Where Did The Time Go?

Where do I even start?? It seems so long since I was on here blogging about our baby adventure. So much just seems to be happening.

Well I guess I’ll start with our last doctor’s appointment that we had on the 25^th of May. This appointment was a routine appointment with the exception of an ultrasound to see how my placenta was doing. My placenta has moved somewhat from the cervix and so the doctor says we are making progress. Now that I’m getting bigger she feels my placenta will move further away so we have another ultrasound at our next prenatal; appointment on June 20^th.

Steve started working on the baby room but has yet to finish it. He first started out by scrapping the popcorn ceilings then moved onto painting. The painting is complete besides a few touch-ups we will do later next week. Steve ended up breaking one of the closet doors so it was a trip to Lowe’s and as it would be, there were a special order size. Nice, when I hear special order I hear cha-ching!! Lol  Anyway, we ordered them and they will should be here on the 10^th of June. Once we get the doors then we can finish up the crown molding and base boards. I’m hoping this room will be done by next weekend!! I will take pictures and post soon.

We had our first baby class last week. It was the late pregnancy class and tour of the birthing center. The class was more or less informational for me as to what I may be experiencing the last few months of pregnancy (now). Steve was quite comical in the class at times as they had examples of some of the tools that they use, which some of them ridiculous but I’m sure they serve a purpose in some rare situations. My favorite was the model of how big 10 centimeters is. Steve’s eyes were HUGE when he saw how big my cervix was going to get!!!  I won’t tell you the commentary that came with that but if you know Steve then you know what was said! Lol

After the class we toured the birthing center. As crappy/ghetto as the town of Vallejo is, the hospital is really nice. The birthing rooms are nice big and private and the baby stays with you the whole time unless there are complications. Our tour guide was quite comical as well. She happen to make a comment about the option of having your baby placed skin on skin as soon as it’s born and then she proceeded to say that the fathers would get there chance to do the skin on skin once we were transferred to the recovery room. Steve was so confused. He asked why do you have to do skin on skin and does he have to do it. I of course told him yes, that he had to do it and that we just hope Amelia doesn’t try to latch on. The look on his face was priceless.

Our next baby class is tonight. It’s the Childbirthing Prep class and it’s a 4 class series (one a week). Now, I know Steve will be enjoying this class. Lol

Here are a couple of pictures I have taken of my baby “bump”. I don’t think it’s a “bump” anymore…….it’s more like a mountain!!! lol

 7 1/2 Months

 8 months this week. It seems like in two weeks I'm really starting to "fill out". I'm getting crazy BIG! lol

3D Ultrasound

We had our 3D ultrasound yesterday and what an awesome experience that was!! There were a few different packages you could buy and we opted for the minimal one as you pay before you go into the ultrasound and the baby could or could not be cooperative. However, you do have the choice of buying the upgraded package afterwards if you want. Anyway, the package we bought was for a 15-minute ultrasound session and 2 color and 2 black & white pictures. We actually ended up having a 45-minute session and got quite a few pictures!! As always, Amelia was shy. I have no idea where she gets that from because you all know I’m not shy!! Lol  She probably gets it from Steve as he’s a little bit more on the reserved side than me. ;-) So with that being said, Amelia had her hands up in her face or over her face as if she was blocking the camera from taking her picture. She actually at one point in time look like she was started to give us the finger but she knew better!! Lol  Mama wouldn’t have liked that very much!! 

From being at the ultrasound and looking at the below pictures, Amelia has chubby checks, full lips, pug nose and a head or hair. Most of these traits are on the Arana side so I have a feeling she is going to take after her Papi.

Other things we saw in the ultrasound were her blinking and do a suckling motion with her mouth (I’m really hoping she is not going to be a thumb-sucker!! Lol).  Also, a few times it looked as though she was smiling at us. She was a happy baby needless to say and that made me happy. Both Steve and I are so happy and very fortunate that we got to experience the 3D ultrasound and would recommend it to anyone.

We have another ultrasound with our doctor on next Wednesday to see how my “low lying” placenta is doing. We are really hoping that the placenta has moved away from the cervix and that our birthing plan will still be in motion. I will keep you all updated on that outcome.

Now that I’m in the third trimester (boy, time flies by!), I’m starting to get a little more tired again. I was really hoping the tiredness wouldn’t happen so fast but growing a baby is hard work!! Lol  I’m still walking an hour everyday with Porthos so I get my exercise, which has helped to keep my weight gain down. Currently I have gained 12 lbs and 4 of those 12 pounds were this last month!! Now I know why Amelia is so chunky! If she keeps this up for the next three months she is going to be a BIG baby!!

Anyway, we still have a lot to do now that we are back from Omaha and we don’t have visitors coming for a while. We plan on doing the baby registry tonight (or at least going to make the attempt) and we hopefully will have the baby room done by next week. Once those two things are done, we can focus on a month long full of baby classes and a few baby showers.

Well time to wrap this up. I will blog next week after my appointment to let you all know how things are going.

A Much Needed Blog Update

It’s been awhile since I have updated the blog so I’ll try to see if I can remember all the key events that occurred over the past three weeks. You know this so-called  “Pregnancy Brain”, well this thing is real!! I am so forgetful right now.

Anyway, Steve’s mom, Socorro was here for 10 days this past month. It was really nice having her because between her and Steve I didn’t do much cleaning to do and NO COOKING! What a great vacation that was!!! Lol It’s the simple little things that make me happy these days as I know once Amelia comes nothing is going to be simple ;-)

A few days after Socorro left, Steve and I headed to Tahoe and got married…that’s right I said married! After 12 years we finally made it official! It was just Steve and I and the minister and it’s exactly how we wanted it. Short, sweet and memorable for us. I can’t believe after 12 years of being with Steve, I can honestly say I still love him more and more with each year. What a great thing we have.

Steve and I did not take a honeymoon per say, however, we did go to the mountains for a fishing / camping trip. What a great time we had. We do plan on taking a honeymoon but not until sometime next year. This year is/was just to busy to plan anything. Hopefully I will have a couple of pictures of us from our wedding ceremony soon and I will post them.

Now for some baby talk! On April 21^st I took a Glucose test to test for gestational diabetes. I had to go in and drink some sugary orange soda like drink and then wait an hour to get my blood drawn. The next day I got the results and I was higher than the normal standard limit so I was then scheduled for another Glucose test yesterday but this one was more extensive. I had to get my blood drawn as soon as I got to the lab and then drink another drink but this one was twice as sugary as the first one. YUCK!! Talk about just drinking syrup!! It was nasty! Anyway, after drinking you have to wait an hour and then get your blood drawn for the next three hours on the hour. My poor arms were sore by the time I left!! Plus, I was starving!! I had to fast for this test so it was 13 hours before I actually got to eat anything. Poor Amelia was kicking around like crazy wondering where her food was and I was feeling pretty lethargic!!  So after the appointment, I was going to be a good girl and eat my yogurt and cuties but after not eating for 13 hours the last thing I wanted was something healthy, so I decided in honor of Cinco de Mayo I would eat Del Taco and had two.... and yes I said two 1/2 lb. bean and cheese burritos!! Boy did I gorge myself!!! *burp* lol  Of course after gorging myself I worried about the test and maybe that wasn't such a great idea if I had gestational diabetes. lol. Well today, I got the results back and I’m pleased to say that I DO NOT have gestational diabetes!! So relieved and so those burritos were even yummier!!

As for Amelia, she has been more active and I love feeling her move around in me. It’s a feeling only a mother could understand. She seems to be more active in the nighttime, however, she is getting more active throughout the day. I have a feeling she will be like her Papi, in that he is a night owl and likes to sleep during the day. Not sure if that is a good thing or not. Lol

Here is a frontal and side view picture of me at 6 ½ months. I have only gained 8 ½ lbs so far but I am prepared for the next three months to probably double that!! lol

Well next week we head to Omaha to visit sister-in-law and family. It will be nice to see them and to get away because when we come back we have Amelia’s room to do, checkup appointments and baby classes that will last us through June. We are also scheduled for a 3D/4D ultrasound on May17th, which we are so excited about! I hope Amelia is cooperating and we get some great face pictures so we can see whom she is going to resemble. Again. the month of June is pretty much shot for us as we have baby class after baby class to participate in. I will fill you all in as the class happens. I’m sure there will be some funny stories coming from them especially on Steve's behalf!! Lol

Ciao!

First Letter to Amelia

Dear Amelia,

From the day we found out that Mama was going to have you, Papi and I have been so overwhelmed with so many emotions but most of all we are really excited to meet you! We can hardly wait to hold you in our arms and look at your beautiful little face and see whose features you have. We can hardly wait to hear that little voice of yours, which I’m sure, will be music to our ears. Sweetie, you are so loved even though we have not met you.

So with that being said, let me tell you what you are about to be introduced to once we bring you home. You will be introduced to a four-legged creature named Porthos that will be your guardian, your playmate and your best friend.

Porthos will watch over you to ensure nobody tries to harm you when Mama and Papi are not around. He will sniff you and lick you to death and probably chew your toys, but don’t get too mad at him, he means well. He will also follow you around, as you get older. This may become a nuisance to you but he’s doing it because he loves you and wants to make sure your ok at all times. He may also follow you just to make sure that if you drop any food that he’s there to pick it up so Mama and Papi don’t step on it and smoosh it into the carpet. You will grow to love and adore Porthos, as he will you. I can hardly wait for you to meet him!!

Now that your aware of Porthos, Mama and Papi will do their best to give you the world within reason. We will teach you the value of life. We will teach you to achieve the things you want you will have to work hard for it them. We will walk though life right beside you holding your hand the whole time even when things get tough. We will have our bad times but I think we will have many more great times!! Life is not always easy Sweetie, but we will get through this together and that I can promise you. We love you more than you will ever know Amelia Faye Arana.

Love,

Mama and Papi

What A Week!

So much has happened in the past few days, let me recap for you:

FRIDAY - I finally actually talk to my doctor about the Previa. She told me that she and the Radiologist were not really concerned about the Previa. As a matter of fact, they weren’t even sure if I had it as it is still somewhat early and I did not have any bleeding or spotting. The sonographer was not in a position to make that medical call without talking to a doctor first. So all the worrying and “doom and gloom” I read on the Internet may have been for nothing. Which is a HUGE relief! Anyway, she proceeded to tell me that we will do another ultrasound in about a month just to check the placenta and it’s location, just to be on the safe side. So this was all great news from my doctor and I got the reassurance I needed.

SUNDAY – Steve and I were in bed on Sunday watching a movie and I felt the baby starting to move around. Until now I have only been able to feel the baby from within side my belly. Well I put my hand on my belly just to see if I might be able to feel it kicking and sure enough it kicked my hand softly!! I was amazed but yet wasn’t sure if I actually had felt something or just so badly wanted to feel something. Anyway, I left my hand there and sure enough it kicked a few more times. I finally said something to Steve about it and of course he says “uh-uh”. So he put his hand on my tummy and of course little one didn’t do anything. So now Steve thinks I’m crazy, which is normal ops, but I was determined I felt something. So I put my hand back on my tummy and it started kicking again. I told Steve that the baby was really going to town and kicking away. So again he put his hand on my tummy and nothing…….what was up with this kid??? Lol I was getting frustrated but as Steve kept his hand on my tummy a little longer the baby finally gave a big kick right into his hand!! I have never seen Steve’s eyes SO big as to when he felt the kick. He jerked his hand away so fast and said “that’s no bueno” lol I instantly started laughing so hard, then I was crying and then I was laughing and then I was crying. This went on for about 5 minutes. Not sure why I was crying but it was such an emotional experience for me. After I calmed down, Steve seemed a little weirded out so I asked him if he was ok and he said “yeah, but there’s an alien in there”. Lol Again I laughed.  It was a memorable night and every night since that I put my hand on my belly to feel the baby kicking. It’s a mommy and me time that I will cherish.

TUESDAY – Yesterday, we had another ultrasound, as the previous sonographer did not capture good images of the baby’s heart, profile and lips & nose. This worked in our favor because this was another opportunity to see if we could find out the gender of the baby…….AND WE DID……… we are having a baby girl, Amelia Faye Arana! Steve and I were thrilled! Here is the picture of her “girly” part (the angle is as if you were looking up and you see to buttcheeks and her "private part" are the two distinctive lines) and the other picture is her profile with her hand up by her mouth. She may be sucking her thumb but we are not sure.

            After the appointment, Steve and I thought we would go buy our first gender specific outfit for Amelia. It sounded like a good idea but when we got to the stores we were so overwhelmed that we didn’t even know where to start. Lol  So we just bought one little thing and left. Shopping will have to be another day as it shock sets in that we are having a baby girl.

WEDNESDAY – Just got an email from my doctor and the ultrasound for the baby turned out normal. Everything is good with her organs. So very relieved!! Now we can focus on the following upcoming events:

-         April 8^th - Porthos getting neutered (going to be torturous for me, going to cry like a baby).

-         April 14^th Steve’s mom comes for 10 days (so much cleaning to get done).

-         April 27^th Getting married in Tahoe

-         April 28^th – May 2^nd Fishing/Camping trip at Mammoth CA

-         May 9^th – May 15^th Trip to Omaha NE to visit Steve’s sister.

Going to be a busy month and half.

Ultrasound 3/28

On March 28, 2011 we had an ultrasound for the baby to make sure its organs were functioning correctly and located in the correct spots. The sonographer took many pictures but none that were really “keepers” for us. Below are two pictures of the baby’s face, which if you look at them they are actually scary looking. The first picture actually reminds me of the Terminator with the eye being so prominent. The sonographer was trying to show us how we could see the baby's eye lens. The second picture looks like the scary clown from the Steve King “IT” movie with its razor teeth!! My baby is going to be evil!! Lol

Anyway, we were unable to determine the sex of the baby as it was sleeping and its legs were closed in a tight fetal position. The sonographer thought that is was a girl but I’m not 100% convinced yet. At the end of the appointment the sonographer tells us that she doesn’t see anything wrong with the baby but that mine placenta is partially covering my uterus, which means I have partial previa. My doctor called me the next day and told me that she is not concerned with it at this time as it’s still really early in the pregnancy and that as my uterus grows the placenta will move up the uterine wall into the correct spot. We will have to go back in a month or so for another ultrasound to monitor the placenta. We are hoping that it will fix itself and if not then I could possible be bedridden if there is bleeding in the third trimester and will have to have a cesarean.

The next day, we got a call from the radiology department saying they needed another ultrasound of the baby, as there were some unclear pictures of the baby's heart. So we will have another ultrasound next week April 5^th and hopefully this will give us another opportunity to see if we can find out what the gender is. I made the appointment for later in the afternoon so the baby will be up and moving plus I will be drinking some juice to give it a little sugar high!!   Whoo Hoo sugar!! lol

I will let you know the outcome of the next ultrasound next week.

Thanks for all the emails, comments and support. Keep us in your prayers.

Update

So many things have been happening since my last post so he's a little review of what has happened over the past few weeks.

March 16^th we had our prenatal appointment and everything went well. We talked a little about vaccinations for myself while being pregnant and we opted out. We feel the less toxins I put into my body while being pregnant the more beneficial it will be for the baby and me. We just hope I don’t get sick because as all of you that have been pregnant know there are limited things you can take. I try to eat a healthy diet most of the time and I run or walk everyday. My doctor seemed pretty pleased that at 5 months I was still running 4 miles every other day; however, running is getting a little more difficult as I am getting bigger. It’s not so much the size yet that is bothering me but the breathing is getting a little harder as this little peanut is growing in me and pushing my innards up into my throat!! Lol I will keep with the running as long as I can as it has helped me maintain a healthy growing baby weight. Thus far I have gained 4lbs.

Another thing my doctor brought to our attention as we were leaving were vaccinations for the baby once it’s born. I have thought a little about this but not too much. I really need to start doing some research on vaccinations for babies. If anyone has any good advice or information, I am open. I know this is a controversial topic, so if you don’t want to leave a comment on the site you can email me at wildsunflower2@hotmail.com. I would love to hear what you have to say.

On a different note, Steve left for Alabama on Sunday for a week. He will be doing some Coast Guard training on haz-mat stuff. Him being gone this time is different then when he was gone in August last year (month and half). I feel more vulnerable and concerned all the time. I think about the safety of the baby all the time. I think about all the hazards that could go on in the house such as a fire starting while I’m asleep or someone breaking in. I’m not quite sure what this is all about but I’m thinking maybe it has to do with the safety of my unborn child. I am already worrying about someone who is not even here yet. Is that silly??

Well next Monday is the BIG day for us. We hopefully (if baby is cooperating) will find out the gender. We are both really excited about this but we are actually more excited to see our little peanut and how it is growing. This ultrasound is basically for the doctors to make sure all the baby’s organs are growing properly and in the correct spot as well as the functionality of the organs. I’m told you have the ultrasound but do not get the results until a week after so that will be a little unnerving but it’s just another hurdle to get over.

So Steve and I have narrowed down a girl’s name and a boy’s name. If it’s a girl, her name will be Amelia Faye. Amelia is after one of Steve’s grandmothers and Faye is after my mother. For a boy, well we have discussed this in depth and Steve really would like to name the boy after his father, Luis Bernardo. I’m not too keen on it but I know how much it means to Steve and I know I will love it once the baby is born. So there you have it……we are either having an Amelia Faye or a Luis Bernardo. We’ll keep you posted.

March BIG Buy

Steve and I went out on Wednesday and bought our BIG-ticket purchase for this month. We bought a crib mattress and a rocker/glider with ottoman. We really lucked out this month in that we got some good deals.


Now with that being said, let me just say doing research on all these items is as stressful as having a baby!! lol  Who would have thought that buying a crib mattress would be so difficult?? I started researching them and found out that there are quite of few things to be cautious of, who would have thought? For crying out loud, it's a mattress!! lol Anyway, we had to make sure that the mattress was firm enough, whether we wanted foam or innerspring, if we went with innerspring that it had at least 150 coil count, that is was flame retardant, that it had vents at the ends of the mattress so it didn't get all stinky and moldy, that is was toxin free and blah blah blah. lol With all that we found one of the top 3 crib mattresses recommended at Wal-Mart of all places and it was on sale!! We were thrilled or at least I was. Steve just laughed as I gave him a high-five in the aisle and a big WHOO HOO!! lol


Next was the Glider/Rocker, well forget about reading reviews online because you will never and I mean NEVER find a perfect one. Someone ALWAYS has something negative to say about them. So we found one that we both liked at Target that was on sale for $179. The woodwork matches the crib and we liked the style. That was all I needed!! lol Now, if Steve can just put it together without breaking it or his usual........have parts left over. lol Here's a picture.
On our way home Steve asked me if I was excited about getting the rocker/glider and I actually said that while I was, I was MORE excited about the crib mattress. He just laughed at me.


We have two doctor's appointments this month. First appointment is on March 16th and this is just a regular prenatal appointment. The second appointment is on March 28th and this is the BIG appointment for us...........we hopefully (fingers and toes crossed) get to find out the sex of the baby. lol  The appointment is really for an ultrasound of the baby to make sure its organs are functioning properly and are in the correct spots. We are really looking forward to this appointment. I know Steve is really looking forward to it as he missed the last ultrasound appointment so he hasn't seen the baby since it was a peanut (Week 7). Well time to get back to work. I'll post after each appointment to let you know how things are going. Ciao.

The Crib and Me

So we are at 16 weeks (4 months) today. Seems like the weeks are starting to go by faster now that we have gotten use to the idea of me being pregnant. We have been starting to think of all the things that we need to get to prepare for this little peanut and boy is that overwhelming!! lol Steve and I decided that once a month we would be a BIG-ticket items so this month we bought the crib.  We searched and searched and researched and researched for the perfect crib but nothing was feeling right. We eventually happen to be out and about this past Sunday and stumbled upon this beauty!

This crib actually was a $500 crib but we got it for $250. I am absolutely in love with it and its very sturdy. The crib is a convertible crib so it does go to the toddler bed and full size bed if we want it to. So our first "Parent" purchase is done. Needless to say we felt accomplished!! lol


Changes in me: Cravings and clothes are starting to get tight.


Strange cravings have begun for me (well these are at least strange for me). I cannot get enough peanut butter. I have been putting it on everything; however, I'm trying to be healthy about it so it goes on my apples, cinnamon raisin muffins and now my bananas. Plus I like a spoonful every now and then.  Last night's dinner was a Ham (made it on Wednesday), Swiss and jalapeno potato chip sandwich!! OMG, this was delish!! lol If the chips weren't a little on the hot side, I would have probably eaten two!! lol  The last thing that is strange for me is sweet things. I have never been one to like desserts, candy or anything that was really sweet, however, I could eat a whole bag of chips or crackers. The salt is what I liked. I'm really hoping this need for sweetness goes away after I have the baby. lol


So as of Monday I haven't gained any weight but I can tell my body is changing as my pants are fitting a little tighter around the waist these days!! I may have to go pant shopping here in a week or so as the discomfort is only going to get worse. I do have about 4 maternity shirts thanks to my Mama and by friend Connie. I can hardly wait to start wearing them, as they are all so cute. Hopefully, I will get a belly picture here soon for you all to see the growth.

Week 15

Went to my diagnostic ultrasound appointment on February 4th. Unfortunately, Steve was unable to make it. He ended up running out of gas and couldn't make it in time. We were both sad. This was somewhat of a scary appointment for us as we were going to find out the risk of our baby having Down Syndrome and one other genetic disorder. Thank goodness the results were in our favor and we are at low risk for the baby having either one of these disorders.

On a lighter note, I got to see Baby Arana doing its thing at Week 14. The baby was at first pretty quite but once the doctor starting pushing around on my belly the baby got more mobile. I saw so many pictures of it from all different angles. It really was awesome and wished Steve had been there to share this moment with me. The pictures aren't the best but the first picture is just a profile of Baby Arana. Boy, does it look like it has Steve's head!! BIG!! lol Hopefully, our little peanut grows into that head for his sake and mine!! lol The second picture shows Baby Arana with its hand in his mouth. Can't really tell if it's sucking its thumb or just nomming on its hand. The last picture is another profile pic from a further distance. You can see the profile and its torso.

Upcoming appointments for me are:

February 25th - Blood work for the second trimester. This blood work will be compared with my first trimester's blood work and will tell us if the baby is at risk for any defects. I swear the scare of having an unhealthy baby sure is tiring!! This here should be the last tests that we have to take so from then on I should be able to enjoy the pregnancy.

March 16th - 20 week prenatal exam.

March 28th - Ultrasound. This ultrasound will view the baby’s organs and make sure that they are all growing and functioning properly. We also should be able to find out the sex of Baby Arana. This will be a very exciting day for us!!

As for me, I've been feeling really well. I have been running 5K's (3.1 miles) with Porthos two to three times a week and attending Crossfit. I am doing everything in my power to make sure this birth goes easy, well much as I can do on my end. Baby Arana might have another story to tell. lol I'm still not wearing any maternity clothes and don't really have the "baby bump" yet but I'm sure it will be here all too soon.

In my spare time, if I'm not sleeping (lol), I am online researching and researching all the different products we are going to need for Baby Arana. Who knew there were so many things for the baby to look for? I am so frustrated and have no idea what to buy!! Everytime you find something you like and you read the reviews there's always that one review that just sticks out like a sore thumb and you can't get past it.  Reviews are bitter/sweet I tell ya!! Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions on anything please let me know!!!

Heartbeat!!

So on Monday we had a prenatal appointment and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat!! It was really surreal to me because all this time I know I'm pregnant but I don't look pregnant and I don't feel pregnant so a part of me was like "is anything still in there?" lol  I know it's silly but I'm just at that stage in my pregnancy where I really need the reassurance that our little peanut was still in there. The sound of baby Arana's heartbeat is exactly what I needed!!!  Now, I'm in love all over again and I haven't even met the little peanut. What a great feeling.

Friday, Steve and I have another doctor's appointment. This one is for a diagnostic ultrasound that will measure the back of the baby's neck and tell you your risks of your baby having down syndrome or not. A friend of mine, who is at the same stage in her pregnancy just had this done on Monday and said it was awesome. She got to see her baby blowing bubbles, stretching and sucking its thumb!! How cool is that?? I can hardly wait to see our ultrasound and see what our little baby is up to!! I'll post next week and let you all know how it went.

Week 13

Well not too much has been going on the past three weeks. Steve and I attended a 4-hour pregnancy class through Kaiser. The class pretty much went over a brief explanation of what us first time mothers will be experiencing. The next part of the class was a discussion on all the genetic testing that you can do to find out if your baby is at a high risk for birth defects.  Boy, if this doesn’t scare you to death. The last thing you want to hear about is all the things that could go wrong to your baby and that there really isn’t anything you can do to prevent it. All screening and genetic testing is optional so Steve and I decided that we would do the blood screening and genetic ultrasound. These procedures are the least invasive to the baby so we opted to do them. With these procedures it will detect up to 90% if the baby has a defect. If something comes back not in our favor, we may be at high risk and there are other procedures that can be done to tell you for sure or not, but these procedures are a little more invasive to the baby so we'll have to decide if this is something we want to do if and when that times comes.  We just pray that all tests come back in our favor.

We’ve had to do a few additional tests as Steve is a carrier for the sickle cell trait and I am a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis. I got tested for the sickle cell trait prior to being pregnant and found our that I’m not a carrier so we are good there and yesterday we found out that I am a carrier for the Cystic Fibrosis, so Steve went and got the test done and now it’s just the waiting game. It takes 10 to 14 days to get results. Both these gene defects are common amongst our ethnicity and so we have a very good chance of both of us not being carries of the same gene defect.

On a less scary note, Steve and I are planning on eloping to Tahoe on April 27^th to get married. We decided that this would be the best option for us as we have been together for 13 years now and a big wedding has never really been in our interests. We have talked about having a wedding in the past but it was more or less that we were going to do it for everyone else and it should be about us since this is our BIG day. We plan on staying the night in Tahoe and then going onto Mammoth for our annual fishing/camping trip. We are both really excited.

Well we have my week 13 appointment on Monday so stay turned for an update and hopefully another ultrasound picture of baby Arana!!

The Holidays

Well since my last post nothing much has really happened. Christmas was a little lonely, as Steve had to work a double shift, so I just went to a friend’s house for dinner. She was having a bunch of people over and it ended up being a pretty good night. I went home around 8:00 pm, as I was pretty pooped. Boy, I guess the days of being out until all hours of the night are over for me!! Lol 

That following Monday we were to head to NY to spend a week with Steve’s family but Mother Nature had other plans. The Northeast was getting slammed with a blizzard so we weren’t able to leave until Thursday morning. When we finally got into NY it was about 3:00 pm and we went straight to Steve’s mami’s house. I was dying to get there because I know Colombian goodness (food) was waiting for me!!! And I was right; as soon as we literally walked in the door there were plates of food being served up just for me!! I was going to be spoiled the whole time we were there…this was heaven!! Soon after, it was nappy time for me. Imagine that!! Lol  After laying down for an hour or so Steve’s niece, Nia arrived. We hadn’t seen her since last Christmas and it was a great joy to hang with her. 

Friday was New Year’s Eve and as most of you know (from me) that Steve’s family usually has a party that lasts until the wee hours and I’m talking like 7 am the next morning. So it was time for me to sleep in and get as many Z’s as possible just so I could stay up until midnight. Later that afternoon Steve’s sister Sharon showed up with her other daughter and boyfriend and we finally had a Christmas. We opened gifts and had some good laughs. It was a good time.

Later that night we all got gussied up and were ready to party, well I was gussied up but was already starting to struggle to stay up. For crying out loud, it was only 9:30 or 10:00 and I was already to go to bed!! Lol  This was going to be a LONG night. People slowly started coming over and drinking and dancing. Everyone was having a good time. About a minute to midnight we all turned to the TV to watch the ball drop from NY Time Square. As we all shouted 3….2…. 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR  I turned to my beloved to give him a big smooch and to my surprise he was getting down on his knee with a ring in hand. I was completely and utterly shocked as he asked me to marry him. Of course I started crying, being the big bawl baby that I am and accepted his proposal.

I won’t go into details of the rest of the night but lets just say it got a little out of hand and I didn’t end up going to bed until 4:30 am!!!  Needless to say, this mama was T-I-R-E-D.

The rest of the trip was great. We got out into the city a few times and were able to enjoy some quality time with Steve’s family. We can hardly wait to see them all again.

As for the way I felt the whole time, I felt pretty good for the most part except the tiredness and SEVERE constipation. Also, I think the morning sickness is finally starting to subside which is great!!!