Its a ........boy...??? Its ......a umbilical cord?.. Who knows!

Well Friday the 27th finally came. I had my ultrasound. Thank goodness we did not have a repeat of the last ultrasound. If you remember, I literally almost peed my pants. I got up at 6:30 am to drink my 32 oz of water. That is 4 measuring cups worth of water. It doesn't sound that bad until you realize you can't empty your bladder once you start drinking. Not so fun. I learned at my next ultrasound I won't have to drink all that water. Yay!!

Ok, down to business. We show up to our 7:30 am appointment very nervous to know what our little critter is. The first thing we see when we locate the baby is this:

 We were told by the ultrasound tech that our little thing was a boy. This little baby was not shy! I felt totally relieved to have an answer. I was proud that all of my hard work towards having an open mind helped me with any disappointment. I was really actually so happy to see my amazing little piece of art. Later, when we saw the doctor he told us that he wasn't convinced that the pictures were showing a boy. He thought that it was possible that we were seeing umbilical cord. He said don't go out and do anything crazy, don't buy anything. Ummmmmm...... that's not going to work doc! I have been dying to go shopping. I was actually planning on going shopping the next day. The doc wants me back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound to verify the sex of the baby.

This ultrasound was scheduled to see the anatomy of the baby. We got to see all of the little vital parts of our creature. One of the absolute cutest parts about our baby were the feet. They were so cute in live action on the screen, just kicking away. The ultrasound tech said I won't feel any kicks or jabs for a bit because my placenta is over the baby. Some people have theirs under the baby, which gives the quickening a lot earlier. I will have to wait for that too. Ugh. All I do is wait, wait, wait! I'm so impatient!

 The ultrasound tech started from top to bottom of the baby, measuring each important part. They had a whole check list of items we needed to see in the ultrasound to track the progress. The below picture is a shot of the brain. That little cutie clearly shows of both his right and left hemispheres of the brain as well as the cerebellum. I hope that little brain is developing nicely so it can get some nice scholarships later in life!

 Another super cool part of an ultrasound is seeing the tiny little heart flicker on the screen. Now that my baby is bigger, you can actually see the 4 chambers of the heart. The ultrasound tech slows down the frames and tries to capture a clear picture of the heart and its chamber. This picture is a little hard to see, but on the video it is clear. The also measured its heart rate which was at 145. Its got a steady strong little heart beat. So cute!

 This picture really interests me. It was intended to show the bladder but I see something interesting. In this shot, you don't see anything in between the legs. Now of course I'm not any expert at looking at ultrasounds, but I'm surprised she didn't investigate further. I guess we were so sure of it being a boy from the beginning she may not have noticed. To the left of the bladder I can clearly see 2 little femurs. I don't see diddly squat between those two little femurs. When I looked up girl ultrasounds you could see 3 lines in place of a lump for the boy parts, to keep it PG. I see 2 lines in my ultrasound but not 3....hmmmm... puzzling. I'm probably just over thinking it. Who knows. I'll wait my 2 weeks to find out for sure before I work myself up.

 This picture is pretty cool because it shows you were the umbilical cord goes into the baby. So creepy and cool at the same time. Thank goodness for that little cord of life!!

 This picture shows my little naughty baby covering its face up. You can see the formation of a hand and fingers. The ultrasound requested that we come back for another ultrasound because they have to count the fingers. The baby was moving its arms around so much we couldn't see the hands for more than a second at  a time. Our little creature is a jokester. When ever we got a glimpse of its face, it quickly put its arms over it. It was hilarious. It was as if it knew we were trying to get a look at the face. He was playing peekaboo with us for sure. We were really lucky to have this shot of the fingers! I just wish we got a picture of the face.

 The next 2 pictures are side profiles of my cute little baby. Its so funny to see that this baby already looks like me. Its totally got my profile. Its got no chin and a huge forehead. One of my friends said "Well you don't know where the hair will start" I told her listen honey, this baby is going to have a massive forehead. I didn't have hair until I was about 3 so I'm hoping it gets Eric's genes in that regard. He is a hairy little beast. We joked that the baby would have big bushy eyebrows and a beard in the ultrasound. In his dreams! I think the nose is the second cutest thing on my baby next to its little feet. Its so small and round but actually quite pointy on the tip. Its got a cute little button nose. That head looks enormous too! Wow, I hope the growth on that slows down or we are in for a bumpy ride.

So overall, the ultrasound tech said our baby is healthy. It is even bigger than it is supposed to be. She said that it is a week more developed than I am pregnant. So that's a good thing. I just hope that means this baby isn't going to be a 10 pound-er. That would be brutal on such a tiny person like me. They said they won't change my due date because it has to be a full 2 weeks more developed to do that.

Good news about the visit is I think I finally chose my doctor. I was really against having a male doctor at first because it was a really uncomfortable idea to me. I have always had female doctors. We saw Dr. Grayson Guzman by accident. The lady we were supposed to see that day was late. This guy is a firecracker!! He is young but super super super knowledgeable. I bet he's about 32-35. He was hilarious and so blunt about everything. I told him about my passing out incident this week and had lots of information about it. He was so funny. He kept asking me how much I eat and I said about 6 times a day. He said "Honey, I need you eating 10-12 times a day. And you wonder why you are passing out!" He also said that he wants to see a big W between my baby's legs before he will tell me its a boy. HA! Eric loved him! I was actually so surprised we liked him so much. He's a new dad too. He gave us more information that we have ever received at any of our appointments. He will be starting a new program that will take him over to Mercy Gilbert hospital. This is a plus because the doctor we had selected before does not deliver there. I'm super excited. Eric and I walked out of the appointment with big grins on our faces. We both just totally agreed that he was our guy.

So overall it was an awesome appointment. I even got a free massage coupon to use since I had to see a different doctor. This is the second one they have given me. I just love this doctors office. I'm really anxious to get to my next appointment. February 10th....... that's so long! Oh well. I'm just glad we probably will know for sure and I can shop in confidence. I will keep you all updated. Wish us luck for next time!

Week 17

Size of Baby:  5 Oz. about the weight of a turnip

Major Developments: Skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, umbilical cord is stronger & thicker, & sweat glads are developing (I thought something smelled like feet!!)

Complete week 17... Check! The hubby is back from Miami. Thank goodness. His dad has finally been released home from the hospital after about 10 or so days. The transplant went well. I had to take my bump pictures myself because Eric was in Miami when it was time to take them. Boo.

I'm getting really anxious to find out what my baby is. I spent the whole weekend looking at baby stuff. I went to a fabric store to look at more options for boys, just in case. I want to have things pretty much narrowed down, as far as fabrics go. The ultrasound is Jan 27th and I plan on doing some shopping Jan 28th! We also stopped into a rocker store. We absolutely fell in love with the below rocker. It is everything I want in a rocker, except for the color. It was glorious. The problem is I really really want it in white.

 I am planning on having a wood rocker in the nursery. I think it would be nice to have a little touch of the good old days in the nursery. I feel like all of the other gliders they sell in stores are so ugly. They all look the same and have zero personality. I plan on making a cute pillow for my rocker and a neat footstool. I think I will probably order the below rocker. 

Saturday, we went to a Cuban restaurant for lunch. Baby Silva finally got a taste of its roots. Baby liked!!! Eric also brought home these delicious Argentinean snacks from Miami called Alfajores.The only way I can describe them is 2 delicious thin cookies with Dulce De Leche in the middle... oh and covered in chocolate. I can't even give you a general taste. They are awesome! We used to eat them all the time in Miami. Eric is half Argentinean and half Cuban, so we will have to introduce our baby to all kinds of cultural delights. We found a recipe online for making Alfajores. I have tried making them once, but they did not turn out well. I am going to attempt again. I'll let you know how they turn out.

This week at work I had an interesting and embarrassing adventure. I was sitting at my desk when suddenly out of nowhere I felt awful. I thought I was going to throw up, which was new for me, so I started walking towards the bathroom. I saw a friend in the hall who started talking to me. I told her I was on my way to the breakroom for some water. As I am telling her this, I am starting to leaning like the tower if Pisa on the wall involuntarily. She decides to come with me. The next thing I know, I wake up on the floor and Patrice is holding me up. I woke up because I heard someone run around the corner asking if they needed to call someone. I had passed out!! Luckily my friend Patrice was there to help me. Can you image the damage I could have done if I had fallen without anyone to catch me? I could have hurt poor little creaton. I was so embarrassed! I felt awful but I knew I had to scrape myself off the floor before other people started gathering. I was so out of it. I tell the kid that is carrying my cup that I discarded on the floor after my tumble that "Its ok.. I'm pregnant.... I'm all kinds of crazy". Wow. I'm loosing it! I was so glad that it was my friend that was there and not some random awkward  person from the office. I can't even imagine! I'm just glad I didn't end up looking like this guy, laying in the halway.

I felt much better once I sat down and drank some water. I told my doctor about my near passing out spells while pregnant and my history of passing out as a teen. She said it would only get worse... so I guess this is it getting worse? I had absolutely no warning. I usually know when its going to happen. Next time I think I'm going to lose my lunch I'll just stay put. I'm going to mention it to my doctor on Friday. She said she'd test me for diabetes later in my pregnancy.

Speaking of Friday...... Ultrasound!!! Going into week 18 I have the prospect of learning creatures gender. I am getting super nervous to find out. I'm really worried that its going to be hiding the goods and I'll have to go back another time. I need to know stat!!

Wish me luck.. and hohpe that my baby is a little more friendly to me this week. I really don't need more rug burn on my face!

Week 16

Major Developments: Legs are more developed, head is erect, ears are almost in final position,growing toenails!

Size of Baby: Avocado. 4.5 inches & 3.5 oz

So during week 16, my little creature started to grow those tiny little toenails. If it is a girl, these are the tiny little toenails I'll get to paint every color of the rainbow! How fun. Speaking of gender, my baby gave me its 2 week notice on friday at my appointment. He he. By this I mean, I get my ultrasound 2 weeks (well less than that now).

Friday I went in for my monthly appointment. I was expecting them to tell me I'd get an ultrasound at my next regular appointment when the doctor says "Ultrasound in 2 weeks from today". Eric and I both had to pick our jaws off of the ground. That really crept up on us. I was seriously so excited!!! Eric said, "Are we ready to know?". I am ready in theory, but have not completely come to a neutral position on gender. I really really really would love it to be a girl. I want to do all the fun things that I did with my Grandma as a child with my own child. I want to be the super crafty mom that teaches her little girl everything handmade. I didn't grow up around a lot of little boys. Even though  most my friends through out life have been boys, I think I would feel a little lost on what kinds of things boys like to do. So..... I really must come to terms with the fact that I'm probably going to get a boy. I'm just going to have to do a lot of research on what boys like to do. I know I'll be happy either way. I'm just trying to prep myself so that I am not disappointed. That sounds totally terrible. I guess moms-to-be might understand my position. So, I have a very limited amount of time to form a state of open mindedness.... if that's a word. Wish us luck! I am thinking that once I find out the sex on January 27th, I will change the theme of my blog to either be boy colored or girl colored. I chose a gender neutral color when I started up. So if you check my blog on the 27th and see blue, or something like that, you'll know immediately! January 27th can't come any sooner!

Week 16 was a lonely one. Eric's dad had a liver transplant on the 12th. Eric had to fly out last minute on Saturday to go be with him. The surgery went well but there were complications afterwards, which left all of us on pins and needles. Ugh!!It was really difficult to be here when I knew what kind of challenges he was going through in Miami. I also missed him a lot and my dang pregnancy hormones got the best of me a night or two. I haven't seen him in 5 days, plus I spent last weekend in Portland, so I feel like I haven't seen him in ages. Poo.

It seems that the few pregnancy symptoms I have had have subsided. My energy level has come up a bit & my headaches are less frequent. My appetite is still a growing! In my appointment I asked my doctor if it was ok that I haven't gained much weight. She told me one day I'll wake up and have a belly. I guess some people have a hard time putting on the pounds at first. The thing that is really weird is that I haven't even passed my highest weight in my life yet but I look a lot bigger than I ever have. According to my records, I have gained 4 pounds. My doctors records show I have only gained 1 pound. Its amazing how 4 extra pounds pregnant is different from 4 extra pounds not pregnant. I guess its just from all the shifting and repositioning of all my parts. That little belly is expanding, just not on the scale. Very very weird. I want my dang bump already!

I'm getting really anxious to feel the little movements of my baby. The doctor says I will start feeling them this month. My AP on babycenter.com says anywhere from 16 to 21 weeks this will start happening. What will this feel like??? How will I know what I'm feeling when it finally does happen?! Pregnancy is all about learning patience is a virtue. Ugh. I'm sure once that baby gets closer to full term I'll be wishing I didn't have a little tap dancer keeping me up all night with its dance routine on the inside of my belly. But for now, can you just give me a little nudge? Please?

So, I also want to give a shout out to my Russian readers -- they seem to really like me. He he he. I know its probably spam, but I noticed I have had views in Russia, Germany, South Africa, and new this week - India. I'm an international hit! Spam or not, I still think its funny! Hello world!

Week 15

Size of Baby: 4 inches 2.5 ounces. About the size of an apple

 

Major Developments: Amniotic fluid is moving through the lungs which helps them develop. Baby can sense light & taste buds are forming.

(Since my bump is now slightly visible through clothes, I am posting shirt pictures too. When my belly is super nasty and fat, I'll spare your eyes and stop posting those)

Well I am glad week 15 is over!! It was a a really hard week emotionally. Week 15 was all about saying goodbye to my baby sister. Sunday we went to Grimaldis with Megan and Zach for dinner. Baby Silva sure loves pizza. Monday night we went to Megan's goodbye party. This day I noticed a slight increase in appetite. I was snacking off of everyone's food. What a rude rude baby! Tuesday we went to my parents for dinner with my family before the move.

Thursday, the real adventure began. Megan and I left Phoenix at 5 AM and drove to Napa, California. The drive was not bad. (I had made it prior this year and knew what to expect.) Everyone was worried I was going to have pregnant lady bladder problems but Megan actually had to stop more than I did. I was determined not to eat pure crap while on the drive. Our little creature is going to be a health nut if I can help it. Baby and I snacked on Peanut Butter sandwiches, dried cherries, vegetable crackers, and whole oat granola bars. Yum!! We were super tired when we got in to Napa. We went for delicious pizza in downtown Napa. Pizza Carbonara. Who knew egg and bacon would be so delicious on pizza???

Friday, we woke up early (against our bodies will) and went and toured Castillo di Amarosa, which is a castle in Napa Valley. It was only fitting since I was traveling with the princess herself - Megan. Eric and I toured the castle on our anniversary trip in April and loved it. The place is absolutely fabulous. It is beautiful ground to ceiling. We left Calistoga and drove all the way to Portland, Oregon. Man, I was near death tired when we got there. 

Saturday we explored downtown. Voodoo donuts were delicious. I had a cotton candy donut and Megan had a maple bacon donut. Who's the pregnant one you ask?? Maple bacon donuts are actually a classic at Voodoo. I had a bite and it sure was tasty. That place is a pregnant womans dream. Perfect for strange cravings. They have super bizare donuts. Like captian crunch on donuts. My problem, however, is that sugar makes me totally sick lately. (Thanks a lot creature) Portland is a super cold place, at least in the winter. I'm glad its Megan and not me in that respect. Cold and rainy and windy and in the 30's???? No thanks, I think I'll take the cold snowy winters of Utah over that. No offense Meggy.

Sunday we went to Multnomah Falls, which was amazing. Such a cool waterfall. Saturday I also discovered this day what my little bun in the oven is............drum roll please................ its a carnivore!!!!!! He he, tricked you.

I have a feeling this is just about what the little creature looks like at the rate we are going at. This baby craves red meat like a rabid animal!!! My favorite thing right now is hamburgers. I had the most delicious one on Saturday with Lajuan, Megan, & Kelton. mmmmmmmm. The sad part was I wanted more. My appetite sure is growing. I swear, this baby is going to raid my freezer for ground beef and eat it raw!! This also makes me think its a boy. What dainty little girl wants to ravage a cow right off the side of the road?? I am trying to eat super healthy but places like In and Out are really going to become my "drug of choice". I can see it now. Obesity, move on over, there's a new gal in town. 

Sunday I also had to leave Portland and say goodbye to Megan which was super hard. I'm just glad I got to say goodbye there rather than at home. Its always easier to be the person leaving. The flight was brutal. I got some of my firsts parenting tips on it. I learned not to take 2 babies on a 8 pm flight with no snacks, binkies, bottles, zip. I also learned not to ignore a screaming baby on a flight. The family next to me was about to what the afterlife looks like because I was ready to shove them all out the emergency exit. I understand crying babies on a flight, but these people were just ridiculous. I also understand letting a baby self-soothe and cry it out. But seriously, a mile high in the sky is not the place to do this. Ugh!!!! There I got it all out.

Well after re-reading this post, I have realized that I talk about food way too much. Yup, its official. I am pregnant!

Week 14

Size of baby: Lemon

 Major Developments: Baby can squint, from, grimace, pee, and suck on thumb. Baby now has fine hair all over the body that keep it protected.

Week 14 has come to an end.  I am feeling good but very very sleepy. I had another near passing out spell at Joanns when shopping for fabric. Drives me crazy!! Our little creature tagged along to a new years eve party at our friends house. I didn't know how I was going to make it through the night because I've been going to bed around 9 or 10. I made it to 4:30 am. I was exhausted. I slept for 13 hours the next day.

People are starting to notice my little belly at work. Like I've said before, I'm ready for my full on bump. I probably won't be saying that when I have to carry it around. 

Today I got some pregnancy humor from an article a friend sent me.Pretty funny. It was about a lady debating whether to have another kid or not. Here are some of her pros & cons. She had a lot more cons than pros... what's wrong with this picture... what am I setting myself up for???

• CON: Every time I do a jumping jack at the gym, I pee a little.

• PRO: Once I'm pregnant, I can eat what I want because I'm going to get fat anyways. My pet saying as a prego? "Quarter Pounder with Cheese Combo, six nuggets on the side and an apple pie, si vous NOWWWW."

•  CON: Yes, breastfeeding deflated my boobs and now I have to wear a super-duper push-up bra just to keep the suckers out of my pockets. This can only get worse.

• CON: First trimester nausea. Once, on my way to work, I threw up in my hat.

• PRO: Kids keep us young as they see the magic of the world and discover it for the first time. My boobs may sag, but my spirit will soar.

I saw something else interesting today. A fellow blogger posted a picture of a 3d Ultrasound at 14 weeks. This is what my little creature looks like. Unfortunately this isn't my own creature, just someone else. Kind of cool but creepy at the same time. I don't know if I will get a 3D ultrasound. I got an coupon offer for one in the mail. I'm not sure if my doctor's office does them. I will probably find out about my next ultrasound when I go to the doctor on the 13th....tick tock. I'm antsy.

Fabric Shopping

Megan and I went looking for fabric today. We took in our paint samples (which are in the pictures) and came up with 5 finalists for both boys and girls. We found it quite challenging to find cute boy fabric. Until we started putting things together, we weren't really enthused. I'm not too big of fan of the baby themed fabrics either. Some were ok and some where cheesy. I'm looking for a sophisticated, modern theme rather than a theme that screams kid (such as lady bugs or trains). I seriously can't wait to find out what creaton is simply so I can buy my fabric and start sewing away. I found an awesome website that has all kinds of instructions for nursery sewing. I think I will be using the website for almost all of it. So many cute ideas.

http://sew4home.com/projects/bed-linens/374-stylish-baby-nursery-designing-a-hip-n-happy-room

Girls:

 The picture really does not do this selection any justice at all. I liked this one because it was kind of farm-y, which I am a fan of. A point Megan brought up is that the rest of my house is kind of funky and this is very calm (which I guess is good for a baby) so it doesn't really match the house. My favorite part about this one is the dark blue floral pattern in the back. I wish this could be a boy option but the patchwork fabric has a lot of floral in it. When rolled out, its way too girly.

 This one I love. The main fabric is so cute. I usually hate pink, but I think the amount of pink here is actually kind of fun. I was thinking of using the small pink fabric as ties on the bumpers, which I think would be cool. This is pretty modern/sophisticated, but has a cool pop of pink that says, yeah, I'm a cute baby girl. Just girly enough. We don't want this little creature to be obsessed with pink in the near future. Yuck!!! I really really like the teal color in this too.

This one I love too. I think it is so fun and funky with the cute birds in the main fabric. I'm having a really hard time picking between this one and the one right before it. I used the blue in this one as well. I really like the solid purple I picked out because it matches the grey-purple paint sample. I think this one will match with the black couch I have in the baby room.

Boys:

 The picture doesn't do this selection justice either. The main fabric is that cream colored one. It has cute dotted circless that are burnt orange, blue, grey, and green. I think that would be my bumper pattern. The stripe matches nicely with the burnt orange circles in person. I don't think this is very baby-ish but is still an option. We didn't have much inspiration on boy stuff. Ugh!

 

I really like this for a boy selection. The stripes are so cute! I really like the cream fabric because it has a really nice texture, visually and to the touch. We were a little worried the blue fabric was a little girly but I think, in moderation, it will be fun. I think if I find out that I'm having a boy, I will pick this one. To me, I can image this one more in  my house.

So................ now we wait................. Someone please speed time up!!!! I'm dying a slow and painful death.