Big Update from Italy!!

I've been thinking about this post for quite some time and I'm so excited to finally write it!! Josh and I have some big news for everyone- we're starting a family!! I'm 14 weeks pregnant and we'll have a little one in mid-September. It's a little crazy to think that our first child will be born in Italy, but everything seems to be working out very well. I keep getting a lot of questions from people, so I'll try to answer them here for you:

Will the baby be Italian?

As far as I know, the baby will only be American. From what I understand, we would have to live in Italy for 10 consecutive years for the baby to be able to apply for citizenship when he/she turns 18. I think the US is one of the last countries to give citizenship to babies born in it's territory with foreign parents...

Did you figure out the doctor situation?

8 weeks

Yes, we found a hospital that is great! They have a team approach like Mayo and there are doctors/nurses that speak English. The name is Buzzi, and I keep hearing that they are the best in Milan. From what I've experienced, I would agree!

Boy or girl?

We're going the old fashioned way and will found out when the baby is born. I keep having dreams that it's a boy though, so that is what I think. We'll see though!

Feeling pregnant yet?

A little- there are times where I get really uncomfortable sitting in certain positions, but I'm still pretty small so it hasn't really hit me yet.

Morning sickness?

Yes. Unfortunately I was nauseous for about three weeks at the beginning, but thankfully I never got sick from it. It was just an upset stomach for a few weeks and felt like the world’s longest hangover! I haven't felt nauseous though for about a month :)

Any cravings?

Yes! In Milan we don't have good Mexican food at our fingertips like back in the States. So I've been wanting Mexican food. This week I've been craving Chinese... go figure. Otherwise, on a daily basis I just crave healthy foods- lots of fruit, milk, yogurt, and veggies. I try to have these every day to stay healthy.

14 weeks

How have I been sleeping?

OK. I toss and turn a lot these days. Partially because you're "supposed" to sleep on your side (I'm used to sleeping on my back), and partially because of the vivid dreams I have. I've read that during pregnancy you have some crazy dreams, and they are right! They aren't scary dreams, just very colorful. Before pregnancy I would dream mainly in black and white with a few pops of color here and there (IE: a yellow bus, a red jacket, the blue ocean, colorful flowers, etc). Now it's like going to a movie inside my head.

How have I been feeling?

Now that the morning sickness is over, I feel great! I have more energy now and don't need naps anymore. Although, I eat an extra snack during the day and get hungry earlier than before. I'm no longer able to run which is a bummer... I was only about one month along when my body started to reject the idea of running. When I ran I got nasty cramps moving up and down my abdomen, that happened a few times. So, now I walk everywhere to get exercise.

Emotions running high?

A little... I've had a few moments when I've broken down and started crying for no reason. Seriously. The first time it happened was when I was trying to make my doctors appointments for my first ultrasound. The woman on the phone was trying to help, but she barely spoke English, and my terrible Italian didn't help. It was frustrating because they kept trying to set the appointment for a day I wasn't available. Eventually we figured it out and got something on the calendar. After the call I just lost it and started bawling! Uncontrollably! It was so ridiculous! Thankfully Josh wasn't home to witness that one.

Ok, that's all for now. Just wanted to share the good news!! We're pretty excited about the upcoming year :)