Boy or Girl?

It's a boy!!!!! We're both super excited as we had some hunch (Before I got pregnant I thought it would be a girl, but the last month I couldn't stop calling him a "he"). Dan is already planning what he's going to be doing with our little boy. He's a very active baby boy so far with all the kicking he does. I can't wait! Enjoy the pic!

Today is the Day!

At 10:00 am, I find out whether it's a boy or a girl (hopefully). Even though I don't have a preference on the sex, I'm dying to know. All night long, I've been having anxiety dreams (me running, being chased, etc.). I'm even up before I set my alarm clock (I set it for 8 and woke up at 6:45). I might go back to bed just to relax a little before I get too excited. Luckily, Dan is home to share the excitement (except, he's still sleeping). I'm joining him. I'll let you know soon enough!

Great Weekend

I couldn't ask for a nicer weekend. It started off with a Peewee game that Dan coaches. Every Saturday morning for the next few weeks, Dan and Guy coach a Pee Wee league where Isaac (Guy's son) is playing. The kids playing are absolutely adorable and have been improving their game. I have so much fun watching them. I designated Louie as the mascot of the team by bringing him to the games. This is a great way to get him acclimated to kids (he kind of has to get use to it). He seems to enjoy himself very much. He quietly sits around and watches the kids play. He's even let kids pet him.

Later on in the evening, Dan and I went to Kensico Dam. We had ourselves a little picnic and enjoyed the weather very much. The dam is very impressive. It's just amazing that on the other side there's a whole lot of water. After we left the park, we stopped and had some ice cream. It was just nice and relaxing. We went home and fell asleep by 10 pm.

Sunday was also very nice and fun. We went to a Mets game (even though we're Yankee fans). We went with a group of people (including Guy, Sal, Isaac, and India) because it was Autism Awareness Day at Shea Stadium. Some of the proceeds of the tickets sold goes to different Autism organizations. We couldn't have asked for a better day to go to a ball game. We had loads of fun. I haven't been to a baseball game since I went to see the Yankees play in Baltimore, which was before I even moved down to Florida.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to many more weekends like this one. I want to be out and about enjoying the weather. I want to see if next weekend we could do a barbecue. Hopefully the weather will be just as beautiful. Well, you know where I'll be on Saturdays (along with Louie). Sundays, I'm designating as going to some type of park day. I'm also looking into the future and picturing what it will be like next spring and summer when my little munchkin will be around (I can't wait).

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as I did. We all need some fun to ease out stress. There's nothing better than being out with friends and family!

Earth Day

Why can't it be Earth Day everyday? We should do something for the environment every single day. Don't we do home repairs constantly? Well, isn't our planet our home? Come on people!! I won't be able to buy a plant for today, but tomorrow morning I have to head out to Jersey. In my travels I want to buy a new plant. I've been aching for an orchid (they are my favorite). We'll see what I get. I also need to replant Mr. Bamboo. His roots are almost sticking out of the pot. I think a trip to either Home Depot or Lowes will help out my cause.

New York City's mayor Michael Bloomberg has setup a package that will have approximately 2 million trees (I think that's the correct number) planted by 2017. 23, 000 trees will be planted annually. Bloomberg is also urging the private sector to contribute. Although I'm ecstatic about the new trees, why wait so long? I know money should be allotted for this, but isn't this important?

At least we're moving in the right step. I hope everyone contributes and does something for Earth day!

Somewhat of a Quiet Week

Not much has been going on in my world lately. Of course being stuck at home because of the rain isn't much fun, but I don't mind it. I'm always very sleepy so I take advantage and nap. Since around Sunday, my appetite has grown. I'm trying to be good by eating fruits and salads, but I do reach for chocolate. Hopefully, I won't gain that much weight. We'll see!

On another note, I went to Target yesterday to do some shopping and walked out of there richer. When I walked into the store, I saw money on the floor, which I thought I dropped. It was a substantial amount ($90) and I knew I had around $120 (give or take $20). Naturally, I thought that the $90 was part of my $120. I did my shopping and walked out. When I reached my car, I looked into my purse and saw my $120! The only other money I had was in my wallet. So, I found $90!!! What are the chances? As you could imagine, my trip to Target turned out to be very cheap.

That's about it with me. I've been very saddened by what occurred at VA Tech. I've decided not to watch the news anymore because I can't stop crying. If I feel this way, I could only wonder what those students and families are going through. I also wonder what's going through the murderer's parents' minds that there son was capable of this. This is all very tragic and my heart goes out to everyone at that school.

Wonderful Saturday

Saturday turned out to be a most unexpected day. Around 4:30 pm, Dan and I decided to go out. We figured that Sunday would be a day stuck at home because of the storm. We weren't sure of where to go. I told Dan that I didn't want to go anywhere near a mall and maybe we should drive through some mountains (I love doing that; I find it to be so invigorating). Dan grabbed one of our hiking books and we were off.

Before we got to the main highway, we noticed a park that we normally drive by. It has a pretty decent size lake and a pool. We figure it would be smart to check it out. I'm so glad we did! The lake had two beautiful swans. The mama swan was keeping her eggs warm! There were so many ducks and geese. We even heard what sounded like a woodpecker! There were many people walking around.

The place is bigger than we had anticipated. It has a huge pool, three different picnic areas with grills, a large soccer/baseball field, and tennis courts. There's probably more to this park that we missed. This place must get swamped during the summer. The walk around the lake took us about an hour and it was wonderful! I definitely want to return and picnic there.

The park wasn't the end of our trip. We decided to head up north into Connecticut. The first stop was Greenwich. After we were done sightseeing, we drove through Bruce Park, which was really nice. There's also a Bruce museum that I want to check out in the future. Further north we went and ended up in Stamford. There we parked the car and decided to be tourists. We ate at a place called Lucky Burger, which resembles a Johnny Rockets. Then, we walked around the downtown area. Stamford is very nice. It has many restaurants and plenty of shops. We will have to go back during the day to check out the local shops.

After this trip, we headed back home. We loved it! There's nothing better than having a spontaneous day. It also helped that the weather cooperated with us. It was nice and crisp, which is perfect weather to walk around in. Dan and I need more trips like this one. Most of the time, you become so involved with life around you that you tend to forget there's more out there. With the nicer weather coming around (if it ever shows up), we plan to do more of these trips and you'll hear about them!

Brrrrr....

Why is it so cold? I have to go down to Brooklyn and then into Manhattan and I'm dreading it. I'm also going to be traveling with my best friend's son, which I'm afraid will be too chilly for him. It is suppose to go up to 50, but right now it's 35. I'm going to hold off going to Brooklyn for about an hour to see if it warms up.

Anyway, this chill has me very cranky (especially this morning). Because of my limited wardrobe, I'm stuck wearing either corduroys or jeans. I have other maternity clothes, but they're more for warmer weather. Of course, I need to do some laundry today because I'm totally out of things to wear. I just want to sleep!

Speaking of sleep, I want to sleep through the night. Last night was horrible. I don't think I slept much. I woke up thousands of times from nightmares, one bathroom run, and tossing and turning. This is why I'm so exhausted during the day. I don't sleep at night. My naps aren't that great, either. However, yesterdays was wonderful. I was stuffed from having Easter lunch/dinner with my parents. I think it's the most I've eaten in one sitting in a really long time. It made me feel uncomfortable and sleepy. When I got home, I knocked out. I think I was out for two hours. I slept right through (now if I could extend this at night).

The Baby Kicked!

It was around 2:30 pm when I crouched down and felt a nudge on the side of my belly. My little five ounce munchkin is communicating with me! Throughout the rest of the day I felt slight movements, but not like the first one. I look forward to feeling more of his/her kicks. I can't wait until Dan is able to feel them, too!!

Gingrich Tries to Apologize, I Think

Dear Newt Gingrich decided to do somewhat of an apology and post it on YouTube. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the video, but supposedly he talks in both English and Spanish. If anyone happens to run across this video, post the link as a comment. Since he didn't outright apologize, I think he wasted his time talking in Spanish. Why would you try to learn the language of the ghetto?

I'm still furious about this whole thing. Spanish is a beautiful language that I am going to teach my child. It is very important to who we are as a people to continue showing our descendants our heritage. I am very proud of being Spanish and Cuban and I'm also very proud of being American. Now that Gingrich is learning Spanish (as he claims), maybe he'll understand that learning a language allows you not only to speak a different tongue, but get a glimpse of what the culture is like. Granted, the Spanish language represents many diverse cultures, but you get the idea.

No one should ever criticize another language. Knowing different languages is a wonderful thing. I took French in college and wish I knew it better. People are always afraid of diversity, but it's really a wonderful thing. I want my child to learn as many languages as possible (as long as he/she wants to). It will open up a world of opportunity. Do I agree that you should know English in this country? Yes. It would be unwise not to learn the language. What I find ironic is that those who usually criticize others for not knowing English only know English. I would like them to learn a different language and see how easy it is.

Baby was Shy!

We didn't get to find out the sex, but in three weeks we will. I'm a little disappointed, but the baby is not ready to let the world know what he/she is. That's ok, another three weeks won't kill me. The appointment went well. I got some more blood drawn (something I'm use to by now) and everything is going really well.

From way before I was pregnant, I knew I probably have a big kid. My mom, who is only five feet tall, had a 9.7 lb. baby (not me, my sis). My sister's kids were all big. It's only natural to think I would have big babies. I was a little concerned that I haven't gained weight. Well technically, I've gained three lbs. Not that I'm complaining, but I want to make sure the baby is growing fine.

So after the sonogram was done, my doctor took a look at the pictures and said "You have a very big baby. It weighs five ounces." At this stage of my pregnancy, the baby should be weighing around two and three quarter ounces. I'm obviously eating enough for the both of us. He/she is sucking up all of my nutrients, which is why I'm probably not gaining weight. It also hasn't helped that I've been sick.

Here is my little tyke. The first picture is of his/her left arm. The middle is of his/her face and body. The last one you could see his/her spine. The baby's heartbeat is at 154 beats, which is very good. My doctor told me that I have nothing to worry about. She says that I'm eating very healthy and to keep it up. Eventually, I'll gain the weight.

I had kind of figured that was the case, but you could never be sure. My body lets me know when I'm hungry. As long as the baby is growing, I have nothing to worry about. I hope you enjoy the pics as much as I did (daddy too). In three weeks, we'll find out if it's a boy or a girl!!

An Exciting Day thus Far!

Well, today I enter my fourth month! I'm beginning to enjoy the pregnancy more as my nausea (except for this morning) has pretty much disappeared. I'm no longer sick, which is great. I did end up at the doctor's office last week and he told me that I had a viral infection. Luckily, that's gone. My sleep is still weird. There are nights that I sleep through (of course I do get up to go to the bathroom) and other nights I can't sleep a wink. That was the case last night. All in all, I'm doing great.

Another exciting thing that happened today is that I found a job!! I still bartend once a week and technically, I'm still a loan officer. I found a job that is suited for the upcoming baby. I will be tutoring kids! I make my own hours and it pays decent. As long as money keeps on flowing, we shouldn't have any problems. I want the baby to stay home at least for the first year before he/she goes to daycare. This job will facilitate that for me. I could work when Dan gets home and even tutor on Saturdays when Dan will definitely be home. If we get strapped for cash, then I will have to figure something out. For now, it should work.

So I hope all of you are having a happy Tuesday because I sure am. Tomorrow, I'll have more pictures of the baby and hopefully I'll get a peak at whether it's a boy or a girl. Since Dan can't come with me to the appointment, I'm going to have the technician put the pic in an envelope (if she's able to see anything). Once Dan gets home, we'll find out if the baby will be William or Violet (those are the tentative names; nothing else has come to mind). Wish me luck!!

I'm Going to get a Little Political

I've decided a long time ago to put politics in the back burner. I've realized over the years that it only brings hate. Candidates rarely make things better, but usually let things go. Anyway, I have to take issue with certain things. Newt Gingrich must have said the stupidest comment I have heard a candidate say thus far. He made a speech to the National Federation of Republican Women about bilingual education. His stance is that it should be abolished. Alright, some people don't agree with bilingual education. They feel it undermines the English language and the country.

Let me quote you exactly what he said:

"The American people believe English should be the official language of the government. ... We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto," Gingrich said to cheers from the crowd of more than 100.

Since when does having another native language is the "language of living in a ghetto?" Are you kidding me? How many people who speak the "language of prosperity" live in a ghetto? I only knew Spanish when I started school. I'm American, meaning I was born here. I never took bilingual education because my parents never thought I would need to. I was also 4 when I started school (my birthday is in September) and learned English just fine. But let's say I would not have been born in the United States and gotten here when I was older, I would have needed bilingual education.

Should everyone learn English? Absolutely. There's no question about it. The problem is that people who come from other countries are usually poor and need to work more than the regular 40 hour work week to support his/her family. If minimum wage was viable, than they would have the time to learn English. Children who do not speak English are not stupid. They just need a little help with the language. Remember that some of these kids have never heard English until they have stepped into a school. How would you feel if you didn't understand what your teaching is saying?

Has Newt Gingrich lost his mind saying what he said? There are millions of people who speak other languages and are not ghetto or living in a ghetto. Has Gingrich not stepped into the prominent neighborhoods of Miami where everyone speaks Spanish? Or in other neighborhoods throughout the country that speak only Korean and are not in ghettos?

I'm furious with his tone of hate and how he's insulted what makes this country work. All throughout American History there have been immigrants that speak other languages and make this country strong. There are countless children of immigrants that have sacrificed their lives for American wars. How many Puerto Rican men who did not speak English have been whisked away to war without even knowing why they were fighting to begin with? How dare he insult us?

So in my anger, I decided to google Gingrich and came across his website: newt.org. Guess what I found on his site? A Spanish tab! Why? This is what he said on that same speech: "Citizenship requires passing a test on American history in English. If that's true, then we do not have to create ballots in any language except English," he said. The three Spanish tabs available are his biography, frequent questions, and op-ed. In frequent questions, the first question is how to obtain an autographed picture of Newt Gingrich himself. Yup, that's exactly what I want after learning about his speech. Get the Spanish tab out of your website! There is no point of it according to your speech. Do not cater to the Spanish community if you're going to insult us. You are a disgrace and none of us appreciate your hateful speech.

So Much for Feeling Better...

I'm either sick or have severe allergies. I haven't figured it out yet, but one thing is for sure: this sucks! The only thing that has me leaning toward being sick is that my right gland feels somewhat swollen. If I press on it, there's a slight pain. Maybe it's a combination of both. I have no idea, but it needs to stop. I am so miserable. Sneezing has also become a fiasco where it hurts my entire insides when it happens. I'm walking around with a mega toilet roll as my tissue box. Please make this stop!

Eating and Feeling Better

I was finally able to eat some real food, yesterday (although I did have a bit of Chinese for dinner). My stomach was going crazy with food in it, but it worked with me. My aches and pains have gone away except for the one on the side of neck. Unfortunately, it seems that I may have some kind of throat thing going on. My nose is very stuffy, which makes breathing a pain.

Since I hadn't eaten much in the past few days, I've lost some more weight. A friend of mine told me that she had lost 20 lbs. when she first got pregnant, but gained it later on. I'm sure at one point I'll start gaining the weight. I just hope it's something manageable. If I continue with my current appetite, I don't anticipate much weight gain, but what's necessary for the baby.

As for my belly, it's getting a little bigger! I've been bad and haven't been taking weekly pictures. My coworkers are beginning to comment on my belly, though. You might confuse me for being overweight, but I'm proudly strutting my stuff. I've also never been much to care what others think in the first place. Well, that's it for now!

Being Pregnant and Sick

Is horrible! I, again, have some type of stomach virus or flu. The two times I attempted to eat breakfast yesterday resulted in me violently throwing it up. My food choices: white rice, mashed potatoes (no milk or butter), and gatorade. On top of the vomiting, my body ached as if I were getting a fever. Luckily, I am able to take Tylenol, which helped me in that department.

The worst thing that did happen to me last night was taking my prenatal vitamin. I hadn't thrown up since breakfast and figured that I was safe. Boy, was I wrong. I take my vitamins right before I go to sleep to avoid any discomfort (vitamins have always messed me up). As I'm laying in bed about thirty minutes after taking them, I got this burning feeling from my stomach all the way to my neck. I got up and ran to the bathroom and the rest is history. That vomiting burned my throat. It's still sore this morning and my voice is raspy. Can you believe that?

I feel better this morning and just had some non-saltines with a little bit of butter. I need to eat! Hopefully, that will stay in my stomach. The worst feeling is not being able to eat. I get so light headed and feel guilty about not feeding the baby. He/she didn't get any vitamins last night either! I'm sure it will be fine, but I still feel guilty.

I think I'm going back to sleep. Last night, I slept with the pillows propped up and didn't rest enough. Even though I just got up, I can't keep my eyes open. So, back to bed it is.

Spring Teaser

The temperature climbed to 70 degrees this week, but spring is still far away. Our week is ending with a snowstorm. I was excited about the warmer weather. On Tuesday, I met Dan for lunch and walked around Manhattan for about an hour or so (I quickly realized how badly I need to condition my body to walking; I got tired fast). On Wednesday, I went out and did a little shopping. I was loving these days!

Thursday came around promising to be just as nice temperature wise. It was suppose to rain, which is not really a big deal. The temperature reached around 67 degrees. By early evening, it was in the 30s and it was snowing/raining. The snow hasn't stopped! What happened to my delicious weather? What a tease!

I know the weather will get warmer eventually, but this snowstorm has really put a damper on my spirits. Spring hurry up!!

Bye-Bye First Trimester!

Today is the last day of my first trimester! How fast time is going! The next thing I know, I'm giving birth. My nausea has subsided and hopefully does not come back. My belly is getting harder, which is a little weird. As soon as my belly button pops out, I'll start looking pregnant instead of fat. Other than that, things are moving right along!

I still need to work on my energy levels. Now, I'm having a bit of a hard time sleeping and it has nothing to do with my comfortable new bed. I don't think I'm resting enough. If I'm home, I end up taking a nap. On days like yesterday that I was out all day, I couldn't take how tired I was. I went to bed around 11pm. Unfortunately, I woke up a few times throughout the night. My dreams have also been very anxiety driven. I guess I need to meditate for longer periods of time.

Well, that's it! Bye first trimester!

Big Day Yesterday

So I had my two doctors' appointments and they went very well. Dan came along with me to make sure everything was fine. I can't really describe how I felt seeing my little munchkin bouncing around all over the place. As the technician put it, "This baby is rockin' and rolling." It was just amazing.

I could have laid there all day looking at this little baby. By now, the baby measures 2.3 inches and his/her heart rate is at 163 bpm. We were able to see the tiny hands! He/She had his/her hands over the face. It looked like he/she was sucking his/her thumb. How precious! I really can't wait until we meet the little one. Babies are wonderful.

If you take a look at the pictures above, you could see the difference in size since last month. In four weeks, the baby should measure 4 inches. They really grow fast. Oh, I love this little one!

The test went fine. I'm waiting on blood work to come in to be 100% sure. Everything is growing the way it should and I'm happy with that. My morning sickness has subsided and next week I enter my second trimester. This is suppose to be the better part of my pregnancy and I plan to enjoy it as much as I can. Once the weather gets warmer, taking long walks will be a priority. Walking is an exercise that is easy and fun to do. Please let it get warm soon!! I can't stand walking on a treadmill (it's so boring).

Well, that's all I have for now. I can't tell you how excited I am. Now, it's time for me to lay back down in bed.

A Little Bit of Everything...

This week has been good so far with morning sickness. The last time I threw up was Friday. I've also noticed that my appetite has grown. I wonder if the lack of morning sickness has anything to do with my increased appetite. I'm not complaining! Last week, I spent eating ham and cheese sandwiches. Now, I'm eating other stuff. Although, I have to say that last night's dinner kind of bothered me. I'm not sure if me being extremely hot had anything to do with it, but I thought I was going to hurl. I didn't! What I did do was pass out on the couch for a few hours, which ruined my night. I couldn't fall back to sleep.

One thing I can't live without now that I'm pregnant is ice cold water. It's insane. I drink more water now than I ever had. If it isn't ice cold, than I don't want it. Weird. Occasionally, I drink soda, but I just don't like it. Water makes my stomach feel better. Not a bad thing to be hooked on. I drive Dan crazy with this ice water thing. At least he now knows not to give me water without ice.

I've always had vivid dreams. In fact, I still remember dreams from when I was young enough to still be in a crib. Although, there is one particular dream I thought was real. I remember being awake and seeing King Kong out my window. I called for my mom and of course she didn't believe me. That vision has always stayed with me. Anyway, I digress. I don't think my dreams have been more vivid lately, but I remember them more clearly. A lot goes on in these dreams. I enjoy them.

Next Wednesday I have to see two different doctors. The first one is for the first trimester screening, which determines if the child has down syndrome. That's a big one. I haven't thought about it much, but it does linger in the back of my mind. The second one is my monthly check up. I'll probably get another sonogram. This doctor I go to has the machine right in the office. I'm eager to see how much the baby has grown. Genitalia drops at twelve weeks. I may be able to get a peak. Chances are I won't see anything, but it would be cool if I did.

So that's all that's been going on with me. I'm feeling better each day as I reach the end of the first trimester. We're getting a new bed delivered this weekend, which I hope improves my sleep. Other than that, I'm good. As long as I don't throw up anymore, I think I'll be fine. Chat with you soon!!

I am Eleven Weeks!

I'm getting closer to the end of my first trimester. I haven't thrown up since Friday, which is a good sign. I've been feeling better and my appetite is growing. Hopefully that means that I'll be able to eat better. I've been having a hard time eating because everything just bothers me. Now that I'm a little hungrier, I find that food sits better with me. We shall see!

It's been tough getting use to the changes in body. My stomach is sticking out. I don't look pregnant, but I do look a little fat. I don't care either way. I show off my belly. Sleeping has been a pain in the butt. An old injury of mine (my left hip) has resurfaced. It has also turned into a sciatic nerve thing. In other words, I'm having a hard time sleeping. Although, I do admit that last night I end it up sleeping on my hip the entire night without moving. I woke up in the same position. I must have been tired! I try not sleeping on my left side, but it's my favorite. We did buy new a new bed, which we get delivered this weekend. I hope this improves my nights. Our bed is just too old and uncomfortable.

Another change that has occurred is with my hair. It has become very soft to the point that I'm considering not using conditioner. I'm guessing it's from the vitamins. I only put on a small amount of conditioner and leave it on for about a minute. I use to leave it throughout the whole shower and then put on a leave in to calm my fly aways. Amazing!

We'll see what else goes on!!