. I could have told her all that because I feel his kicks on one side of my stomach and his headbutts on the other. Doo still likes to keep his hands up by his face and stays pretty curled up unless he is streching out. They couldn't tell his length but they did say he was about 14 ounces...almost a pound!! From his overall size and development of his organs they also moved my due date up a week...so it's now August 28th! This works out well, since I've secretly been willing doo to be born in August. I think we have worked out an agreement, we'll just have to see if he keeps up his end of the deal :) I don't want him born too early, but I start school the first week of October, so I just want as much time with him as possible before I go back! I have continued gaining weight, but am pretty much right where I should be...and to be fair at least a pound of it is doo :)

Nick is in Austin this weekend, playing with Linds, so it's just me and doo. We have an exciting weekend planned including laundry, studying and work :( But I'm sure we'll get a little playtime in with some friends. It looks like it's going to be sunny, so I'm going to try and get a walk in outside everyday too. Keep up the comments, I love hearing from everyone!

March 31, 2008: 19 weeks and spring break is over for me and doo

I think doo spent so much time relaxing on Spring Break that he has saved up all his energy to start kicking and moving!! I felt him move for the first time today! I know he has been moving, but it's so exciting to feel it finally. We had an amazing visit with Amelia and Candace, and I was very sad to see them go. Some of the highlights from the trip were the Griffith Observatory (where I took that picture with the Hollywood sign), our beach day, shopping (everywhere!), lunch at the Ivy, our bus trip downtown to the Jewelry District (long story why we took the bus but it does involve Nicky taking all the car keys...), kickball game, going to our friends' band gig, getting manis/pedis, and Sprinkles cupcakes. We did also happen to run into Marcia Cross, Kathy Ireland, and the guy who won American Gladiators, Evan (hey, there was nothing else on TV). A very good SB 2008!

We have another ultrasound at my 5 month appt this Friday. I know we just saw doo, but I'm so excited to see him again and get more pictures. I can't wait to see how he's grown in two weeks!

March 23, 2008: Easter!

Obviously seeing doo and finding out he's a boy was the highlight of our Easter weekend. But we have been very busy otherwise too!! Amelia and Candace are here for their extended spring break. We went to Santa Barbara on Friday to tour the vineyards, do some wine tasting (not for me!), and some shopping on State St. We had amazing weather and an awesome drive up the coast. Today for Easter we went to mass and then went for a long walk on the beach from Santa Monica to Venice. The weather was so warm today and the breeze off the ocean was perfect. I put up some pics of me and the girls after church, Nick and I next to the cork tree on the vineyard, and on of me (and doo) at the beach!

March 22, 2008: 4 1/2 months and IT'S A BOY!!

We are soooo excited to announce we are having a boy!! Yes, Nick was right. Although I did have that feeling as well, it was Nick who has said that all along. It was amazing to see the 4D ultrasound pictures, and we've put some up for everyone (if you click on the pictures it should make them bigger). He is approx 4-5 inches and about 4 oz. He's so tiny, yet so developed! We also got a DVD of doo moving around, kicking and rubbing his eyes! You can see Nick's favorite pic of his foot and leg kicking me. Even the ultrasound tech pointed out how long his leg's are, which was music to Nick's ears. His little athlete is already starting to work out!!

On another note, Nick went to donate blood for the first time today to find out his blood type, which we need to know to determine what doo might be. The tech at Red Cross knew he was nervous, so he talked Nick into a procedure which he said used a smaller needle. So Nick unknowingly agreed to donate platelets instead of whole blood!! This process involved a machine taking out Nick's blood, spinning out the platelets, and returning the red blood cells and plasma to Nick. It was definitely a bigger deal than just donating whole blood, but platelets are in such critical need. I was very proud and reminded him of all my hem/onc patients that I transfuse with platelets everyday. He did great throughout and felt rewarded once he got to see the first shots of his son! Enjoy the pictures, we are off to start shopping for blue!!

March 12, 2008: Cravings!

So my FAVORITE foods right now are 1/2 lb. of cottage cheese with 2 tomatoes and a generous bowl of chocolate ice cream with a banana in it. I literally eat these two meals every day at least once. Might sound weird, but I've actually liked these foods all my life. Nicky was making the run to Cold Stone for my ice cream a few nights a week, but on his trip last night he learned they suddenly closed the store!! I think he thought that got him off the hook, but I persuaded him to go to TCBY instead :) I also love cheese and crackers as a snack and homemade macaroni and cheese...you get the idea. This is an abnormal amount of dairy for me, but I guess I'm craving the calcium. Otherwise, I have no real opposition to any food. I'm not nauseous at all anymore and can pretty much eat anything in front of me! I've been challenged to an eating contest by one of our friends in LA...I'm pretty sure I can take him as long as we have the contest before my belly gets too big (and as long as there is alot of cheese involved) :)

March 11, 2008: Leaving Comments

I know some people have tried to leave comments and were unable to without registering for a Google account...I changed the setting so that anyone may leave a comment under anonymous...just be sure to sign it with your name so I'll know who you are!

March 9, 2008: Vegas and 4 month bump

So we took doo on a quick weekend to Vegas..again! Nick had a soccer tournament there, but we had alot of friends and Mal and Dal who were going to be in town. We had a lucky weekend in the casino but unfortunately Nick pulled his hamstring during his 4th game. He was alright, just had to "take it easy" by playing blackjack and shooting craps :) I did get to eat my favorite crepes at Paris (okay 4 crepes over 2 days...) and my favorite Jersey Mike's sandwich. I pretty much plan my trips around my meals :) Mal and I also did some maternity shopping and I gave in to some elastic pants. I was down to one pair of jeans that stay on by rubber bands and safety pins, so I guess it was time.

My doctor's appointment last week went well. Nick was in Dallas for work, so Jamie stepped in for the appointment. We heard the heartbeat again and learned I've gained 7.5 pounds so far into the pregnancy. I'm willing to tell the amount of weight I'm gaining now, but once I've gained over 25lbs, I probably won't be as excited to share. Right now I feel like my belly is huge, but I think it's probably only obvious to people who know me. We should be able to find out the sex of doo at the end of March/early April. We are so excited to find out, and will be going to do a 4D ultrasound probably on March 29. Just in case we can't tell by then, we do have another doctor's appointment the first week of April. We'll have those pictures up as soon as we get them!! Go ahead and leave your boy or girl guess in the comment section, I'm interested to see what you all think. Nick has predicted all along it's a boy. I'm sure most guys do that but he's getting pretty confident. He's either going to be right on the money or in for a shock when something is missing from doo! He will be happy either way though, whether he's teaching our baby football or softball :)

Only 2 final exams next week and then it's spring break! I will post more pictures of me with my spring breakers Amelia and Candace on our day trips to Palms Spring and Santa Barbara :) Two more destinations for doo to visit!