17 Week Update

What a week its been! First we found out we are having a boy and then we flew to Chicago for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Overnight walk. Our doctors appointment went well and luckily I have a cool doctor who performed an ultrasound on me despite one not having been scheduled. I had asked her if she could do one so she could try to tell me the sex. Steve left the room and she told me not to go out and buy clothes yet since she could only tell me at 20 weeks for sure. The entire time I was watching the screen I'm thinking "girl, girl, girl"...i wanted it for Steve b/c i knew that's what he wanted. So my doctor shows us the money shot and to my dismay there was something there...two balls...at least that's what i thought i was seeing but I didn't say anything. I just kept looking and it was clear there was something there. That is when she said "yup, it looks like there is something there...I'm pretty sure at 20 weeks I'll be telling you that you're having a boy." Wow...I had tears in my eyes it was so surreal...all i could think of was Steve and how shocked he will be. Me, I was on cloud nine...couldn't have been more excited...I finally have my little man that I wanted!
Our weekend in Chicago was great, we spent time with friends and my sister and her fiance. Sadly half our family had to cancel last minute, they were all missed. We ate, walked around and supported our charity. Steve and I LOVE Chicago and could totally see ourselves there. Thanks to everyone who supported us with our walk and a special thanks to my dad who treated us to an amazing weekend.

17 Week Belly Picture

How far along? 17 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 0 from last week (total 11 pounds)
Body Changes? Belly is still growing, its hard now and oval.
Sleep: sleeping on my side now.
Best moment this week: Finding out we are having a boy!! It was amazing.
Gender: BOY
Food Cravings: fruit
What I miss: running
Symptoms: I have been getting really bad headaches. I'm still peeing all the time and my back is hurting me today.
What I am looking forward to: feeling Max move although i won't be holding my breath. Doctor told me I had an anterior placenta, so it will take longer for me to feel Maxi move because when he kicks he will hit the placenta and not my belly.
Milestones: none, i failed at keeping the sex from my hubby...i lasted a whopping 4 hours ooops!

It's a BOY!!!!

So it's official, Steve and I are going to have a little boy!

Maximiliano Sergio Villanueva is due on December 7th and we couldn't be more thrilled. You must be wondering how I am able to post this fact on my blog since Steve didn't want to find out the sex. Well...I accidentally slipped up four hours later...yup you heard me correctly, 4 hours!!!! I was telling him a story about people guessing the sex...Here's how it went down:

Steve: "So you haven't told a single friend?"

Me: "Nope, not one! (which was true) But it is fun having them guess what they think it is now that I know. For example Michy got it right, Sharon got it wrong, Stephy had it right and changed her mind, Ray got it right he said boy, Olivia got..."

Steve: "Whoa Whoa Whoa...back up...Ray got it right? We are having a boy?!!"

me: "uhm, what?"

So yes, that is how it went down. I was trying so hard not to slip up by saying he/she that it came out like this and I didn't' even notice, i was babbling on so fast. I'm shocked, i wanted to keep it from him sooo badly, but I guess everyone was right, this is just an impossible fact to keep from your spouse. The intentions were definitely there.
With that being said, I couldn't be happier that he knows. He was shocked to say the least but we are both very excited to welcome our lil man. So there ya go...all those who guessed boy...you take home the prize!

***looking back at a few of my posts...
Old Wives Tales Post:
So 5/7 point to a girl...as much as i seem to be leaning towards a girl, something keeps pointing to a boy for me. Maybe it's because I was such a little tomboy myself and always thought I'd have a boy first or because I keep referring to our baby as he or lil guy. I can't wait to find out, it will feel so much more real!

And this is a comment I made to one of my entries the day before i found out:
Noelle and Steve said...
yeah i don't know why I think girl too...maybe it's everyone else getting in my head...i still have a small voice saying boy though!

June 23, 2009 3:53 PM

I guess if I had just stuck with my initial feeling i would have ended up being right...oh well...the only wives tale that turned out to be true was dreaming...I had two very vivid dreams of an adorably cute boy!!!

hmmmm....

Over the Moon

I'm going to make this short, but today is one of the happiest days of my life. Finding out the sex of our baby has made it so real, and soooo much better for me. Just knowing what I'm carrying and being able to talk to "it" ( I say "it" because I can't give anything away to my hubby who isn't finding out)has made it so much more fun because I can picture our baby now. I cried when she told me...I'm on cloud nine.

Scale Shocker

So I just got home from work and was getting ready to shower when I caught a glimpse of my naked body in the mirror. I was floored at what was staring back at me. My thighs looked hugeeeeeeeee! So naturally I go into the bathroom and decide to weigh myself...definitely not one of my best ideas. I had just weighed myself three days ago and had only gained a pound from the previous weeks weigh in. No biggie. Well, that didn't happen today. Instead the scale added five pounds in three days....five poundssss. I'm almost 130(i have always been between 115 and 119 pre pregnancy), I have never been even close to this and it upset me. I know I'm pregnant and I know I should be gaining, but I just wasn't prepared for it to happen so fast. In addition I'm exhausted, totally hormonal and feeling so not sexy these days it just made me want to cry. It didn't help that my husband kept saying "but honey you're pregnant so of course you're going to gain weight!" I know that, obviously...just look at me. But that doesn't make it any easier. I miss feeling good about my body and feeling sexy. Just because we as women know our bodies will go to hell for nine months doesn't mean it's easy. I'm sure I'm just really tired tonight and will feel much better about my weight gain in the morning. It also doesn't help that we are going out for burgers and shakes tonight knowing how much weight i have just put on....oh well life goes in...bring me some fries with that would ya!

24 Hour Countdown...

OR




Until I can find out the sex...I know sounds funny not saying "we" but since I'm the only one who wants to find out it will just be me with this knowledge. I REALLY hope they will be able to tell me what we are having. It will make it so much more real for me. Steve has still decided to join me for our appointment, but he will leave the room when they make the big announcment. I'm sooo nervous, I just want her to tell me that our baby is well and healthy...all the rest is an added bonus. On a side note, how funny is it that the poll that I have on my blog is split exactly down the middle. Nobody is leaning one way or another in terms of the sex of our baby and I couldn't care less what the sex is. I'll be happy either way...so here it goes...my guess: GIRL...let's see if mothers intuition ends up being right!

Week 16

Last week was a busy week with our Anniversary, Fathers Day etc. I've been having a few headaches here and there which get pretty bad, but I find drinking a lot of water can help ease the tension. On Sunday I received the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers from Steve along with the most adorable card. It was such a surprise it couldn't have made me any happier. Then I met up with my parents and a family friend for dinner at Pastis to celebrate fathers day. My father loved his gifts which was great, however as the clock turned 8pm i turned into a sour pumpkin. I can't seem to stay awake at night, I get sooo tired. Sleep these days is something I cant' get enough of. I usually never sleep in on weekends, however these days I seem to be sleeping past nine and usually am woken up by my lovely sister calling to ask me a question...thanks fatty! Naps...something I never used to like doing (always saw it as a waste of time) are now a must on weekends. I guess my little boy/girl is growing so fast and tiring me out in the process!
This week we have our doctors appointment on Wednesday...as always I'm a bit nervous and can't wait to hear the doctor tell me all is well. It's nerve wracking not having gone for a month, especially since the baby hasn't moved yet. Hopefully I will be able to find out the sex, it's something I'm REALLY looking forward to. And then we are off to Chicago to meet up with the rest of my family who are all flying in for the Suicide Foundation Overnight walk. We walk in memory of my mother and uncle and for all of those who have passed away due to Suicide.
Tonight my hubby gets back from DC, and I am going to spoil him rotten. We are celebrating our one year anniversary tonight since I cancelled my trip to DC because I wanted to sleep and he had to work all day Saturday. I will post pictures of this evenings dinner when I'm done. I hope he likes it!

As we call it a "Platli" Appetizer full of yummies:


Some Lamb Chops with a Vegetable Medley:



And last but not least...Dessert:


And a little gift for my hubby (Lindsay will appreciate this:)

16 Week Belly Picture

How far along? 16 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: plus 5 from last week (total 11 pounds)
Body Changes? Belly growing along with my breasts...have some nice cleavage :)
Sleep: trying to sleep on my side
Best moment this week: Receiving a huge bouquet of flowers from hubby
Gender: Still going back and forth a bit, but sticking with girl.
Food Cravings: fruit
What I miss: not being so hormonal
Symptoms: Bad headaches, peeing every two minutes and tired
What I am looking forward to: finding out the sex of the baby and feeling it move
Milestones: finished all twilight books in a 1.5 weeks...now i'm reading them again:)

I have a SERIOUS Obsession!

So I have become totally addicted...obsessed even with the Twilight series and I only have one person to thank for that: Thanks Linds! I had held out for soo long not wanting to see the movie let alone read the books. I chalked it up to teenage garbage and didn't understand what all the craze was about regarding Edward Cullen (who the hell is that I kept thinking). Fast forward to last Sunday, when Lindsay, Stephy and I were riding back from Atlantic City and she kept reading Twilight the entire time. She told me she loved the movie (including her father) and the book was great. I gave her my opinion and she shot me down and told me to watch the movie. Now my curiousity was piqued so I went home that night and watched the movie...damn! What had I been missing out on?! I finally figured out who Edward Cullen was...duh! And boy was he delicious (sorry boogs, so are you though)!

Besides the yummy eye candy though, the love story was soo cute. So the next day I got the first two books of the series and that's when I really got hooked. It's not even a week later and i have read all three books and am now onto the last one. I'm so upset I'm almost done with the series that I'm trying to read slower so it will last. For any of you ladies who have yet to watch the movie or read the books I can't recommend them enough. AMAZING!
PS. Watch the movie first so you can see the characters. That way when you read the book (book is much better) you can imagine them and it makes it soooooo much better!
PPs. I just ordered this lol

Picture Montage

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

One Year Annivesary

I can't believe our one year wedding anniversary is coming up this Sunday. Time sure does seem to be flying these days. I'm now 3.5 months pregnant and we have been married for one year. Where has all the time gone? It still feels like yesterday when we officially "tied the knot" at NYC town hall before we jetted off to Switzerland to spend a week with our families and got married on June 21st, 2008 in a beautiful ceremony on the water. I found my vows last night and figured I'd post them as a reminder of all the promises we made one another that magical evening. Here are mine:

I never knew what I was missing until I met you. You embody everything I have ever wanted in a partner and so much more. You are kind, sensitive, smart, and most of all loving. You have such an amazing heart, and anyone who knows you can see it.

The first time we met at the The Martime hotel, I knew you were someone special. From the moment we started talking, I could feel the chemistry between us. We were so engaged in our conversation, we didn’t notice that all our friends had left us. The very next night, on our second date when you walked into the room, you took my breath away.

We had only known each other for two short weeks, when I got the news about my mom. It was the darkest point of my life, a time of absolute sadness. And yet there you were, always by my side. During one of my most vulnerable moments, you knew just what to do. There I was, locked in my bathroom crying, when all of a sudden I looked down, and there you were sliding two heart shaped chocolates underneath the door. It is something I will never forget. We had just met, and yet you helped me through the toughest period of my life. I knew I was in love with you when I saw how much you cared and took care of me at a time when you barely knew me. I will never fully be able to tell you how truly grateful I am.

Now three years later, we have been through our share of good times and bad, we have laughed and cried. We have built a life together, and have solidified a friendship that will last a lifetime. You have become such a part of me, that I no longer think of just myself. I think about us, and our future, and of your happiness.

I can’t tell you what the future has in store for us. But I can promise that I will cherish and love you, and always be there for you. I will be the best wife and mother I can be. Through sickness and in health, I will always be by your side. I love you.

This weekend we will be celebrating our annivsary with a low key dinner in DC since he has to work.
I couldn't have been more excited to receive the gift I did from him. He got me this necklace with the initial S on it in diamonds and a purple gem stone. It will have all the initials of our children on it someday. I love it baby thanks! Now what to get him...hmmm?

15 Week Belly Picture

How far along? 15 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: minus 1 from last week (total 6 pounds)
Body Changes? Thighs and belly expanding a little.
Sleep: trying to sleep on my side
Best moment this week: Getting my one year annivesary gift.
Gender: Still going back and forth a bit, but sticking with girl.
Food Cravings: Still loving mac and cheese from penelopes...no wonder i gained more What I miss: not having to wear bra's :)
Symptoms: Less forgetful, but still tired. Still peeing every five minutes.
What I am looking forward to: Can't wait to feel the baby move
Milestones: Eating healthier.

Old Wives Tales

June 24th I have my next doctors appointment and I'm hoping the peanut will cooperate so they can give me a good guesstimate as to what our lil munchkin is packing :) Once I find out, all the guessing will be over...it has been fun though. There are so many wives tales out there so I figured I'd go through them and when I find out, we will see which ones guessed right...obviously there is a 50/50 chance with all of them.

The Chinese gender chart and lunar chart:: GIRL
Input the age at conception and month of conception and it will tell you the sex. Lunar is a bit more detailed but similar.

Heartbeats : GIRL (at 9.5 weeks ours was 177)
fetal heartbeat differs for boys and girls. If you're having a girl, then the fetal heart rate will be above 140. A boy will have a heart rate below 140.

Sweet Cravings: BOY (craving vinegar like crazy)

if you can't get enough chocolate, you could be having a girl. Does the idea of drinking straight lemon juice sound delicious to you? Then those sour cravings are a result of the little boy inside of you.

Belly: GIRL (hubby thinks i carry high)

In this particular old wives' tale, if you are carrying your baby low, it is predicted that your baby's gender will be male. If you are carrying high, then, it is predicted that your baby's gender will be female.

Spoon/Fork: GIRL (did test twice)

Someone takes a spoon and a fork and hides each one underneath a pillow. Whichever one you sit on determines the sex of the baby. Spoon means girl, fork boy.

Weight Gain: GIRL

if your husband puts on weight during your pregnancy, then you will be having a girl. If he doesn't put on a pound, then you're carrying a boy

Dreams: BOY (I've had two vivid dreams of a VERY cute boy)

it is said the majority of first dreams showing the gender of a pregnancy have an extremely high accuracy rate (http://www.janefoley.com/Content/dreams.htm)

So 5/7 point to a girl...as much as i seem to be leaning towards a girl, something keeps pointing to a boy for me. Maybe it's because I was such a little tomboy myself and always thought I'd have a boy first or because I keep referring to our baby as he or lil guy. I can't wait to find out, it will feel so much more real!

Week 14

Well it's official, I no longer can hide my bump...even on the picture from week 13 to now you can see a visible difference. My first maternity dress I bought at old navy was already feeling a bit snug today. I guess now I am officially a medium...goodbye small, ill see you again next year :( Today someone at the office touched my bump and couldn't believe how fast I popped. I don't know why I popped so much sooner then my friend Anne (well maybe its her running five miles a day and me stuffing my face with crap all day long), but thats besides the point. At this rate I'll be hugeeee by my third trimester...yikes my poor back. Otherwise I'm feeling better. I still get really tired at night, but I did manage to stay out until 2am this past Saturday for my friend Sharon's bachelorette party in Atlantic City. I sure miss my champagne...its not easy going out with a bunch of girlfriends who are boozing and not being able to have a drink. I still managed to have a good time and am so proud of myself for staying up (even though i was so tired i think i fell asleep on the dance floor a few times oops).

Steve has been commuting back and forth from DC and I know he can't wait to be done with it. August is coming up real soon, I can't wait to be in one place. Today he had his first appointment with the career counselor and he went kicking and screaming. In order to get a good result it requires 5-10 sessions...and they don't come cheap but it's so worth it. He really didn't want to go and told me he was only going once...naturally I was annoyed but I was hoping once he was there he would see the error of his ways. Of course his wife was right hehe He came back and had already made an appointment for next week :) I'm so curious what the results will be after all is said and done. Well, I'm off to read twilight...my girlfriends got me into this and I'm obsessed with Edward Cullen now...can we say total stud muffin...wowser!!!!!!!

Week 14 Belly Picture

How far along? 14 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: plus 2 pounds from last week (total 7 pounds)
Body Changes? Belly has definitely popped although it's small which is cute. Breasts are still growing.
Sleep: more on the sides now
Best moment this week: Seeing how excited my hubby is to be a father, he is too cute for words.
Gender: Still going back and forth a bit, but sticking with girl.
Food Cravings: mac and cheese from penelopes...no wonder i gained more weight oops
What I miss: feeling sexy
Symptoms: still very forgetful and tired
What I am looking forward to: Can't wait to feel the baby move
Milestones: Staying out until 2 am partying in AC...i was so exhausted I think i was sleepwalking but i made it yay!

Find out the sex?

My wife wants to find out the sex. I don't. The reason is simple, there are so few surprises in life that i don't see the need to find out early. My wife thinks it will be a surprise none the less, whether we find out at the doctor's office or in the delivery room. I completely disagree. When we're in the delivery room and every ones adrenaline is pumping(at least mine will be, Noelle will be all hopped up on drugs), it will definitely be more exciting to find out the sex there and then, not in the boring doctors office. How bland. So, the question is, will Noelle spill the beans? I hope not. But as soon as she comes home with some clothing it's game over. She swears she won't and I know she means it. It is an easy secret to accidentally let out, but i have faith in you baby! Make me proud!

Nursery

Since Steve won't be finding out the sex with me I'll have to decorate the nursery on my own. I'm so excited to get it all done in time for our lil munchkin's arrival. For a boy I definitely know what I want it to look like:


For a girl however, I'm at a total loss. And since I think we are having a girl I need to start finding something I like. All i know is that I dislike pink rooms for girls...which leaves me with hmmm...not sure. I'll let you know when i figure it out. If you have any suggestions please let me know!




So after my hubby's post last night...I found some nice gender neutral rooms. We both like these rooms, although we would change a few things. But if we keep it gender neutral, he can help with the setting up process which would be much more fun! Watch...i'm not going to have a slip of the tongue...trying really hard here :)

First Purchase

So I told myself I wouldn't buy anything until the baby shower but then I came across this bag that Brooke Burke was raving about and I loved it. So the first purchase I have made is a diaper bag...one that Steve won't be too embarrassed about when he has to carry it around. Here is a picture:

A Serious Adventure....

So I came upon this horoscope article which tells you what two parents signs will be like in terms of parenting. These were the results for Steve and I...sounds pretty accurate although I do like to have fun and Steve seems to be the bigger disciplinarian :)~


No doubt you two are acutely aware of the differences between you when it comes to parenting, but you'll find that if you can stand side by side rather than adopting opposite viewpoints, together you can make a complete whole. The Sagittarius mom or dad is youthful, lively, and adventurous. The world is your playground, and you like bringing your kids to the park! Your curiosity and zest for learning will inspire your children to become lifelong students. Give them the big picture, and teach them with an open mind. You could learn a lot from them!

The Capricorn parent is much more serious. Your main concern is providing for your family, and you work hard to support them. With your affinity for rules and structure, you'll probably be the chief disciplinarian in your family. Don't let that prevent you from having fun with them, though. Balance is crucial.