The Birth of a Superhero

Well it's as inevitable as gravity...what goes up must come down...baby goes in baby comes out...question is always exactly when... When contractions started Friday, November 12th, mommy thought, "This is it!"...but after a full weekend of steady but non-active labor inducing contractions still no baby... Monday came and mommy was so exhausted from lack of sleep that she stayed home and finally slept straight through the day!  Her belly was huge and uncomfortable...the contractions made it impossible to get comfortable even though they weren't painful and nothing was working in her favor...this made her very cranky:)  Working made the day go by so Tuesday and Wednesday she worked and tried to stay busy...Uncle Joey, mommy's boss, was nervous that she would end up delivering in the office lol, but no such luck!  When she left work Wednesday night, she knew the time was almost here... "Won't be seeing you tomorrow, we're having a baby" she told Uncle Joey (who just rolled his eyes cause this was practically a mantra of a very uncomfortable wishful pregnant woman...difference was this time she knew for sure!) 

Thursday morning the contractions were 5-6 mins apart so mommy went to the hospital to see what progress was being made but she was only 2 centimeters dilated and the contractions were still not that intense so the doctor sent her home to wait patiently.  Daddy went to work and Nonna came to spend the day with her very uncomfortable cranky daughter:)  They stayed busy and Nonna rubbed mommy's back to help with the aching from the contractions.  Mommy tried to get as much rest as possible knowing that the time was just around the corner.  Finally at 6:30pm, mommy said, "Time to go to the hospital!"  Nonna drove (since it is highly inadvisable for women to drive themselves to the hospital, thanks Aunt Katie;)  When we got there we found out that apparently EVERY baby in the area wanted to be born so the L&D rooms were full to capacity!  Dr. Greybush told mommy she was 3 centimeters and to keep walking around and they would get a room for her and then break her water.  Mommy called Daddy and told him to start heading toward the hospital while Nonna and her kept busy exploring the triage area, walking and talking. 

Daddy arrived and the nurse said they would get me a room in a couple more mins.  When the attendant came to move mommy, her water broke EVERYWHERE...and just like that active labor hit like a brick wall!  Mommy vomited ALL over the room...it was like a cut scene from the Exorcist!  Even christened Daddy's hoodie (though his reflexes prevented full coverage lol!)  They rushed me to the L&D room and got me set up...within 1 HOUR and 30 MINS Mommy went from 4 all the way to 10 centimeters and was ready to push!  At this point the contractions were so violent, Mommy could barely breathe...it felt like her ribs were collapsing her lungs...that's when she finally wasn't afraid of the epidural :)  But than the doctor came in and asked if Mommy was "allowed to push" because of her eye surgery in 2006?!!  Mommy wanted to slap the doctor for asking NOW and not over the last 9 months when she talked over her medical history! (In Dr. Greybush's defense, she was the only doc in the practice we never got to see and she didn't want mommy to lose her sight, but mommy would've thrown something if she could!)  So then they wouldn't give an epidural until they could get ahold of the retina specialist because they thought they may have to give a C-section!  Finally after what seemed like hours but wasn't that long, they got an answer and Mommy got drugs lol :)  Finally could breathe deeper and gained some energy...then it was time to push...well actually you started trying to walk out and Mommy told the doctor, "I'm not pushing but he's ready to pop out!"

Everyone moved into position, Daddy even got to hold mommy's leg and help her push :)  P.S. Daddy was AMAZING the whole time but he is Superman after all ;)  The rest of the time flew by...Mommy pushed, Daddy cheered and you kept working your way out!   It felt like only 15 mins and one final push brought a screaming you in this world!  You were mad as hell...maybe you were expecting something a little less cold and glaringly bright? lol!  They put you in mommy's arms and we looked at each other for the first time... it was magic...in a way that there don't exist words to describe...  Then Daddy cut your cord and they took you away to clean and weigh you.  You were 7 pounds, 6 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long!  Once you were clean they brought you back to mommy and daddy.  The nurses kept going on and on about how incredible everything went... This being mommy's first baby, it didn't really sink in what they were talking about.  But then they explained that it had only been 3 hours total for you to come into this world!  They had never seen someone deliver their first baby that fast!  Truthfully mommy had fully expected it to take at least 12 hours so even though it felt quick, she had no idea it went THAT quick!  Daddy went out to get Nonna and Zia Ria who were patiently waiting and apparently a whole bunch of other people showed up too:)  They couldn't believe you were already here! 

So that my dear Professor X is the story of your birth...you made quite the entrance into this world...though that really shouldn't be too surprising given who you are! ;) And with your arrival, your mommy was dubbed and officially inducted into the superhero hall of fame along with you and your daddy Superman.  On November 19th, 2010, a fairy princess became Wonder Woman and joined her boys in the fight for justice and the protection of all mankind and fellow superheros!  Welcome to the world Xavier, it will never be the same again! 

Ode to Fall Babies:)

Well my little caramel latte, you will be a fall baby no matter when you decide to make your appearance!  And while I find summer babies sizzling ie your Daddy lol, as a fall baby I can truly brief you on the joys that lie in being a "Fall Baby".  First things first...there's the weather...fall brings about a change to the hot humid days of summer, cool breezes and drops in the humidity make the warm air a delight to experience...early morning air smells crisp and fresh while mid-afternoon sun makes you feel like a little kitty cat curled up in a sunny spot on the porch!  Along with the beautiful weather comes the masterpiece God paints in the foliage... vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow and brown mix gracefully with the various shades of green..slowly transforming the picture outside the window to one of ripe abundance...waiting for children to run through collecting leaves, apples, pumpkins and all manner of items to decorate and create something amazing with their imaginations!  That was one of my favorite day dreams while waiting for you...imaging you, me and Daddy running through piles of leaves, picking pumpkins and apples, sipping apple cider and going on hayrides... Not to mention eating the awesome food your Nonno and Grandpa make come Thanksgiving time!  I'm hoping you come a little early so I can enjoy that food this year and not be in the hospital with that nasty clinical fare : P



Xavier's 1st Halloween Costume



This whole journey together has been an amazing ride, my little baby...and I can only imagine that you being here, finally, in our arms will be the most spectacular moment of our lives...each day that we get closer, I try to stay busy with the small things left to do but my energy is fast depleting!  This past weekend was your Grandma's birthday and also Halloween so you and I skipped the housework and headed on over to Jersey while Daddy worked!  Of course this being your "sorta kinda" first Halloween, we couldn't let you go without a costume :)  Not with Mommy being such a HUGE fan of costumes lol!  And not to mention the perfect shape for numerous ideas...what can I say you making me REALLY round has it's advantages!  So I came up with the perfect costume for you!  But then the more I thought about it, the more I thought you should have one and I should have one that goes along with it...actually the original idea started out as this... You as a jack-o-lantern... of course a baby one lol!  Then Daddy was trying to decide if he would dress up this year and I told him to go as a black cat...which he didn't find too amusing...though what can I say when it comes to word association jack-o-lantern = black cat...they always go together in my mind!  But that gave me a brilliant idea!  You would go as a baby jack-o-lantern and I would go as your little black cat friend who climbed inside lol :)  Technically, you're inside of me...but hey it works!  So far our costume has been a success...thank you my little inspiration lol!  Mommy couldn't have done it without you...well could've, but then it wouldn't have been as perfect! 

Mommy and Xavier - Halloween 2010



Your Grandpa made a delicious dinner for all of us and we handed out candy to all the neighbourhood kids, holy cow were there a lot of them!  They didn't stop coming until well after 9pm!  And some not-so-little kids came as well :)  Boy, some of the costumes were great!  Mommy spent most of the time sitting and watching the action while holding your cousin.  You didn't care for her sitting on your "house" too much lol!  I can just imagine the two of you running around and tussling on the floor when you're a little bigger!  Next year for Halloween, you and Daddy can go as superheros or something fun like that! :) 

And someday when you're older, Mommy and Zia Lina will take you to Carnevale in Italia so you can experience that as well!  The costumes are amazing and Daddy hasn't seen Italy yet so it'll be high time to finally get him there lol!  Of course we can't forget trips to the Ren Faire with your fairy godmother Ina ;)  She's made you the most amazing little elf hat!  You're gonna look so handsome!  When you get a little bigger, we'll add a cape and maybe a Non-sharpened sword ;)  You'll have to wait a while to play with the swords Mommy and Daddy have!  I'm sure you'll enjoy the Pirates and Jousting just as much as Daddy no matter how old you are!  We're so excited to play with you and see you grow and enjoy using your imagination to fight evil dwarfs and dragon-slaying knights :)



Oct. 22nd - 4 Weeks 'Til my Little Man is HERE!!!

Unless of course he decides to make an early appearance?  I was in a mad rush to enter this world and decided to arrive 2 weeks to the day before my due date of October 28th...and I was the 1st baby!  Daddy on the other hand was late by a few days...so who knows?!  Today was the very 1st of my WEEKLY maternity appointments, very exciting stuff!  I can't lie, last night was one of the worst nights of my life (Thank you Septa you @#$$%&@$%) so I was in a foul mood and told Ricky that with my luck they'd probably tell me I was shut up tighter than a steel trap and should just be happy to get him out in 6 weeks nevermind in 4 weeks!  On top of being sore, tired, angry, cranky, etc...I had a migraine and had trouble sleeping so waking up this morning, the day really didn't seem all that brighter! : P 

Morning came way too soon...and with less sleep than I needed...Nonna picked us up to bring us to the doctor's, Daddy had to get to work and we couldn't get an earlier appointment unfortunately...but Nonna was excited to hang out with Mommy and baby X :)  Xavier has been making the regular bathroom trips increase times 37 million since he started moving down "the chute" so to speak...only trouble is that you REALLY have to go and BARELY anything comes out...which means no sooner to you go then you have to go AGAIN!  Lovely arrangement...  Anyway, this makes getting a sample for the doctor that much more difficult...not to mention the fact that I haven't seen anything above my knees in months and positioning a tiny plastic cup around a basketball is NOT EASY!  Needless to say, somehow I still accomplished this!  For which the doc was happy to report that my sugar/protein, etc was all good...my blood pressure was a little low...but with all the darn bathroom trips it's hard to keep enough water IN me!  Dr. Lexow measured my belly and announced that baby X is right on schedule, around 5 1/2 pnds and growing well!  His heart beat is a steady 152 and he's still very active...though supposedly that's going to start slowing down in the next weeks as he saves up is energy for the Grand Voyage into this world! 

So then came the real question...are we making ANY progress?!!!  And thankfully the answer is YES!!!  The official word is I'm 1/2 centimeter dialated and 60% effaced!  Now this of course is not huge news because I can stay this way right up until I go into labor...but this is good news by way of evidence that my body is doing what it's supposed to do!  Woohoo!  In other great news, Dr. Lexow confirmed that my pelvic shape is the "optimal shape" for delivering my little boy which means other than an emergency situation, I can have a normal delivery!  Yay!  I may be tiny, but apparently I'm "optimally built" for birthing babies lol ; P  This does not mean I'm signing up for this experience again any time soon, I'd prefer not to have 2 in diapers THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Now to the fun part...36 week belly pics!!!  Honestly, I never imagined being this big...it's kind of crazy!  If you look closely, you can see where Xavier has his foot shoved in my upper right side! :)

Update on Mommy and Baby X

*SEE LATEST ADDITION AT BOTTOM OF POST*

It's been a long past couple of days, some good stuff, some not so fun stuff...but thankfully, we can breathe a little easier for the time being.  And of course now we know how to pray.  The weekend started off with a call from my doctor on Friday saying that I failed my glucose test, never a great phone call to get.  This meant that I would have to get more blood work done...and as soon as possible.  We already had appointments scheduled for Tuesday and the day off to get everything done, but unfortunately I couldn't get in until today no matter how hard I tried.

The great part about the weekend was Auntie Maria came to visit since Daddy was working.  This helped keep my mind from wandering to all the possibilities of the upcoming appointments.  Keep busy, worry less...(plus I made a habit to say a prayer every time I thought about it since my worrying wasn't going to change anything!)  Maria and I set up the changing table, stocked it, hung the sweet baby saying decal my Aunt Sharon gave us and washed every piece of baby clothes, towels, blankets, etc in preparation for the other baby stuff that's coming in from our awesome friends and relatives!  (Do a little bit at a time is my motto! Plus it's so great to see his little tiny clothes in his new dresser!) The weekend was also a celebration of Maria getting her license Officially, Finally!  It was wonderful to spend sister time:) since we don't get as much these days as we used to...of course this makes us appreciate it that much more lol!  Though sometimes I think we enjoyed fighting just to drive my parents crazy lol!  Yay, kids are awesome! : P

Belly at 32 weeks! ->

Sunday I worked on the bathroom shelves, organizing them and child-proofing them!  Since we don't have a door on the linen closet shelves, this was imperative...plus I wanted to get all of his bath stuff organized with ours so Daddy would get used to where Xavier's things should go and where to find them:)  My neighbour Katie stopped by and got the tour of everything we did over the weekend, then we went to visit briefly with our new neighbours who bought the restaurant in our parking lot.  They were very nice and have a bison named "Woofy Goldberg"...which I think is pretty amazing lol!  Anyway by the time Daddy got home, I was wiped out and crashed!  Monday was uneventful other than brief moments of thinking about Tuesday's appointment...honestly, I was okay with everything up until the last ultrasound...I really thought by 32 weeks his kidneys would be just fine, but looks like the one is going to take a little longer.  I thought I would have a hard time sleeping but I think the weekend really wrung me out cause I slept clean through like a rock...didn't even remember the bathroom breaks though I know I took them lol!

Tuesday, I woke fairly early and lay there trying to rest until the alarm went off.  It didn't really work so I ended up just getting up and starting to wake Ricky up (which can be a process since he's not a morning person!)  Once at the doctor's office, I relaxed a little knowing that we were finally going to hear from the doctor exactly what to expect best/worst case scenario...even though we did research on the condition "antenatal hydronephrosis" I wanted to hear everything straight from the specialist's mouth.  As we expected he told us mostly what we already knew, but he gave us a plan of action as well.  Xavier has another ultrasound at 36 weeks, if at this time his kidney has dilated to 9 or 10 mm (it's at 7.9 right now, only just about 1 mm over what it should be), then we will have to have a more invasive test done and most likely start him on antibiotic to prevent a UTI.  If it's still the same, then most likely it will "fix" before birth and we will have another ultrasound 3 days after he's born.  If he has a blockage or some other defect causing this issue, they will do further tests but generally won't do surgery until he's older.  The specialist says even with blockages, they can "fix" themselves over time.  So we're asking everyone to pray that his one enlarged kidney will "fix" like his other one did by my next ultrasound.  All in all, it's relieving to know this is a very common condition, but still nerve-wrecking since it's our baby were talking about here!

After errands, more doctor stuff, etc, both Ricky and I crashed...for me I was emotionally drained...and for him I think he was just drained from getting up early and dealing with me...which is no easy chore when I'm emotional! : P  We both felt so much better after resting...and I made lunch (at this point an early dinner since it was 3:30)  Good news...our friend Barry, who is Grandma the Clown with the Big Apple Circus, had invited us up that night for the new show playing in NJ!  It was just what "the doctor ordered" considering everything that's been going on!  There's nothing better than being transported back to your 5 year old self for 2 hours watching a great circus show!  And as always, they were amazing!  Ricky got to be part of the show...and of course got ripped on by the clowns afterwards lol : P Xavier apparently LOVED the show...I thought he was going to jump out of my stomach a couple of times he was moving SOOOOO much!  I'm looking forward to this time next year when we take him for his 1st circus!  And of course a picture with Grandma!  I know he probably won't really remember it, but we'll just have to take lots of pictures!  We had a lovely visit with Barry (who needs to come visit before he moves to Sweden!; P lol!) and look forward to seeing him again soon, hopefully sooner than later!  It always amazes me the unique friendships that God brings in our lives...we are very blessed to have such a great friend!

Today arrived with me feeling a lot better after a great night:)  I wasn't looking forward to getting a 3 hour glucola screening, but I was in much better spirits...at that time...  Once at the lab, there were problems with my paperwork which delayed things...then I had to drink that stuff that tastes like 2 year old orange Fanta and twice the amount of last time YAY!!!...this was after fasting and having my blood drawn once already...so I felt like a combo of puking/passing out within the first 30 mins of being there!  Of course this was the part where the phlebotemist (who I have come to know well from all of my lab work over the last 2 years of Gluten testing and baby) told me if I did puke or pass out and not wake up on my own that I would have to do this all over again another day...gee thanks... Ricky was a godsend and stayed by me every minute even though I was far from pleasant company...I spent most of the time trying not to fall off the chair on to the floor or not puke the stuff up and ruin the test...it was the longest 3 hours of my life...  In the finally hour I almost didn't make it, everyone saw all the color draining from me and I could feel myself slipping...I had Ricky grab some cold compresses and started swabbing down my neck and forehead...thankfully, I made it to the last blood draw without ruining the test!  (sheer willpower...my body was rocked after 3 hours of torture!)  Ricky got me a protein bar and drove me home where I passed out for hours...I woke up with a splitting headache and the appetite of a lumberjack!  Nothing some hot Chinese take-out won't fix;)  Still don't feel completely all there, but I made it through... Now we just need to pray that this test comes back normal and that I do not have gestational diabetes!  So that is the update my friends, some fun and some not so fun...but having a baby is a learning process...everyday is a new experience...I wouldn't trade it for the world!  Just can't wait for him to be here!!!

*Thursday Update*  Got the call from my doctor today, the glucola screening came back negative...translation: I DO NOT have gestational diabetes! Thank you to all of you who have been praying! I'm very happy to finally have an answer!

A feeling of accomplishment!

For those of you who have not heard me talk about the baby's dresser incessantly...we bought an adorable dresser that we found on craig's list that fits perfectly in the little space we had for it...only problem, even though in great shape "woodwise", the paint had been loved to death by someone's children...think sticks, marker and chipping paint but I envisioned something just perfect for our nursery!  Of course undertaking such a task was probably a better idea in my 2nd trimester when I had a ton of energy and X wasn't "reshaping" my spine...but alas, I was not to be daunted!  Ricky has learned quickly when it comes to something for the baby, stand back until the dust settles...never has nesting met a more willing victim...

Leave it to me to choose the HOTTEST weekend since August! I tried to get up early so I could get started early, but X kept me up in the night...which meant I slept til 10am.  Not the best time to go shopping in a home repair store since everyone and their mother has decided to do a project at 10am on a Saturday morning!  No lie...I think Hatboro, Willow Grove AND Horsham was there...!  I quickly picked out sandpaper to match the electric sander Nonno loaned me and than headed to the paint counter to grab the paint.  When it was finally my turn, my request went something like this..."Hi, I'm pregnant (as if you can't tell at this point lol) I hate painting because it's smelly, I hate sanding because it's time consuming...what's the easiest way to get this job done?!!"  I had the presence of mind to bring one of the little drawers with me as a visual so it made it easier for the person behind the counter to assist the crazy desparate pregnant woman.  Good news: I didn't have to sand, they had some smelly stuff (ugh) that would "strip" the paint so I could paint overtop of it.  Bad news: I would have to do at least 2 coats no matter what paint I got: P  The lady took off the drawer hardware and showed me how to use the smelly stuff and sent me on my way.

Back at the ranch, I had Ricky move everything out to the porch so I could work in the open air...it was hot as hell!  And the sun was now on that side of the house...there was no getting away, but I would not be detered.  Ricky put water bottles in the fridge and kept checking on me, he also helped "strip" the drawers so they were all prepped.  The painting is something I like to do alone besides the fact that my perfectionist self will not allow for his assistance!  Rather quickly I discovered that not only did I think it was wicked hot, but the paint thought so too!  This led to me being rather annoyed...Ricky ever the practical "fix it" man decided that I should paint in the house...this would solve his anguious over me dehydrating myself and would solve the paint getting clumpy... Thankfully the lady at the paint counter was right and the paint had virtually no smell, which is saying something considering my superpower prego nose!  With 3 fans running and the hall door opened for circulation, you would never know I was painting!  After a coat on everything, I was frustrated with myself for not getting a paint roller since the brush was leaving brush strokes rather than a clean paint look...no worries, we were headed for Nonno's house and would just borrow one to do the second coat!

Flash forward, yummy dinner with Nonno and Nonna...no paint roller...oh well, another run to the home improvement store!  Ok, this is the part where I advise all of you who decide to do projects such as these to go to the Home Depot/Lowe's type stores at 5pm on a Sunday...NOBODY'S THERE!!!  It was like a ghost town, I walked in and walked out!  Now to say this project was taking a toll on my body is an understatement...my back was literally angry with me, my shin had a bruise the size of a peach from one of the drawers and my feet felt like they'd been hit with a hammer... Thankfully I have an awesome husband who has very strong hands to rub my feet and back...and the presence of mind to run for ice when I holler while tripping over yet another sharp thing that I mistakenly forgot was in front of me and couldn't be seen because of my belly blockage... Yet again, 2nd trimester would've been a better time to do this...

But I was almost done, the end was in sight:)  And soon all the coats were finished and I was only partially bespeckled with sage green paint droplets, not bad for someone as uncoordinated as me!  The feeling of satisfaction grew with each tiny drawer handle that I re-affixed to the drawer...until I got to the last one and found that I was missing the handle!  All the hardware was there right in the little baggy that the lady at the paint counter has taped to the inside of the drawer, but NO HANDLE!  This is the part of the story where all of the aches and pains and hours of tedious labor caught up with me and I spazzed...royally...tearing everything in the house up trying to find the damn thing only to finally decide that it must still be at the paint counter...at 11pm on a Sunday night the paint counter is long closed...ugh...so it was not to be, I would not finish the little dresser in one weekend...

Monday came too early...all the work I put in caught up with me, not to mention we had to get up even earlier than usual for an ultrasound before work.  X's kidneys had to get another check...and unfortunately one of them didn't pass inspection.  In goods news, he's 4 pounds, 3 ounces and healthy overall (and still hates ultrasounds lol!)...the bad news, we have to go see a pediatric urologist for a consultation to see what to do if the kidney doesn't "fix itself".  So looks like we have to pray a little more that God will step in and help Xavier's kidneys to develop healthy and correctly!  My prayer is that his kidney will fix by the time he's born so we won't have to go through any of the stress of monitoring his kidneys or possibly surgery to fix it...  Needless to say, my tired body couldn't take the news and I was a mess of "what did I do wrong"...(which is ridiculous because they have not been able to link anything the mother/father have done to this very common abnormality which happens in babies while in utero)...and we're talking years of studies, but of course my first reaction is "I'm a terrible mother"...

A long day of work was the perfect distraction and also my cousin's baby was in surgery today so I spent time praying for him throughout the day...that helped me to focus on more important things and not my irrational thoughts... a train ride home with my train buddy Katie and a hot shower had me perked right up to make dinner and prepare for Ricky to get home:)  And with him came the handle to my final drawer in the dresser!  He was a sweetheart and stopped by the paint counter to pick it up on his way home...thankfully they saved it and didn't throw it out...or this story may have ended with me blowing up a certain home improvement store on 611 in Willow Grove!  It was like putting the final piece in a 5,000 piece puzzle that you've been working on for months...it was such a great feeling to have the dresser all done and set up in his nursery!  And it looked just as adorable as I imagined! :)

65 Days until Eviction Day...I mean my due date!!! ; P

It's hard to believe so much time has past already...feels like there's still so much to do before my little caramel latte arrives... Of course regardless of this fact, I'm so ready to have him here with us!  I've taken to calling November 22nd, the day he gets evicted...to which Ricky said I'm a terrible mother, but hey after 215 days of this I've started having talks with him about the fact that "arriving late" is NOT an option in Mommy's book! : P  With 9 weeks left, the end is now in sight and looking oh so good!  This does not mean that I haven't enjoyed our journey together or the adventure of watching my baby grow...it just means that I'm ready to move on to the next stage!  The later it gets, the harder it gets to remember how I got into my pants by myself or how I managed to tie my shoes MYSELF...not to mention how once upon a time my belly button was a lovely little slit...but is now stretched out flat in a disc-like shape the size of a walnut!  It's a shame the Victoria Secret looking ladies on my chest couldn't come when I had the abs to match lol!  *sighes*  It's all worth it though...every second... Even the nightly karate tournaments in my tummy at 3 am...

The fact that I'm still working full time helps the time pass as well and for the most part helps with the sanity levels...though this last week had me in more than one prego meltdown to which my poor boss was subjected!  I must say, he's a champ and has taken to finding them hilarious rather than pathetic or annoying like some might have :)  In fairness to me, I would've had a hard time dealing with some of the nonsense NOT being pregnant...being prego just made them "entire bottle of wine" worthy issues!  (though I did not allow myself to go there so don't worry people!!!) 

My boss has also decided that I would be a great extra on the Blue Collar Comedy tour since he regularly finds me at my desk with a can of peanuts propped on my belly...add a beer and I could give Larry the Cableguy a run for his money apparently lol!  All and all God has been good to me in the fact that entering this 3rd trimester hasn't added anything extremely severe symptom-wise!  I've honestly had a rather enjoyable pregnancy...and as long as the delivery portion is past with flying colors, I may not mind doing this again in 3 years lol!

The fun part of this past week has been the baby consignment sales!  My loving husband likes to call my spendthriftyness "cheap", but I think my "frugal" side is a great contribution to our marriage lol!  Yes, there are sometimes where I can take it to the "cheap" range and he has to talk me back from the edge but honestly with things the way they are frugal is a necessary attribute!  So back in May, I signed up for a huge baby consignment held at the Philly Expo Center...as first-time parents we were able to go to the "Pre-Sale" event which meant we got first dibs on most things there!  Fast forward to Sept. and Ricky got called in for night work and couldn't go :(  Which meant I didn't have a ride either!  Having signed up for this months ahead, I really didn't want to miss out!  But Nonna came through!  And she turned out to be a much better shopping companion than Daddy lol!  Not that Daddy couldn't do it, but I'm sure he would've parked his behind on one of the gliders they had for sale and told me to call him when it was time to put stuff in the car! : P  Ricky is NOT a shopping fan!  Nonna and I left there with multiple bags of maternity and baby clothes and some great baby gear for $112!  If you added up what we should have paid for everything brand new, we saved over 50% probably closer to 65-75% on everything!  That my friends is a GREAT feeling!  My advice to all my friends becoming moms, go to http://www.playgroundbuzz.com/ and mark your calendars with ALL of the baby consignment sales in this area for the next year!  I'm planning on consigning X's stuff even if he doesn't need anything the next go-arounds!  If he grows at the rate Daddy did, we're gonna have barely worn stuff lol!

Saturday, we went to see my sister-in-law and little niece! :)  She's so tiny and adorable!  Ricky is absolutely in love with her...and it's so cute to watch him hold her like she's made of glass!  She loves him already too and fell sound asleep laying on his chest!  Everytime I hold her, X kicks around as if to say "I wanta play too, wait for me" lol!  I can just see them now, running around with my niece bossing him cause she's "older" and him wanting to do everything she does "better than she does"! :) 

Oh I remember those days with my cousins well lol!  We, the oldest 3, were 6 months apart and like the 3 musketeers! - In the picture, is me the oldest, Evelyn the youngest, and Joey the middle musketeer :)  What great memories we have!  Pretty soon it'll be my niece, his other cousin Liam and my little Xavier!

This post has taken slightly longer than the usually...and it is now 64 days and counting : P  Spent the rest of the time Saturday with Daddy before he went to work, then met him for his break and finally we took a nap until we had to go back to pick Daddy up from work.  This morning, Sunday, my neighbor Katie and I went to a 1/2 price consignment sale at Doylestown hospital to look for more clothes for my niece who is a little peanut and needs more newborn stuff!  And even though my sister gave me a lecture about NOT buying stuff for X since his shower is coming up...I couldn't resist a few things!  My favorite is his new bathtime pal Quincy Quackman and his friend Dirty Duck (as named by Daddy after being introduced to the new members of our little family lol!)

When me and my siblings were little, my mom and dad used to have "Mr. Washcloth" who would "eat our faces" to clean us up and always found us "very delicious" to which we would giggle uproariously and ask for our faces to be cleaned again!  Things have progressed a bit since then where they actually make the washclothes into handpuppets lol, but we're looking forward to seeing X giggle over his bathtime cleaning buddies just as much as I did when I was tiny!  (Not to mention, they match his robe...this part tickles mommy lol!)  Little moments like these make me want to hit the fast forward so he's here in my arms, but I know the time will pass just as fast without the fast forward...and heaven knows we need to the rest of the time to get the nursery ready!!!  Hoping to get the changing table and dresser moved in by next week the latest...though I'm going to have to do a sand/re-paint on the dresser if we get the one we're planning on.  Oh yeah, hey Nonno, you still got that electric sander thingy? Lol! :)

Well that was an eventful month!

What a couple of crazy weeks! First of all, August is birthday central with my mom on the 16th, Ricky on the 22nd and his sister on the 25th! But this year, my niece decided to join them! And throw a monkey wrench into the birthday celebrations:) But boy is she worth it and what a great present for Uncle Rich and her mommy! Of course it would’ve been nice if the process wasn’t so long and drawn out on mommy! Listen up, Xavier, don’t go getting any ideas! When it’s your turn to come, you need to get out fast lol…please!!!! My sister-in-law was in the hospital from Tuesday night until Saturday afternoon when my niece finally graced us with her presence…talk about an ordeal…plenty of fodder for the “Do you know what I went through to bring you into this world…” mom story!

To back up a little before all hell broke loose…my aunties came to visit the weekend of Ricky’s birthday the 22nd, unfortunately he had to work all weekend, but they helped me make plans for the nursery and took me shopping for fun stuff for little X’s room! Auntie Sha Sha also brought down the most adorable car walker that she happened to find…Daddy and Mommy both think this will end up as one of his favorite toys cause it’s just too cool with it’s like faux leather seat and gleaming red paint job! :) Maria and Marissa drove me home later that night so we could set up the baby stuff and I could be there when Ricky got home since it was his birthday! I hate not being able to cuddle up with him to sleep, but there was no way I was gonna miss being with him on his birthday!

The Monday night after his birthday, Mommy and X worked on a birthday dinner for Daddy and wrapped up his present! We were very excited to give Daddy his first birthday present from X! (And yes, I got X’s full input on this present…namely describing it to him and then asking what he thought…to which he kicked around happily…so it was settled!) It was a nice relaxing time with just the 3 of us celebrating another great year of Ricky being on this earth…and then he opened his present…you’ll have to get his side of the story on this, but from where I was sitting it looked like Mommy and X hit one out of the park:)  So now according to Daddy, he and X have something to wear for their very 1st bboy event together! I cannot wait to get pictures of the two of them together in these!

Tuesday rolled around and we got the call that they were going to induce my sister-in-law so we were all excitedly waiting for the call that my niece was here, (even thought we would have to cancel Ricky’s small group birthday party) but alas…Wednesday…Thursday…Friday…still nothing… this was getting crazy… Me looking down the way to 11 weeks from now, was in a panic… Holy cow…I don’t think I can do this! Holy Toledo…he’s just gotta stay in there or something!!! I was nearly beside myself by the time Saturday rolled around… then she was here… and so beautiful… and perfect… and as I held her I just wanted X to be here so badly that the nerves didn’t matter as much… I’m still not looking forward to labor and delivery but I know when I’m done they’re going to place the most beautiful thing in the world in my arms…my little Xavier… yes, this is the part of the story where I cry thinking about it…

Things have slowly calmed down and now we’re going to try to celebrate the August birthdays this weekend lol! Better late than never! It’s hard to top the joy that’s already filled this past month, but it also makes me even more anxious for November to come! Still have a lot more fun to go through first, our baby shower…my birthday…Halloween (and seeing my little niece all dressed up lol)…and then finally sometime in November…little X is going to make his appearance! Of course Mommy’s hoping for earlier rather than later, but he’ll arrive when he’s supposed to…hopefully in a quick and relatively painless fashion… Hey I can wish can’t I?!! : P  Also as per requests...Here's a new belly pic:) 30 weeks and counting!

Our Mini Vacation

Work, preparing for baby, and well life in general have us worn out!  Time to take a break!  And that's what we did this weekend...well a mini break at least.  More like a long weekend, but it's felt great!  Sleeping in, going out, celebrating w/friends and family and just being Ricky and Tina...not thinking about work, not cleaning the house (other than very minor stuff...which when you're "staycationing" at home this is a challenge but I have refused!)  There will be plenty of time for me to run myself stupid the other 300 some odd days of the year...we needed a REAL break!

Thursday night we went out dancing with some friends we haven't seen in a while!  My back wasn't in all that great shape so I didn't do much dancing, but Ricky held down the Hicks family name lol;)  And Xavier tried desparately to dance his way out of my stomach for about 3 hours!  (Maybe if I have them play breaks and funk in the delivery room, he'll just dance right out!?!!)  What can I say, our son adores music already!  Especially ANY thing with a strong drum or bass line!  It's adorable!

Friday we had a maternity appointment down in Northeast...it was fairly uneventful...I'm up to 117 pnds:) Gained 4 pnds since my last appointment which is right on target for weight gain...and Xavier gave the doc hell trying to get his little heartbeat AS USUAL lol...as the one doc put it, "wow you have a very active little one don't you?!"  So at this point I know a simple sonogram is not going to be as easy as they think...he likes to fight them and "hide" not that there's hardly any room at this point!  After the doc, we stopped by my sister-in-laws to drop off baby shower stuff since they were setting up that night for the next day.  We ended up spending a while there, we girls were chitchatting while Ricky slept: P  He's not a morning person and vacation usually means we sleep in...our tummys eventually drove us out the door to Checkers (a trip to Northeast usually can't go by w/o a Checker's stop!) and Chic-Fil-A (since I can't eat Checkers).  Another couple of stops and then back to the house where we crashed.  Ricky has always been a good "napper", I on the other hand was NEVER good at day time naps...my mom used to have to bribe me to get me to take naps!  But being pregnant has magically transformed me into a sensational napper!  This is extremely convenient since I still like to go out with our friends but have a much lower tolerance for late nights than I used to!

Ricky's best friend Vince (friends since middle school!) just announced he's leaving to take a job in Pittsburgh...we're sad to see him go, but happy for him since he's been wanting a change...Friday night found us out celebrating his send off in style...well, as stylist as a pregnant woman can be sticking out like a sore thumb in a bar lol!  Yes, I'll take a tequila shot, lime and salt please, hold the tequila... : P The good thing about bringing a pregnant woman is you're guaranteed a designated driver *raspberries*  But we did have a great time and I had fun watching peoples' faces when they realized I was pregnant and then sat there trying to figure out what I was drinking lol!  Also watching drunk people try to dance is VERY funny... especially to crappy music... even better... though the one guy took the cake and I wish that my camera phone had more memory and a higher quality so I could've taped that!!!  We finally had enough of the crappy very loud music and headed back to our house.  Everyone was hungry again so we hit up Wawa to grab snack food and munch out...yes, I did have a chocolate shake at 1am in the morning...which is probably why I woke up at 6:30 am and couldn't go back to sleep!

Saturday morning obviously came really early for me, but the rest of the dirty stay ups didn't even flinch til I woke them!  By this point I had already eaten, gone grocery shopping and baked cinnamon muffins!  I had to wake Ricky up so we could go get our nursery glider that I found on craigslist!  It was even prettier than I hoped! See for yourself! Excellent condition and so comfortable! The lady also had an infant carrier so we got that too!  It's such a satisfying feeling each time we get another thing in the house for the baby... And maybe it's silly but I was so thrilled that the glider is green to go with the nursery... :) 

By the time we got back to the house, we had just enough time to get the glider in the house, me to fawn and sigh over it, wrap the presents for the shower and then run!  We loaded the cars up with food, presents and people and headed for NJ...  The shower turned out beautifully!  The weather was perfect, the food was great and it was so nice to see Ricky's family!  My mom and sister got to meet some of Ricky's (and my) relatives who didn't make it to the wedding and the day flew by... My sister-in-law got some really great stuff for my little niece!  Only 2 more weeks until D-Day for her!!!  I can't wait to meet my little niece! 

Finally back home, the party apparently did me in... I showered and crashed really early... Ricky and I decided to sleep in on Sunday because we had to get up early the last two days of vacation and we were wiped... We woke around noon when Xavier's insistent little kicks drove me from the covers in search of food...Ricky actually woke up before me which is a RARE occasion!  But we had a nice breakfast and relaxed in our pj's til it was time to go to Rel and Lex's house.  It was great to see Rel and Lex, even though we're practically backdoor neighbors we still don't get to see them as much as we would like to with our crazy schedules!  Rel proved that he can cook...and quite well at that!  We had a delicious meal, fellowship and some great stand-up comedy!  It rained off and on all day so I was hoping the humidity would fade...but alas...no dice!  Ricky has taken up the "cravings" for me the last few weeks...not that I'm w/o them, but he's been having them with increasing regularity!  To the point where I'm beginning to wonder just exactly what having a pregnant wife does to a man?!!  Well, cravings are no cause to panic in my book because they usually mean you're going to go out and get a treat that normally you would frown upon due to the nature or timing of said craving...in this case it landed both of us with mindblowingly calorie filled ice cream sundaes which we shared in silence other than our satisfied sighs and conspiratol glances ;) Yes, we were being bad and loving every minute of it! The day ended with Ricky reading to X and me and then the three of us curling up in a cuddle bunch (as I like to call it lol) to drift off to sleep...

Monday came in nice and slow...no alarm clocks, no sirens, no nothing...just one eye opening at a time, blinking and realizing it's time to move...or in my case pee lol!  Over cereal, Ricky came up with the brillant idea to walk around town and visit the shops...we could also drop off the pile of giveaway stuff at the thrift shop!  I thought it would be a great idea to go through the few boxes left to get the rest of the giveaway together and make one trip...only problem is that a few boxes to go through is not that simple...it turned into a trip down memory lane, but we got through the majority, showered, ate, put laundry on, and headed out...that's when we realized it was really HOT outside!  Ok, we're going straight to the second part of this plan...drop the stuff off at the thrift shop and had to Franklin Mills Mall!  Ricky knows I've been dying to get this bathrobe for X ever since I saw it at the mall when Auntie Lex and I went "browsing" there about a month ago!  Plus he knows how much I like to drool over baby clothes in general at this time and the mall has GREAT baby outlet stores!  Then we figured we'd grab food and catch a movie...all w/o leaving the A/C!!!

Well, I ran into the Carter's outlet as soon as we got to that store...I went right over to where the display had been and it was GONE!!! The little bathrobe was no where to be found...Ricky took one look at my face and went into "fix it" mode...one thing I will say, he's the man with the plan when it comes to keeping a pregnant woman happy!  He immediately started looking for the little bathrobe on his phone...meanwhile I meandered through the rest of the store, cooing over the adorable outfits and browsing through seeing what might look good on our little man...in the clearance section I found some really cute Christmas onesies that I was tempted to get since that will most likely be his 1st holiday celebration with us...but they only had newborn and since I'm not sure he'll be able to fit newborn when he's born I figured I'd skip it...then I saw it!

There hidden in the clearance was the ducky bathrobe!!!  It didn't have a clearance tag so I thought maybe someone had hidden it there since it was the very last one, but I didn't care how it got there I was immediately dancing about like the fairy I am! :)  Ricky was extremely happy to see that I found it...(at this point he had thought I would have to go on and on about this robe for another couple days/weeks til he could find, buy and ship one to us from off the internet!)  Personally, I thought $17 was a little high for a miniature bathrobe which is why I didn't buy it the first time I saw it, but at this point I had to have it!  I had spent weeks imagining it hanging next to mine and Ricky's robes on the hooks in the bathroom...

Low and behold, the bathrobe rung up for $3.99!!!  So in this case it definitely paid to wait!

After some more walking and browsing, our stomachs drove us to the salad bar to get some "all you can eat"!  Which if we hadn't eaten lunch would be a bad situation for the restaurant with me and all!  Two trips did the trick for me oh and some strawberry lemonades too :)  Then off to the theater to see Inception!  Which turned out to be a very long movie...so Ricky got to use his "Run Pee" app lol!  This nifty little thing set alarms for you so it vibrates at time in the movie where you have 4 minutes to "go pee" w/o missing anything major...plus it gives you a brief description of what you missed...for those of you who are pregnant, GET THIS APP!!!  We enjoyed the movie and I didn't miss a thing!  Both of us thought the ending was rather weak after such great development with the rest of the movie, but it's one of the better ones we've seen recently!  Nice to see an original idea for once!

Back home, I ran up the stairs (which these days is more of a galloping cow movement), ripped the bathrobe out of the bag and put it in it's little place of honor to wait for X's arrival!  It looked just as amazing as I knew it would!

There they were... Daddy, Mommy and Baby bathrobes...

I probably would've stayed there staring all night except for the fact that I wanted to get dinner on so it would be ready once we got hungry! What an awesome day...what a great vacation this has been...so relaxing...and now I'm signing off to go clean the few dishes, wait for Ricky to get back from the store and then it's off to read to Xavier and fall asleep in the "cuddle bunch" til tomorrow morning when "normal" life kicks back in!

Ah what a weekend! :)

This weekend is a Ricky's work weekend which many times means I'm stuck in the house by myself and no car to go anywhere...the housework gets done lol but I usually wear myself out trying not to have the walls close in around me!  I'm not a "I like to be by myself for hours person"!  Most times I dread every other weekend - mostly the ones where he works night shift because then when I want to go out and do stuff the most or just hang out with Ricky doing nothing of consequence...he's not here and neither is the car...But some weekends I bum a ride to my parents, crash on their futon and make plans to do something...this weekend is one of those.

Saturday, OnQ, the drama team I'm part of started filming for a project that's been in the works a few months...thankfully my character can be as pregnant as she wants lol!  (though most of my costumes ala 50's style really hide most of the belly).  I was looking forward to this project but had no idea how I was going to get to Bethlehem to shoot!  Enter the "teletextmailbumaride"...Ricky dropped me at my parents late Friday after we went to see Despicable Me with Maria and Meena (Awesome adorable movie btw!)...Mom brought me to Quakertown Sat. morning...where Rashada took me the rest of the way to Bethlehem lol!  Have thumb will travel!  But hey, I got there right!  Thanks to a lovely little chain...though I was a little sketchy on the return trip...oh well, worry about that later!

Things went amazingly smooth for a project that had some many delays and issues early on, but thank God...I think we got everything we need?! (Hopefully)  Xavier apparently enjoys being on camera because every time the clap board and "Action" sounded, he was leaping around like someone would actually see him in the shot!  He's quite the ham...but hey I have NO IDEA where he gets THAT from!!!  I think I see commercials in his future...little caramel babies are too cute and can you just see one with Ricky's dimples and sharp wit lol!  It was all I could do not to crack up thinking about it while we were shooting scenes!  After we wrapped for the day, Dan (who's an old friend and playing my infuriating husband lol) drove me back to Quakertown, where my mom got me and brought me back to her house.

Still wasn't sure how I was getting back to Hatboro, but Marissa and Maria were going shopping and I was like "Wait for me!!!"  We had a blast...they in the clearance juniors (this was the part where I tried not to cry remembering what my waist USED to look like) and then on to the baby sections!!!  I was good and only bought 2 things for Xavier and 3 things for his cousin lol!  Trust me, I had about 35 items in my hand over a 2 hour period...oh yes, and I have a major gripe about the mall...how can the McD's in the mall food court NOT CARRY MOCHA FRAPPES?!!!  This is a travesty!  I almost had a prego woman meltdown on this poor 16/17 year old girl who looked like a deer in the headlights...Marissa and Maria were nice enough to stop at another one on the way to the next store...though I think this was out of self-defense because I was steaming around the edges with angst...Prego woman meltdowns are NOT PRETTY...but I'm usually reasonable and most people have not had to see me like that...actually most times I have a craving I just go get it myself as not to bother anyone...

This lovely shopping trip was topped off with a meal made by my sister Maria of stuffed shells, macaroni, salad and garlic bread...Oooo I love good food!  I tried to bribe Ricky to come get me after work with the stuffed shells, but he told me he had to work overtime because someone got sick :(  I was bummed cause I really wanted to go home and see him but didn't have a way there and would prob spend another night on my parent's futon...which is great, but sadly missing Ricky!  Marissa had a great solution!  She was going to go to the shore and her car would be sitting...so that's how I ended up driving home in Marissa's awesome car! (Btw, 4-door Honda Civic manual is now on the top of my list when we go car shopping this fall before the baby comes!)  I called Ricky to tell him he didn't have to pick me up and was going to try to trick him but he could tell I was in the car.  He also revealed that he was home and NOT working overtime (little liar tsk tsk) and I was annoyed because I would've come home hours ago and made him dinner then if I had known...but he claimed it was a rough day and he needed some "chill out" time.

I was so happy to see him when I walked in, I didn't even care that he was a brat!  I tackled him with kisses :)  Then went to unpack my stuff...Ricky had every light in the house on so he asked me to turn off the lights and stuff in the bedroom because he forgot...  I walked in to the room and there it was... OUR CRIB all set up and beautiful!  I don't even know what I said first but I was so thrilled I wanted to laugh, cry, jump up and down and just touch it to make sure it was real!  For weeks I've been waiting for the replacement pieces to come in so we could put it together and they finally did on a weekend Ricky had to work, then we discovered we forgot 2 pieces at my friends house who gave it to us so I was beside myself that it would NEVER be put together!  I have never in my life felt more driven to have everything in my house in order then I do now...and the crib was the first large piece of the nursery furniture that we had just sitting there tormenting me!  Ricky will tell you, it had me a pouty crying ridiculous mess each time we had a set back!

What can I say, he's amazing and I love him...That was the best surprise I've had in a while!!!  And of course I thought Marissa and Maria must have been in on it, but they weren't lol!  It just all happened to work out perfectly!  And now today, I'm going to go out with a huge smile on my face to visit my friend Smiles and my sister-in-law who was having contractions all night :( No baby yet, but by the time the baby comes it should be a cake walk with all the contractions leading up to the grand day!  And of course a stop at the baby clothes outlet at the mall just because I love looking at and touching the clothes imagining my little boy in them! :) 

P.S. Xavier says hi to everyone, his insistant little kicks keep reminding me to add this note!

Saviero incontra la sua Nonna! (Xavier meets his Grandma)

After our last ultrasound, they found that my little boy has decided to take after his cousin and have slightly dialated kidneys which meant a 2nd ultrasound to verify that they were indeed dialated and find out from the doctor what the next step was.  Now, I knew that it wasn't cause for all out panic but the mother in me was still concerned of course.  Ricky wasn't able to switch his schedule around in time so my mom was kind enough (and jumping out of her skin excited :) to help us out!

I was glad that she could come because she's good at grilling doctor's and my prego brain can barely form logical questions most days!  But I knew having her along, we would get all of the details and information that we needed!  The moment after I got off the phone asking her, I just sat back and imagined her running around to all her co-workers telling them that she was gonna get to "meet" her grandson :) My mom has never lost that "kid at Christmas" excitement...and it's always fun to tell her stuff you know will get her flying around in a twitter lol!  You don't even have to be there to enjoy it, you can just see it!  (From what I hear, this was a dead-on scenario lol!)

Anyway, ultrasound day came and I was craving peanut m&m's as usual...bad combo when you're having an ultrasound for them to do measurements, but what can I say...I'm a slave to my cravings these days!  Well, Xavier was still sleeping when we got in there and so the girl starting poking around to get his measurements...he doesn't like this...at all...so he starts squirming and roaming around to find any space in my ever smaller uterus to hide...it was adorable :)  Nonna was estatic to see and feel him and watch my belly move... I was telling the tech how relieved I was that he's not a thumb-sucker so far and just like that the little scamp lifts his little fist up to his mouth with his thumb out and holds it there for a second.  There was a collective sharp intake as we all thought he was gonna stick it in his mouth but apparently he was being a smart aleck like his daddy already lol! Little stinker pot!

After the appointment, Nonna and Mommy were hungry so we got Chic-fil-a at the mall and walked around to all the stores with baby clothes!  It's so much fun to browse and imagine my little boy in the tiny jeans, hoodies, hats, sneakers, etc.  We oo'ed and ah'ed until we passed by a cookie shop...the little devil on the shoulder won out and we left with 1,000 calorie treats and huge smiles!  Amazingly we finished everything... I was really surprised by Nonna polishing off a 3 scoop ice cream cookie sundae!  Of course this left us both feeling like slugs so we ended up on my bed and napped...for I have no idea how long but by the time we woke up, Nonna had to head home before Nonno sent out the search committee :)

So the doc found that the baby's kidneys are indeed dilated which means I will have to go every 4 weeks to have them re-measured, but they won't make a final determination if there is an actual issue or not until 32 weeks.  Please say a prayer that everything develops the way it should and our little boy continues to be healthy and strong!

Finally, in other news, I'm getting huge...as per requests here is the 6 month or 24 weeks belly shot!

Lot's of love, laughes and memories made...

Part of me finds it really hard to believe that Ricky and I have been married a year already, but another part of me finds it hard to remember ever being without him!  We're like two best friends that grew up together from diapers on...but we actually only met a little over 4 years ago!  The connection that we have is one that transcends time...and maybe that sounds cliche but the fact is that he's my best friend and he's been my best friend pretty much from the moment we met.  Of course our relationship/friendship would better be categorized as "sparring partners" from the time we met (and not much has changed in that department) but it's grown into something deeper, more intertwined and intimate... *readers throwing up a little*  ;)

Anyway, we've been going back and forth about what to do for our 1st anniversary and really hadn't settled on anything because Ricky had to work most of the weekend and was only going to be off the "day of" so that cut back on our options (we figured if we did go away or something we do it on a full weekend!).  We decided to just "fly by the seat of our pants" and see what we felt like doing as we went along!  This option is great when you worked night shift and overtime the last couple days and you have a increasingly large pregnant wife!

Sunday afternoon rolled in and we were sound asleep!  I don't think either of us moved (at least consciously, I can now take multiple bathroom trips w/o actually waking up) until 12 noon or slightly after...finally Xavier was hungry so he started kicking me to wake me up.  He's found that if he kicks me hard enough I'll get up and feed him lol...boy, I sound like a terrible mother...but I was TIRED so I figured I needed the rest more than the food!  No matter, I got up and made two pieces of raisin toast to hold me over.  Ricky fell out of bed, went got my anniversary card and then dragged himself to the shower.  In the meantime, I ran down the street to the drugstore to grab mascara (left mine at my parents house) and a card for Ricky (my trip to get a card the day before ended with Buddy, Maria and I stranded on the side of 309!)  Found the perfect card ;) What can I say, our cards say it all lol! Usually something ridiculous and crazy cause that's us!

While out I picked up the menu from the diner across the street and asked the owner if they could cook me something "safe" ie: no where near the pancakes, bread, etc!  They said no problem so I bounded up the stairs to grab Ricky (mind you, "bounding" is a VERY loosely used phrase in this case!)  By this time, the shower had him coherent and hungry and very happy for an option which didn't involve either of us cooking or washing dishes!  Off we went!  The heat was pretty bad at this point, but I figured it was only across the street so I'd survive...

Well apparently, I wasn't in the diner long enough to notice their AC wasn't working and they were running big fans to try to help cool off the air...the only way I can think that I missed this little detail is because I was more concerned about what food they had and how it was prepared... Anyway, it wasn't THAT bad and we were really hungry so we sat down and ordered our food.  Then it started...that horrible numbing, queasy feeling...I grabbed my apple juice and started drinking as fast as I could, but it kept coming...oh no... Ricky I'm feel like I'm gonna pass out, I'm gonna go to the bathroom... and I scampered away to go cool off my face and neck in the ladies' room.

Problem...there was a sweet little girl trying to use the one stall bathroom while her dad stuck his head in and tried to coach her along.  I stood against the wall and tried to be patient...for about 3 seconds and then I couldn't control it anymore and slid down the wall in to the black oblivion that is PASSING OUT!  Ok, Xavier, what is it about holidays that we have to make a grand scene?! Hmmm?! First mother's day and now my 1st anniversary?!  I couldn't have been out for more than a couple of seconds, my mind questioning X about his impeccable timing and also fighting to regain consciousness at the same time...I could hear everyone hurry around me and talking about "the poor little pregnant thing the heat must've got to her go get her husband blah blah blah..."

Ricky and one of the waitresses started rubbing my arms, head and neck down with cool clothes and I finally fought my way out.  I immediately started insisting that I was fine and could go back to my chair...all the while my head was still swimming and my tummy was doing somersaults, but I was terribly embarrassed to have all these waitresses fawning over me and my poor husband of 1 year next to me trying to make me comfortable... this was not in my celebration plans!  But once I convinced them I was fine and made it back to the table, our food was ready and hot and they had taken one of the fans and moved it directly over our table...so hey, there were some advantages!

I made it through half my meal and then the migraine kicked in so we headed back to the house to take a nap before going to our next plan.  The park near our house happened to be having "Shakespeare in the Park" on our anniversary and it just so happened that the play was "Much Ado About Nothing"...(now to give you a little background, when Ricky and I were dating I directed a one-act at Montco.  I love Much Ado and the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick is very much a Shakespearean representation of the relationship that Ricky and I have so I dedicated the play to him in the program :) SO of course I thought this would be a great idea for a 1st anniversary outing!

When we woke up there was a rumble of thunder...and we thought uh oh...plan B in case the sky opens up... Well the movie theater is directly across the street and we both had been wanting to see karate kid... and good thing we had plan B because by the time we left the house and got to the intersection by the park and theater, the storm was almost in full swing!  The idea of sitting on soggy grass in pouring rain, heat and humidity was anything but romantic lol!  Instead we opted for snuggling in a cool movie theater, watching a great movie and eating 3/4 of a large family-size popcorn...ok I admit I ate most of it, but I did tell him to get a small!  Guess he figured he wouldn't get any that way lol : P  But I am blaming him if I'm over my ideal weight next appt! *raspberries*

After the movie it was Ricky's turn for a nap break (we like naps these days, guess we're already on track for parenting success!) I called the restaurant where we were headed for dinner to make a reservation for later on and we fell right to sleep.  We woke with 5 mins to get to our reservation but thankfully Bonefish Grill is right around the corner!  And not crowded at this particular moment! ...We proceeded to eat our faces off! The thing I like most about Bonefish is that they have a wide variety of choices if you're dining gluten free...a lot of restaurants don't or just make something off the menu for you sans sauce, seasoning, etc which translates to BLAND!  They also have my favorite dessert, a chocolate macadamia nut brownie with ice cream and raspberry sauce *Hallelujah chorus*  Of course after the popcorn and the dinner, we took it to go :)

Back at the ranch we decided to watch a French romance movie...it started out so nice and then got weird and then ended plain ol'demented...gotta love the French for their "artistic" take on love...we just looked at each other when it ended and went, HUH?! That was nuts!  But our delicious dessert was waiting (and even though our wedding cake wasn't bad, actually surprisingly good for being a year old) a fresh macadamia nut brownie was just what the doc ordered to finish up a great day!  Well that and a bite of my delicious chocolate husband, but those memories are for me and me alone ;) *giggles*  Happy 1st Anniversary babyboy, may it be the first of many many many more great years together!  I love you!

Why yes, she IS a raving lunatic...

It's official...I'm going crazy...mad, nutso, bonkers, off-my-rocker...a full order of fries short of a freaking happy meal... And not in a nice, one day your meandering through a field picking daisys in your mind and come upon a cute little monkey and then someday in that same thought the monkey turns into a savage man-eating monkey and then years later they find you in a corner muttering, "Don't close your eyes or the monkey will eat you" crazy... Oh NO...this is more like one day you "wake up, run a hundred miles an hour into a brick wall over and over again because the voices in your head tell you too" crazy!

To truly explain said crazy, let me start two weeks ago...5 months hit with a jolt...of adrenaline at 5 am and a sudden need to "frame pictures that I have had for 4 years in a box with plans to hang them someday"...I laughed at myself and rolled over to go back to sleep...and tried for the next 2 HOURS...with no success to the point where I finally got up, put on clothes and went to Walmart...which didn't have any frames I liked, but happened to have an armful of other things that seemed overwhelmingly important for the house...that led to AC Moore where I eventually found the frames, went back to the house, framed them, hung them and by this time got hungry and started breakfast...

Since then I've been driven by a "need" to get my house in order that is a like a warm hum in the back of my mind, but overall not hugely abnormal...honestly, I've chalked it up to the fact that now we know it's a boy I'm starting to picture him and the nursery and all the little things that he'll need and more...normal mom stuff...mom wanting to make the perfect little home for her perfect little man...

Until 4:30 this morning...

I had NO IDEA that the advent of bringing the crib into our house would set me off in to a downward spirl straight for the big house with "nice young men and their clean white coats"...trust me, I'd be happy to see them right now...they'd have sedatives...which means I would be sleeping...instead of fighting an overpowering feeling to get out of bed, find a flashlight and...

COUNT THE DAMN HARDWARE FOR THE CRIB AND MAKE SURE IT'S ALL HERE...

Mind you the instructions are attached to a piece of the crib...which is in the room where we're sleeping...in the dark...also take into consideration that I have no idea whether or not the stupid instructions ACTUALLY tell you how many pieces of everything you need ANYWAY!  Not to mention the fact that a quick trip to a hardware store will (most likely) fix the absence of any piece that we could possibly need for the dumb crib...

But the urge hit me like a ton of bricks...so I rolled over to my rational husband and told him I'm going mad and proceeded to tell him what I wanted to do...most men at this point would go sleep in another room for fear of their lives, but Ricky took it in stride and said okay we can count it...to which I said "WHAT?! That's crazy, I'm not giving into this...this doesn't make any sense at ALL!  I don't know whether to laugh or cry about this"...So I chuckled, cried a little (which somehow THAT reaction made sense to me) and snuggled in as he held me while I tried to calm my nerves and heartrate and go back to sleep...

*tossing and turning*

As you can see (if this blog documents time, I don't remember)...an hour + has past...so I decided to get up and try "blogging therapy"...plus I think it's important that you all know what to expect when you see me twitching and muttering "Hardware" in the corner : P I have no idea if this "insane urge" will let me sleep anytime soon...maybe Ricky's right...maybe I should just count the stupid hardware and get some peace...but somehow that feels like I'd be allowing myself to fall that much deeper into this madness...which apparently is called "Nesting".

Ugh...I LOVE being pregnant...

To Pull or Not to Pull...a muscle...

Having been a dancer for...well YEARS now...my muscles have always been rather toned and I've always been conscious of proper preparation to avoid injury, thankfully I have been quite successful in avoiding injury! (other than car accidents which don't really count in this conversation)... Apparently being pregnant throws all of that lovely "muscle-building" right out of the water, strains your ligaments, muscles, skin, etc to it's outer limits thus leaving you as fragile as a kitten to the perils of pulls, tears and other muscle mayhem...

This is the part of the story where my chiropractor starts shaking his head at me... He's been warning me of the dangers of pulling a muscle for months now, and in my defense I have changed how I get up from sitting, laying, and other positions.  Also I've been doing yoga to try to help my accident injuries and muscles adjust to Xavier's ever growing little body...suggested by both my doc and chiropractor...and actually helping I might add! But alas, my evil chiropractor jinxed me lol :)  J/P Dr. Pineno!

Anyway...after a long day of work, walking home from the train and some brief exercise, Ricky and I decided to lay down and relax our tired muscles.  Within a couple of mins, the potty called...now I did get up on my side like I was supposed to BUT a little too quickly I guess...cause the next thing I know my side has a sharp pain in it!  My first thought, "that doesn't feel very good..."  Not even an hour later, I began to realize just how "not good" that was...it felt like my side was on fire with a stabbing, burning pain that radiated from my groin all the way around my right side to my back...Ricky quickly got me ice and I laid down as still as possible to try to relax the muscle...

That's when Xavier decided it was "stretch out sideways in mommy's tummy time" which led to me hollaring in pain (I now understand that little X doesn't particularly like ice on his home, but when you need to get down inflamation you use ice!)...poor Ricky didn't know if he should take me to the hospital, run out and get some pain meds or just sit there holding my hand and trying to get me to calm down...finally he started talking to X and rubbing my tummy which got the little stinker to move eventually!  Go Daddy!  When I was calmed down, he decided to lean over and tell me, "Hey guess what?! I'm all set for labor...I'm deaf in my right ear now!"  Let me just say...I now find this funny...but at the moment I'm just glad my muscles were hurting bad enough for me to NOT be able to reach over and punch him! :)  This man is in for a shock in the delivery room...he'd better measure my arm length ahead of time!  I can't promise I'll be as kind then...

But hey, the joys of pregnancy abound, Xavier is a very active little boy...seeming to dance around the most when I'm feeling my worst which (when not adding to my pain) puts a HUGE smile on my face lol!  He also gets really excited when he hears Daddy's voice when Daddy comes home at night!

To add to the fun, Daddy has begun reading to Xavier and me before we go to sleep at night from his favorite book from when he was a little boy called "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher"...it rocks! :)  It's adorable, charming, fascinating and just plain fun to have Ricky read his favorite childhood story to us!  X starts somersaulting with excitement as soon as he starts reading :)  And it puts Mommy to sleep...though I do manage to hear the whole story!