So, this past week has been very much about getting prepared for baby Sophia (Sofia). For instance, we decided on the name, as you all are very much aware. My psuedo-sister Alicia brought us tons of her daughter's old baby clothes, shoes, and pink linens. We also chose my sister and brother-in-law as the godparents, and have started preparations for the baptism in America in April. We sent Daniela and Antonio some pink and purple flowers asking on behalf of Sophia if they would do us the honor, with a card in her name! And finally, we went shopping for strollers. I found an awesome stroller in HOT PURPLE which I had decided on, but we held off in order to look at other prices.
Then we went to Croatia and talked the entire time about Sophia this, and Sophia that. "Oh look, Sophia is kicking", "Oh, Sophia can be best friends with Carys (Tasha and Chris' baby) and go visit America with Flavia (Damiano and Aida's baby) for summer breaks to learn English", "Oh, Sophia better not dress like THAT girl or she won't be able to leave the house" etc, etc. This went on all weekend. We have grown very attached to Sophia and how her life will be, how we will raise a girl, etc. Since knowing the sex, we have bonded with our baby in more ways than I thought possible while still in the womb.
Today we went to the doctor for our Morphologica testing, where the doctor tests all the organs and brain and heart development. Everything is perfect with our little baby! In fact, I was a bit worried since I hadn't gained very much weight (I am now up 5 pounds, but at last exam I was down in weight) that the baby was also underweight, but the baby is 9 iches already! That is 2 inches above the average height for this stage! We are going to have a huge baby!
And then the doctor asked us if we wanted to know the sex (this special exam required a different doctor from the last time) we said, "oh we already know, it's a little girl!" She laughed and said, oh no it's not: It is 100 percent a BOY! Can you believe it! I was happy instantly! I mean, it was healthy, I couldn't ask for anything else.
But now, as the reality of it all settles in, I feel a little sad for Sophia. It is impossible to explain, but my husband and I became attached to her. It is like Sophia was there, and now she isn't. I honestly, as any mother knows this to be the truth, don't care if it is a boy or a girl, as long as it is healthy. But it is just a little heartbreaking...for Sophia, to whom we became emotionally attached.
In my last blog, I said that I always knew it was Sophia, well I guess mother's intuition isn't ALWAYS on target. But I will say that this weekend we kept seeing little baby boys at the beach and I kept saying to Gian that I was a little sad it wasn't a boy, and that I hoped the next baby would be male. Well, now it is! It will just take a little adjusting, and I guess I won't be buying that hot purple stoller!
At least I don't have to worry about the spelling anymore....now if only Gian and I could agree on a name...
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Random information compiled into one post
We are having such a busy summer. I was talking to a mommy friend of mine yesterday and I told her that as soon as I got pregnant, my social calender filled up, when all I want to do is SLEEP! She said the same thing happened to her. People want to see you ALL the time.
Anyway, last weeked we went to a beautiful wedding:
I love this dress! I bought in NYC with my sister and mother before I found out that I was pregnant. I bought it with the intention of wearing it to all 4 of the weddings we are invited to this summer. I made it to one of them, but I am sad to say it must be retired until post-baby-body. It is now too tight.
This weekend we have a 4-day holiday in Croatia, on the beach. I plan on doing nothing other than laying on a beach chair, floating in the water, and eating. What is Croatian cuisine like?
Sophia is now a full-on mover and shaker. I can only feel it if I am sitting down, but i feel her little tiny jabs at my belly. I don't know who said it should feel like butterfly wings at first, because this feels like a miniature boxer is in my tummy. When I lay flat on my back and sit very still, I can actually see my belly move and jiggle with the punches! AH, this is awesome.
Ok, bye!
Anyway, last weeked we went to a beautiful wedding:
I love this dress! I bought in NYC with my sister and mother before I found out that I was pregnant. I bought it with the intention of wearing it to all 4 of the weddings we are invited to this summer. I made it to one of them, but I am sad to say it must be retired until post-baby-body. It is now too tight.
This weekend we have a 4-day holiday in Croatia, on the beach. I plan on doing nothing other than laying on a beach chair, floating in the water, and eating. What is Croatian cuisine like?
Sophia is now a full-on mover and shaker. I can only feel it if I am sitting down, but i feel her little tiny jabs at my belly. I don't know who said it should feel like butterfly wings at first, because this feels like a miniature boxer is in my tummy. When I lay flat on my back and sit very still, I can actually see my belly move and jiggle with the punches! AH, this is awesome.
Ok, bye!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Gianfrancesco says...
"It’s such a longtime that i’m not writing. The reason I was very very busy at work and today that I’m done with the semester balance statement I would like to spread some word. Those last 2 week were very hard and I feel so baby to have left my loved Claudia alone. I apologise Claudia for this but I need to work for both of you….I promise you tough that until November I ll try to come home earlier. I don’t know why everyone in world think Italians don’t work…for real anyone never goes home before 7 pm!!!Anyway I really need to get out earlier to spend some time with my babies. Baby no.1 is Claudia……so the problem right now is the name of baby no.2, actually the real debate is about the spelling: Sofia or Sophia. This is right the main subject of fight between me and Claudia. I would explain to you my point:
1) Sophia would have so many problem with Italian burocracy because of the uncorrect spelling that they will do with her name
2) Sofia is a princess name
3) Is Sofia is spelled as Sophia then Stevens should be Stephens!!!!
4) Famous people with the name Sofia: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_(nome)#Variante_.22Sophia.22 (Sofia Coppola vs. Sophia Loren)
5) Sofia is more universal
I’m sure we will deal with this but right now is funny to fight about it……"
Editor's note: After hours of fighting and discussing the pro's and con's of each name, we have decided to let Sophia (Sofia) decide. If she is born on an even day (November 14, 16, 18, etc) she will be named Sofia, if she is born on an odd day (November 13, 15, 17, etc) she will be named Sophia. We are leaving it to Sophia (Sofia)!
1) Sophia would have so many problem with Italian burocracy because of the uncorrect spelling that they will do with her name
2) Sofia is a princess name
3) Is Sofia is spelled as Sophia then Stevens should be Stephens!!!!
4) Famous people with the name Sofia: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_(nome)#Variante_.22Sophia.22 (Sofia Coppola vs. Sophia Loren)
5) Sofia is more universal
I’m sure we will deal with this but right now is funny to fight about it……"
Editor's note: After hours of fighting and discussing the pro's and con's of each name, we have decided to let Sophia (Sofia) decide. If she is born on an even day (November 14, 16, 18, etc) she will be named Sofia, if she is born on an odd day (November 13, 15, 17, etc) she will be named Sophia. We are leaving it to Sophia (Sofia)!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
18 and a half weeks
I cannot wait for the half-way mark!
Here are a couple pictures after my long day at the drs office and finding out that we are having a girl. I was EXHAUSTED as you can tell from my face. I am wearing the dress and earrings my mom and sister sent me in a birthday care package!
Here are a couple pictures after my long day at the drs office and finding out that we are having a girl. I was EXHAUSTED as you can tell from my face. I am wearing the dress and earrings my mom and sister sent me in a birthday care package!
Health scare and It's a GIRL!
Since I have a thyroid problem, I have been having my blood tested every 2 weeks to make sure my body is handling all the changes correctly. And as far as the thyroid goes, everything has been smooth sailing, although I have had to double my medications. But, about 2 weeks ago, my blood sugar level was so low, the clinic and my doctor thought it was just an error in the testing because had it really been that low, I would be in the hospital, possibly slipping into a coma!
So my "health team" semi-ignored it but had me schedule another exam a week later to find out the real number of my blood sugar level. Well, Monday night I got the call that the level was actually 2 points LOWER than the previous test. In the morning, I texted my OBGYN and let him know about the results. He called me right away, asked me if I had felt the baby move yet, to which I answered no, I hadn't, and he asked me to come in as soon as I had a chance.
I was terrified. I hadn't felt the baby move yet, but I just thought it was early in the pregnancy. Did this mean what I thought it meant? Why is he asking me to come in and clearing his schedule for me? To make matters worse, Gian was out of town for the morning for work, so he wouldn't be able to make it in time. I had to go confront this on my own. It really was one of those mornings where you fear your whole world is about to change.
I got to my doctors office, and he had me come back right away. I handed him the test results and he just said, "Let's not worry about that for now, let's see if we get a heart beat" (FYI-Italians are very straight forward, to the point).
I sat on the table, naked from my belly down, and waited. It seemed like 9 months passed by as I waited for that doctor to slip the condom on the wand again and lube it up. Once the sonogram began, I immediately saw a tiny hand moving like it was waving to me, telling me "I am ok, mommy". My heart started beating again, I started breathing again, my doctor let out a sigh. Then we listened to the heart, it was beating fast and consistently. Perfect. Then he asked me if I wanted to know the sex. Uh-oh.
I was alone, without Gian, is this cheating if I say yes? Maybe I can just keep the secret and not tell Gian I know until our appointment on the 30th? No, I have to know, and I have to tell Gian. We talk every day about what we think the sex is, what we will do for, and with, the baby, and whether it's Gabriel or Sophia inside my belly, saying good night to each every evening. "Si" I said, "voglio sapere." He responded "Va bene, allora รจ una piccola femminucia."
My heart swelled. "Sophia" I said out loud. It's Sophia. It has been Sophia this whole time. I knew it. I felt it. I told everyone, I could feel it was Sophia inside my belly. I couldn't wait to tell Gian, and if you know me, I couldn't wait to tell everyone, including my dear friend facebook.
I got dressed, and came back to his desk. "Non capisco" he said; he didn't understand how my blood sugar could be so low, and Sophia still healthy, and me not passing out. He thinks it's a fluke, that Sophia is taking so much sugar from me, that the testing mechanism is believing the blood is lower than it really is. Because, as he said, it is really impossible for it to be that low. People go into comas at that level. I have been told to keep juices and candies on me at all times in case I feel like passing out, but I never do, in fact, I feel great. I guess Sophia has already learned how to fool men in uniforms!
I left and called Gian to tell him the news. When I said it was a girl, he just stopped talking. After a long pause, he said he would be back in town in time for a late lunch, and asked if I would join him for a celebration. We laughed about how when I found out I was pregnant, I told him over video chat on Skype, and now for the sex, I had to tell him over the phone.
Later that night, in a pizzeria, we had our first fight regarding Sophia. He wants to spell her name Sofia, I want to spell it Sophia. But that's for another blog post. For now, one thing is for sure: her name will be Sophia (or Sofia) and her middle name will be Maria, for my mother.
Sophia Maria Briulotta. Has a nice ring, huh?
So my "health team" semi-ignored it but had me schedule another exam a week later to find out the real number of my blood sugar level. Well, Monday night I got the call that the level was actually 2 points LOWER than the previous test. In the morning, I texted my OBGYN and let him know about the results. He called me right away, asked me if I had felt the baby move yet, to which I answered no, I hadn't, and he asked me to come in as soon as I had a chance.
I was terrified. I hadn't felt the baby move yet, but I just thought it was early in the pregnancy. Did this mean what I thought it meant? Why is he asking me to come in and clearing his schedule for me? To make matters worse, Gian was out of town for the morning for work, so he wouldn't be able to make it in time. I had to go confront this on my own. It really was one of those mornings where you fear your whole world is about to change.
I got to my doctors office, and he had me come back right away. I handed him the test results and he just said, "Let's not worry about that for now, let's see if we get a heart beat" (FYI-Italians are very straight forward, to the point).
I sat on the table, naked from my belly down, and waited. It seemed like 9 months passed by as I waited for that doctor to slip the condom on the wand again and lube it up. Once the sonogram began, I immediately saw a tiny hand moving like it was waving to me, telling me "I am ok, mommy". My heart started beating again, I started breathing again, my doctor let out a sigh. Then we listened to the heart, it was beating fast and consistently. Perfect. Then he asked me if I wanted to know the sex. Uh-oh.
I was alone, without Gian, is this cheating if I say yes? Maybe I can just keep the secret and not tell Gian I know until our appointment on the 30th? No, I have to know, and I have to tell Gian. We talk every day about what we think the sex is, what we will do for, and with, the baby, and whether it's Gabriel or Sophia inside my belly, saying good night to each every evening. "Si" I said, "voglio sapere." He responded "Va bene, allora รจ una piccola femminucia."
My heart swelled. "Sophia" I said out loud. It's Sophia. It has been Sophia this whole time. I knew it. I felt it. I told everyone, I could feel it was Sophia inside my belly. I couldn't wait to tell Gian, and if you know me, I couldn't wait to tell everyone, including my dear friend facebook.
I got dressed, and came back to his desk. "Non capisco" he said; he didn't understand how my blood sugar could be so low, and Sophia still healthy, and me not passing out. He thinks it's a fluke, that Sophia is taking so much sugar from me, that the testing mechanism is believing the blood is lower than it really is. Because, as he said, it is really impossible for it to be that low. People go into comas at that level. I have been told to keep juices and candies on me at all times in case I feel like passing out, but I never do, in fact, I feel great. I guess Sophia has already learned how to fool men in uniforms!
I left and called Gian to tell him the news. When I said it was a girl, he just stopped talking. After a long pause, he said he would be back in town in time for a late lunch, and asked if I would join him for a celebration. We laughed about how when I found out I was pregnant, I told him over video chat on Skype, and now for the sex, I had to tell him over the phone.
Later that night, in a pizzeria, we had our first fight regarding Sophia. He wants to spell her name Sofia, I want to spell it Sophia. But that's for another blog post. For now, one thing is for sure: her name will be Sophia (or Sofia) and her middle name will be Maria, for my mother.
Sophia Maria Briulotta. Has a nice ring, huh?
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
My days are stagnant; I love old people
I literally have nothing to do during the day. I don't have to clean since we hired a cleaning man (which btw men are so much better than women at cleaning other people's houses...they don't get touchy when you point out spots they missed and they are stronger so they can quickly move the couch or unfold the impossible-to-unfold ironing table that was unused before because I refuse to iron, but also because it is very hard to unfold). I can't walk the dog because he is crazy and I am afraid he will pull so hard I will go into labor somewhere between la pizzeria and the gas station. I shouldn't even really go for walks at all because I have deduced that a lot of walking is a trigger for back pain and slippery disks. I started to go to step classes again after my 3 month mark, but am scared now that I have had sciatica.
So...I fill my mornings by going to this Postural class at my gym. This is the HIGHLIGHT certainly of my day, and maybe even of my life thus far. This class is designed for keeping elderly (old) people in good shape, helping them to regain or maintain movement of their joints and muscles. They are all over 80. This one guy, probably late 80's/early dementia, asks me EVERY-SINGLE-DAY if I am the instructor of the class. When I say no, I am a student just like you, he asks me if I play volleyball and if so if I would like to play with him. Then his friends laugh and I just nod and laugh. I can't figure out if he just forgets that he asks me this every day, or if it is all a joke on me.
They are like school kids out of control. The instructor always has to tell them to stop talking and to pay attention. They make fun of each other and today they said that another old man didn't come because he had gas.
Everyone looks at me weird when I come in, and I don't think they have quite started to realize yet that I am pregnant (my bump seems to be at a standstill). But at the end of my pregnancy, I am totally taking a group photo. I love them.
ps-my back has never felt better.
So...I fill my mornings by going to this Postural class at my gym. This is the HIGHLIGHT certainly of my day, and maybe even of my life thus far. This class is designed for keeping elderly (old) people in good shape, helping them to regain or maintain movement of their joints and muscles. They are all over 80. This one guy, probably late 80's/early dementia, asks me EVERY-SINGLE-DAY if I am the instructor of the class. When I say no, I am a student just like you, he asks me if I play volleyball and if so if I would like to play with him. Then his friends laugh and I just nod and laugh. I can't figure out if he just forgets that he asks me this every day, or if it is all a joke on me.
They are like school kids out of control. The instructor always has to tell them to stop talking and to pay attention. They make fun of each other and today they said that another old man didn't come because he had gas.
Everyone looks at me weird when I come in, and I don't think they have quite started to realize yet that I am pregnant (my bump seems to be at a standstill). But at the end of my pregnancy, I am totally taking a group photo. I love them.
ps-my back has never felt better.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Trouble eating
There are so many things that happen to your body while pregnant, that no one ever tells you about. We all know about the vomiting and the mood swings. But no one EVER mentioned to me some of the following things that I am either experiencing or have read about lately:
1. your gums tend to bleed (me)
2. hemorrhoids!?! (not me)
3. you have trouble breathing, shortness of breath-don't even try stairs! (me)
4. your sinuses are almost constantly clogged because you have an excess of mucus- EVERYWHERE, if you get my drift (me)
5. you grow a little happy trail above and below your belly button. Thank God I am not already a hairy person because if you are, good luck, you are likely to grow something resembling the Suez Canal. For that matter, hair everywhere grows super fast, so get your waxing appointments in! (me)
6. the developed fondness for anything babies and other pregnant women-I use to be like this with puppies, now it's babies (me).
7. pregnancy face!!! This is the weirdest, and it doesn't usually happen until the last trimester, but think of Bethanny Frankel in this seasons DHWNYC at all her confessionals, that SkinnyGirl's face looks HUGE. Your face and nose just grow sideways, it is so weird (not me, yet).
But one of the hardest symptoms happening to me lately, is the inability to swallow food! As your uterus expands, your stomach is pushed higher in your abdomen, making your esophagus shorter and for some, this can affect chewing and swallowing. I constantly feel like my mouth is really full and have to take really tiny bites. I often gag or have to put half chewed food in my napkin! I get classier by the minute.
1. your gums tend to bleed (me)
2. hemorrhoids!?! (not me)
3. you have trouble breathing, shortness of breath-don't even try stairs! (me)
4. your sinuses are almost constantly clogged because you have an excess of mucus- EVERYWHERE, if you get my drift (me)
5. you grow a little happy trail above and below your belly button. Thank God I am not already a hairy person because if you are, good luck, you are likely to grow something resembling the Suez Canal. For that matter, hair everywhere grows super fast, so get your waxing appointments in! (me)
6. the developed fondness for anything babies and other pregnant women-I use to be like this with puppies, now it's babies (me).
7. pregnancy face!!! This is the weirdest, and it doesn't usually happen until the last trimester, but think of Bethanny Frankel in this seasons DHWNYC at all her confessionals, that SkinnyGirl's face looks HUGE. Your face and nose just grow sideways, it is so weird (not me, yet).
But one of the hardest symptoms happening to me lately, is the inability to swallow food! As your uterus expands, your stomach is pushed higher in your abdomen, making your esophagus shorter and for some, this can affect chewing and swallowing. I constantly feel like my mouth is really full and have to take really tiny bites. I often gag or have to put half chewed food in my napkin! I get classier by the minute.
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