It's a boy!! Welcome Vincent!!

So, as it turns out, Tuesday was the day! Well... almost. On Wednesday, September 12th at 2:15AM, Vincent Leonardo came into this world looking like a tiny little blue smurf weighing 3.4 kg (7.5 lbs) and 20 inches long. He has light brown hair and hazel eyes (just like his dad). He's so precious and has been so amazing. It has only been a couple of days, and already I can't imagine him not being in our life.

My little smurf! He looks a little confused
about his new surroundings...
This was moments after he was born. He was
very alert and awake and even started feeding.

The whole experience with the delivery was incredible. I'm so thankful to the staff at Buzzi for making it a wonderful, comfortable (well... as much as possible) and welcoming delivery. They were fantastic. It was by far the hardest thing I have ever done in my life! But it was worth it and I don't regret anything about it. I feel like after experiencing a natural delivery, I can acomplish anything! It's very empowering.

It all started with those contractions I felt during the day on Tuesday (the mild ones of early labor started around 5AM, and continued off and on all morning into the afternoon). By the time Josh got home from work at 8 that night, it was time to go the hospital. I was having a hard time coping by myself, and the contractions were 3-5 minutes apart at that time, and it was getting difficult to talk through them. Since it was after regular hospital hours they brought us in through emergency and checked me out. It was about 9PM and at that point I was only 1cm dilated. Of course I was prepared for that kind of news, but it was still disapointing after all of those hours of contractions! Especially because they were getting more intense. They had me wait in the ER for a couple of hours before checking me again. At 11 they were ready to send us home for a couple of hours because they didn't think I was progressing fast enough and we were prepared to go. The doctor walked by and witnessed one of my contractions, and after speaking with her and describing what I was feeling, she wanted to check my dilation again. When she looked I was dilated 3cm, so they admitted me to the delivery room. Thankfully! It would have been a rough ride home (30 minutes and cobblestones)!

Day 2, sitting on dad's lap

Good morning! Day 3 (this morning)

Once settled into the room (which was huge by the way!) I took a nice long, warm shower which helped to ease the contractions a bit. It doesn't change the pain, but it helps you to relax through them. Not once did any of the nurses ask if I wanted pain meds since they new I wanted to go natural, they only told me how great I was doing and to keep it up. And they only came in the room once or twice to check Vincents heart rate.  It was just Josh and I for most of the time which was great! Once they heard me screaming through contractions they came to check on my progress. At that time I was 8cm dilated and felt the urge to push, so she encouraged me to do just that. Man, after going through those strong contractions while trying to relax, pushing was a welcome relief!! At one point his head was crowning as I finished a contraction and was unable to keep pushing. Unfortunately his poor head was stuck there for a few minutes, but to me it felt like an eternity!! That was the time that the cuss words came out... I'm pretty sure I dropped the F bomb at the top of my lungs, and the nurse just laughed. But on the next push his head was out, then a few more pushes and the rest of his body emerged. Then Josh told me, "It's a boy!" and we were completely overjoyed. It seemed to take a while to push him out, maybe 30 minutes to an hour, but time seems to stand still during the moment, so I really don't know how long it took. All I know is that I entered the delivery room around 11PM, and he arrived at 2:15AM. Without any medical or chemical interventions, and the support and encouragement of Josh, I was able to bring Vincent into a new world and he has done very well ever since. I just can't believe I was able to stick to my goal of an all natural birth!

Just before heading home this morning

Coming home today was an eye opening experience. It's a whole new world out there with Vincent in it! Driving makes me more nervous now, and I'm always wondering if he's ok. It really is amazing the love you feel immediately for child! Some of the nerves may be a little irrational... but they are definitely real! Now I understand what people talk about.

I want to give a special thank you to my amazing husband, Josh. He was so supportive through everything and was by my side the entire time. Having him there was such a relief and I couldn't have done it without him. He is the most amazing husband, and now he's such a great dad! Seeing him with Vincent is the cutest thing and he is such a proud dad. I love you so much and am so lucky to have you!!

Is today the day?

Today I am 39 weeks and I feel like it could be the big day for Bambino to greet the world. Of course, everyday I hope it's the day, but I've been having mild contractions all morning and they keep going. I'm hoping it progresses so we can meet the little bugger :)

In the past week I've been trying to stay rested (and have been exhausted every day!), walk a lot, and keep my mind busy so I'm not constantly wondering about Bambino arriving. We've met some new friends, and I've connected with some old ones. One of Josh's co-workers just moved to Milan (he's American, but his wife is Italian), so we met up with them for dinner last week. That was really fun! Justin and Enrica were very nice and I hope we can hang out with them more. I also connected with an old sorority sister, Erin, that was visiting Italy for the Formula 1 races last weekend in Monza. We briefly met up the other night for a catch up before she flew back to the states. I haven't seen her since she graduated my sophomore year, so it was fun to hear what she has been up to. She also brought Bambino a red Ferrari shirt which is so sweet and cute! We love it :) We also had a birthday celebration on Saturday night for Marina and Andrea- that was a lot of fun! It was also a good Italian lesson for us, everyone there was Italian or spoke fluent Italian, so it was good listening practice.

As for pregnancy stuff, last Friday was definitely a turning point for me. I could feel Bambino dropping even more and I knew that the big day was coming soon. He/she had dropped a little before then, but now I can actually see the top of my uterus and it's noticeable to other people (it's no longer under my ribs). What's strange is that since Bambino is sitting lower, he/she is putting a lot of pressure on my hips and lower back. As a result I get these weird cramps on my inner thigh when the head moves. I can tell when Bambino stretches because I get a strong pain shooting down my inner thigh- fleeting, but painful. It seems that maybe he is sitting on a nerve?

Today I had an ultrasound to check Bambino's growth, and he/she is still a big baby! Everything looks good and it also looks like things are starting to progress- I'm effaced (they didn't say how much) but not dilated yet. Tomorrow I have my 39 week check up- more ultrasounds, blood/urine check, etc. Hopefully I won't need the appointment, but we'll see! We're getting anxious to meet Bambino, so the fact that things are progressing is really exciting! It makes me feel like the big day is just around the corner. Maybe today is the big day?

Full term and waiting...

Last week was number 37 and I am officially full term! My due date is now 15 days away! It's strange, during my whole pregnancy I've wanted to just get to this point so Bambino is fully developed and ready for the world. Now that it's here, it seems like time has just completely stopped! Knowing that he/she could come at any time and we are just waiting really does make the last few weeks seem longer than they really are. Now I know what all of those moms were talking about when they said the last month is the longest!



37 weeks, 2 days
My belly literally looks like a HUGE Easter egg!

A few things that have happened in the past week or so- I've have a couple of doctors appointments to check Bambinos growth, and my progress as well. Everything looks healthy with no worries. Although, in Italy they are still worried because Bambino is bigger than the average baby here. What can I say... we're American! Overall, the growth is averaging out, but the abdominal circumference is still off the charts! Apparently we're going to have a little Buddha baby :) Because of the big belly, the baby already weighs a lot according to their measurements. I won't say how much at this point since we have the wagers listed on facebook, you'll have to keep guessing ;)

How am I feeling? Well, for the most part I still feel pretty good. The feet are still swelling every day, but the long walks I go on help with that. I'm able to walk a good 2-3 km each day (it usually takes about 45 min to an hour, sometimes with multiple walks), so that's a nice relief from the stopped clock! I also have a new walking buddy, Jennifer (my friend that just moved here from Chicago). She's joined me on a few walks and it's nice to have a girlfriend to talk to while exercising.  I'm finding that my lower back is really sore these days. Almost every night Josh rubs my lower back and it feels so great! But then the next day it hurts again. The good news is that I only have to endure this for a couple more weeks! Now that the baby has dropped a little he/she is also sitting right on my bladder... so trips to the bathroom are more frequent, and this makes it hard to get a good night's sleep. I'm in the bathroom 4-5 times each night now! On the brighter side, I can breathe a lot better and don't get winded anymore. At the same time, I now get inner thigh cramps because Bambino is sitting lower than before and blocking a nerve or something. It usually happens when I walk which is strange, but it's really painful and it usually makes me double over. I don't think it's a blood clot because the symptoms are very different- so don't worry!

Nesting? Yes... I've been trying to clean the apartment a little each day- a good thorough cleaning as I go. It looks a lot better! A few projects that have already been tackled include the baby's "corner" in the guest room, cleaning and organizing the pantry and linen closets, cleaning everything for Bambino (clothes, sheets, toys, etc), scrubbing floors (but they get dirty the next day... so frustrating!), overhauling the bathroom, dusting every nook and cranny (same problem as the floors...), and tons of laundry. But most of my nesting energy has gone into research for having a natural birth, and also cooking things for after Bambino arrives. Since it's just me and Josh, it might be difficult to cook after the baby comes, so I've been making some simple meals and putting them in the freezer. It's also a great way to pass the time that seems to have stopped!

Bambino's corner. See all the boxes of diapers I mentioned before?
Also, the box under the crib is packed full of diapers... I think we're
set with diapers for a while!

I love the changing pad cover! Kinda hard
to see here, but it has a giraffe, elephant and
a turtle on it :)

You can see the blanket that Auntie Leslie made for Bambino,
I love it!!



Contractions? Yes, I've felt some Braxton Hix contractions for the past few weeks and I think I had some mild contractions the other day (they felt like minor menstrual cramps), but nothing serious yet. I think my body is just getting ready for the big day.

We're looking forward to meeting the little guy/girl! Hopefully Bambino comes soon :) I'm definitely nervous for the actual delivery, but I feel my usual mentality of "let's get this show on the road!" kicking in... I think I'm ready!

36 weeks and almost full term!

This week starts week 36 for me and Bambino! Next week I'll be full term. It's really hard to believe that we are only weeks away from meeting him/her. It's still surreal to me that we're having a baby! Time really does fly by when you're pregnant!

34 weeks, 6 days in the Dolomites, north
of Belluna, Italy

Last week was amazing- Josh and I spent a week in the Veneto region of Italy and relaxed. It's different traveling now because the car is really uncomfortable (my hips start to really hurt), and I get so winded because my lungs are being crushed by Bambino. This makes it difficult to do the things we used to do when we traveled (IE: spend a day driving around and visiting cities, walking many miles to see everything). Not to mention, needing to use the bathroom all of the time is difficult in Italy... There aren't many places that are open at this time of year! Not to mention they don't always let you use the bathroom. Even so, we were able to visit some pretty amazing places that I'll write about later.

Anything new this week for me? Well, my feet are constantly swollen now and it's driving me crazy. I have put myself of self-imposed bed rest in the afternoons to keep my feet up and that seems to help, but they are just always swollen now. I also feel like a complete hermit these days. Yes, we get out and do things, and I still see people, but I'm mostly happy just staying at home. It's so much easier- I don't have to search for a place to use the bathroom, and I have snacks readily available. My clothes are starting to get too tight now too. Some of my maternity clothes don't fit anymore, so I'm mainly in tanks and a pair of black maternity pj shorts, or a dress. It's been so hot that most of my maternity clothes wouldn't be comfortable anyways.

Things I'm excited for:
There are so many I'm not sure where to start! I'm really excited about Bambino finally arriving and meeting the little one. It will be nice to finally see the face, arms and legs that I've felt moving inside me for the past few months. In addition to that, I'm excited to get my old body back... I miss snuggling with Josh and night, and I miss being able to wear normal clothes. I'm also excited about running again!! I miss it so much.

New cravings?
Not really. I'm still craving sweet things and all of the gelato everywhere is driving me crazy! It's super hot now and everyone is eating gelato to cool off. Unfortunately it's not in my pregnancy diet, so it's just torture! I do have cravings for salty stuff now too though, and I've been craving beef. For whatever reason, Bambino needs lots of meat... so I've been craving anything with beef- tacos, sloppy joes, steak, hot dish, cheeseburgers... if it has beef, I want it!

35 weeks, overlooking the Valdobiadene wine region

Exercise:
It's getting more and more difficult to exercise, but I keep walking as much as possible. I even take the stairs when I can. But I find that prenatal yoga is the best thing for me now. It's challenging, but at the same time it really stretches everything and makes my body feel so much better. It really helps my back with all of the extra weight it's carrying these days.

Names:
We've narrowed it down to two boy’s names and one girl name. And no, I won't be sharing on the blog... you'll have to wait to hear them when we announce Bambino's arrival. But, I can tell you that it's been an interesting ongoing conversation and we've decided on an Italian middle name. Originally I really wanted Lillian (my grandmothers name), and I think my cousin Jenna wanted the same name for a girl! What's funny is that as soon as I told Josh about that, he vetoed it instantly (I believe the same thing happened with Jenna). I love the name, but apparently he had a babysitter named Lillian that he really didn't like, so the name brought bad memories.

Me, constantly eating and my "not happy" face because we've
been in the car all day. Man I feel huge now!

Josh has been so sweet throughout everything and he's even started "nesting" a bit too. I've been mainly preparing for the delivery (since the nursery is pretty much ready) with research and looking at ways to assist a natural birth, and he's been preparing as well. When we went to the grocery store the other day and saw that diapers were 40% off, he was excited to go back the next day and stock up on more diapers. We now have boxes upon boxes of diapers! But hopefully they will last us a while :)

With that, and a few things that Josh is picking up this week while he is in Minnesota for work, the nursery is all set for Bambino to arrive! He/she just has to wait until next week when Josh is back in Milan, and the baby will be full term. After that, I guess Bambino can arrive whenever he/she is ready! The car seat is even installed and waiting.

34 weeks and sausage feet!

33 weeks, 5 days in Bellagio

This week is #34 for me and Bambino. In a month we could be meeting the little one! This past week has been fun, tiring, nerve wracking and exciting all at the same time. Between friends visiting, doctors appointments and dealing with my tired and swollen body, it's been a long but good week.

Dan and Stephna (our friends that live in Amsterdam) came down to Milan for the weekend and we got to spend some time with them and show them our favorite spots. They were only here for a couple of days, so their trip was short, but we were able to pack in some fun stuff. We showed them the bar at Rinascente that overlooks the Duomo, the Brera District, and brought them up to Lake Como. At Lake Como we toured around Bellagio and then went swimming near Villa del Balbianello. It was an awesome day! That night after returning to Milan we brought them to Pizzeria Spontini, and we found a new AMAZING gelato shop near Buzzi with the best pistachio flavor- Massimo del Gelato. It was really fun having them here in Milan and great to catch up with them! They are so much fun to hang out with :)



Dan's wallet- you think he wants to be George Costanza??

there were some strange art pieces in Bellagio
this time around

Remember how three weeks ago I had an ultrasound and they said that Bambino was TOO BIG? At that point he/she was about 5 lbs (way over the 3.5 lb average), so they wanted me to return this week to make sure that Bambino's growth evens out a bit and doesn't keep skyrocketing off the charts. On Tuesday morning I had another ultrasound and it turns out that the growth is starting to balance out. Instead of being over the 95th percentile in every category (most of them were way over at the last appointment), he/she is now closer to 90-95. Bambino is now about 5.9 lbs according to the measurements and everything is healthy. We just have one growing, healthy baby  that takes after dad :) If the growth continues at the same pace, he/she will be around 8-8.5 lbs at birth which is definitely OK with me!! But since Bambino is still bigger than they want him/her to be at this point, they want me to go in again for another ultrasound in three weeks to make sure everything is still ok. That's fine with me! I'll get to see that precious little face again :)



cooling off our feet on a hot day!

Since I've been super healthy throughout my pregnancy, and so has Bambino, they asked me to be a part of a fetal monitoring research study that is happening right now at Buzzi. Since I had time I volunteered. I sat for 40 minutes with a wireless monitor strapped onto my belly, and they just recorded the heart rate during that time. They are doing this to compare healthy women/fetuses to women that have had complications where the baby is not growing properly. It sounds like a really interesting study and I'm curious to see what the findings are.

How is my body holding up? Well... I now officially have "le piedi di salsicce" (sausage feet). The summer heat of over 90 every day is the main culprit in that. I rub them every night and try to put them up as much as possible, as well as exercising to keep up the blood flow, and it just doesn't work. They seriously look like sausages!! Even Josh couldn't believe how swollen they get. I've just come to the realization that they will be this way until Bambino arrives. My hands are starting to get that way too... Most days I can't wear my wedding ring anymore, so I've just put it on my necklace.

Oh the fun of pregnancy!! It's been a pretty amazing thing so far and since the worst thing I can complain about is having slight nausea in the beginning, and now swollen feet, I'm feeling pretty blessed!! I just hope the delivery will go as smoothly.

7 weeks left, and the "sisterhood"

On to week 33!! Only 7 more weeks to go and only four until I'm full term! Weeks 32 and 33 have turned out to be great weeks with lots of socializing, and of course a lesson or two of English. I'm pretty much done teaching, but have one more lesson at the end of August before I'm officially on "maternity leave" (I use quotations because I work freelance, so it's really not maternity leave). In the past week we've met some new friends that just moved to Milan from Chicago- Jennifer (a fellow Chi-O), Clint and their adorable daughter Viv- and we've also spent a lot of time with our Italian friends. It's been a lot of fun, but I cannot do three nights in a week past midnight anymore!! Holy cow, I've been trying to recover from last week for the past few days and I feel like I haven't slept in a week!!

Some new things with pregnancy.... Bambino LOVES mussels! Every time I eat them he/she goes crazy and starts doing gymnastics. Very appropriate now that the Olympics have started. It's funny, just cleaning them I think Bambino anticipates them, so from cleaning them to eating them, Bambino goes crazy.

My energy just seems completely drained lately! I typically wake up in the morning around 9, have breakfast, clean the kitchen, check email, maybe do a few things around the house, eat lunch, then it's time for a nap by 2PM. Between Bambino growing, and the summer heat that has hit Milan, my energy seems to be non-existent. I feel like a complete pile lately! Not to mention that my feet start swelling everyday now because it's so hot. Luckily, we don't have to deal with the heat that the US is dealing with, but back home we had central air conditioning so it didn't seem so bad... Here we only have a small unit in the bedroom (which is better than nothing!!). But I can't spend my entire day locked up in our bedroom.

One really fun part of pregnancy is reconnecting with people that I haven't been in contact with for years. Some of them are old college friends, some old high school friends, but all have had children and are a part of the "sisterhood". It's funny, now that I'm pregnant I feel like I've been able to join the "sisterhood" of women that have experienced the most incredible part of life- giving life to your child. At least, I think it's incredible! And it's really fun to talk to people about their children and experiences. Maybe calling it the "sisterhood" isn't really fair though because I've also been able to relate to a lot of guys that have had children too. Maybe calling it "club parenthood" would be better? Either way, it's really fun to talk to people about their experiences and learn from them.

Some things I'm excited about: meeting Bambino! Finally! I'm curious if he will look like he does in my dreams (I dream of having a boy). I'm also excited for some cooler weather, being 8 months pregnant in the hottest part of summer is not too fun. I get overheated SO easily!!

Some things I'm nervous about: the delivery... I've been researching a lot and learning more about the process, the options available, talking to people about their experiences, etc. I know I just have to let nature take its course, but since this is my first child I'm nervous because I don't know what to expect. Also, I'm a little nervous about my ultrasound next week. We'll find out if Bambino is still growing too much, or if he/she is starting to level out a bit.

Cravings: I'm DYING for a cheeseburger!! When we were sitting at the pool in Barga the other weekend I kept smelling burgers and french fries. Ever since then I can't stop thinking about a big, juicy cheeseburger! The only downfall is that you can't find a good one in Milan. You have to make it yourself, so that is what Josh and I will do this weekend when he returns from Paris :D CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT!! He makes the BEST cheeseburgers!

I also seem to be craving a lot of dairy products too. It must be because Bambino's bones are starting to harden and finish developing. But I want yogurt and milk every day now, so I try to work it into my diet throughout the day.

On another note: We FINALLY got TV last week!! Only a year and a half later... Just in time for the Olympics! :D

8 weeks to go!!

31 weeks, 4 days in Barga on Friday

Today I am 32 weeks pregnant, and there are only 8 weeks to go! Holy cow. This past weekend we took a little road trip down to Tuscany and spent the weekend in a town called Barga. It's in the province of Lucca, not far from Pisa. During the weekend we spent the days by the pool (I got fried... and look a little bit like a lobster), and then spent the evenings in Barga. They had a really fun blues festival this weekend so the town was packed with people, strollers, and little squares with amazing bands playing. It was really fun! The only downside is that I get tired so early these days that we couldn't stick around to enjoy all of the fun.

The past week has been interesting for me. I had two doctors appointments, one regular checkup to look at blood test results and make sure Bambino and I are healthy. During that appointment they also gave me a nasty shot to protect Bambino- my hip is still sore from that and it was on Tuesday of last week!! The shot was because my blood type has a negative RH factor, and Josh's is a positive RH factor. Since Bambino's blood type could have taken a positive RH factor from Josh, it could create some problems for us this trimester. The shot is some sort of antibody to prevent any complications with our blood types if they are different. They'll also do this again at the delivery to prevent anything from happening. They also took my weight and they were happy to know that I didn't gain too much since my last check up, only 1 kg.

The other appointment last week was my third trimester ultrasound where they printed off more pictures of Bambino. They also took measurements to see how he/she is growing to make sure everything is on track. This was a shocker! Not because they took the measurements, but because of what they found... As it turns out, Bambino is 2.2 kg according to the measurements!! That's about 4.8 pounds... This is a lot bigger than Bambino is supposed to be at this point! Apparently he/she is only supposed to weigh about 3.5 pounds. The doctor asked us how big we were when we were babies, and when we told her I was around 8 lbs and Josh was about 9 lbs, she seemed to understand that it could just be genetics. At the same time, she wants me to go back in three weeks for another ultrasound to be sure Bambino isn't growing too much, and again she emphasized eating a low carb diet with less sugars and lots of protein. Everything is normal otherwise- no gestational diabetes, blood results are normal, and I've been eating healthy and exercising every day. So, I guess it's just my destiny to have a big baby!!


31 weeks, 5 days on the Devil's Bridge-
I'll post more about the bridge on my next
entry. It's pretty amazing!

Something I've been thinking about a lot lately is the actual delivery. It's only a few weeks away and I'm trying to decide what I want to do- all natural, some pain meds, or get the epidural. I've been doing a lot of research and trying to get as much information as possible, and it turns out that I definitely don't want the epidural. Some of you may think I'm crazy, but I just don't think it's for me. I'm trying to do things to prepare for it, so if those moms out there who have done a natural birth (well, without an epidural) have advice, I am all ears!!

On another quick side note... if you are pregnant and have back aches, start swimming on a regular basis! Being in the pool this weekend and swimming was amazing. It took ALL of the pressure off of my back, and I could swim without getting the cramps that I get while walking. My back feels really good right now and it doesn't hurt as bad as it usually does. Not to mention it's a relief for my joints as well. I would highly recommend swimming as a regular form of exercise for the pregnant ladies. It also makes you feel like a normal size person again!  :)

30 years and 30 weeks

So, the past week has brought two big miles stones- turning 30 and hitting the 30 week mark with Bambino! I can't believe how time has flown by so fast... and I can't believe I'm no longer in my 20's! It's a little strange, but at the same time I feel like my 30's have some pretty amazing things in store for me. A few months ago my friend Laura turned 30 (if you remember our celebration in Amsterdam), and she talked about all of the things that she has accomplished in the past decade. That got me thinking about all of the life changing events that have happened over the past ten years...

1. Turning 21 (and partying a lot!)
2. Graduating from Undergrad and entering the "Real World"
3. Starting a full time job (and trying to keep a full time job between layoffs and jobs that weren't a good fit for me)
4. Moving out of my parent’s house and into a small apartment with my friend Holly (oh the memories!)
5. Meeting and marrying the love of my life!!
6. Becoming a home owner
7. Starting, and finishing, my MBA
8. Uprooting my life to move to Italy
9. Being able to travel all around Europe and to Northern Africa
10. Learning a new language
11. Finally... Becoming pregnant!!

I always thought that I wanted to start having children before I turned 30, but now I think this will be the perfect kick off to start my 30's! This will be a new decade focused on new priorities, where my 20's were focused mainly on my education and starting a career. Now, I think the next decade will focus on family and further development of my career.

The past few weeks have been really fun with Bambino. Bambino is supposed to be almost 16 inches long by now, and I can definitely feel it! I feel the feet up by my ribs, and the head close to my hip. It's easy to tell that Bambino is growing! I've felt really great lately, but fatigue is becoming more prevalent. It seems that the growth Bambino is experiencing is draining my energy.

After reviewing the results of that awful glucose tolerance test, the results were normal. So, I don't have gestational diabetes- yay! I was a little worried about that after the test.

My mom and Holly threw a baby shower/bbq for Josh and I when we were in MN a couple of weeks ago, and it was so great seeing all of our friends!! It was fun to catch up with people that we hadn't seen in almost a year (or more). When I get the pictures I'll post them for you all to see. I've been busy trying to put all of those things away and organizing our guest room so I've been a little distracted...

Cravings? Hmm... I'm always craving sweets, but I've cut back quite a bit which has actually helped to curb the cravings. Now I just want yogurt, peanut butter toast, and healthy stuff.

Exercise? I've started doing yoga again after a few weeks off, and it's great. I also try to walk everyday. It's becoming a little difficult because my feet now swell almost every night because of the summer heat and extra weight. I just need to keep exercising to keep the blood flowing.

We've also started putting together the nursery for Bambino, and it's taken over a corner of our guest room. It's starting to come together though! We now have the furniture, but still need a few minor things and it would be nice to put up some cute pictures on the wall to make it complete. It's hard though with concrete walls that you can't paint! We'll figure something out though.

Ok, that's all for now! Hopefully I can post something about my brothers wedding and the baby shower in MN soon. Stay tuned...

Italians love a pregnant woman!

So, I keep meaning to include these stories in one of my updates, but the pregnant brain must be taking over because I keep forgetting :)

People in Italy love a pregnant woman! Especially the older ladies... I have to share these fun stories because I think they're great!! Women in Italy ALWAYS want to tell you what they think you are having (maschio o femmina- male or female). At the grocery store one day I was waiting patiently in line and a woman asked me if I wanted to go ahead of her (this is customary here- pregnant woman get precedence and can butt to the front of any line! I may have to take advantage of this at some point...). I was ok waiting so I politely told her no thank you, go ahead. She then proceeded to tell me that she was so excited, congratulations/best wishes, and she thinks its a boy- "Tanti auguri! È maschio!!" The lady was super nice and I love when people say "Auguri!", but I thought it was really funny that she had to tell me that she thinks its a boy.

Another day I was walking on the curb to the bus stop nearby and a lady in a car on the street rolled down her window to shout "È maschio!" I looked at her and said "Scusa??" She repeated, "È maschio!!" She was an older lady that I have never seen or met before, but she thought it was necessary to tell me she thinks I'm having a boy. I just looked at her and smiled, maybe even gave a little giggle. I laughed most of the day about that one. The fact that the woman took the time to roll down her window and tell me what she thought, it was pretty funny.

Other than that, women in Italy really do understand that pregnant women need a seat on the bus or the metro, and have a hard time standing for long periods of time. They are SO nice!! It's always the women that offer me their seat when riding public transportation (guys aren't very observant, so they usually don't get up). Even this morning, a lady working at the grocery store pulled me to the front of the very long line at check out so I didn't have to wait. I am so grateful to these women!! Right now it's a small kindness that I appreciate but don't necessarily need yet. I have a feeling that in a month or so, I will need that kindness!! So, I am very thankful for Italian women! They are so sweet!!

Welcome to the third trimester!

Wow! Yesterday marked the 28 week mark with Bambino and I am now in the third trimester! There are only 12 weeks to go!

27 weeks, 5 days
(this past Saturday)
I feel like I'm carrying a bowling
ball these days! Especially since
my belly goes straight out.

Things are starting to get more fun with Bambino. I can feel him/her moving regularly and we are finally starting to prepare things for when Bambino moves in. This past week we were in Minnesota visiting family, and friends. My friend Holly and my mom even organized a little baby shower/BBQ for our close friends (and a few family members). In addition to that, my brother had a wedding ceremony for those of us that couldn't make it to the ceremony in Florida. The trip home was amazing and I am so grateful for all of the amazing people in my life, friends and family. It makes coming back to Italy difficult because I can't see them every day.

Back to the pregnancy stuff... The past few weeks have had some ups and some downs, but overall I'm still feeling great. At 26 weeks I had an appointment with my Doctor that was emotionally tough. After they weighed me in and found out that I had gained 11 kg (about 24 pounds) my doctor looked at me and said "you've gained too much weight!" I think it was definitely something that came out wrong with the language barrier, but it was like someone hit me with a ton of bricks! I've been eating healthy (with the exception of the sweets...) and exercising. I couldn't believe she was telling me that I had gained too much weight already! Her main concern was that she doesn't want me to gain too much weight and have complications later on, so she told me to cut back on the sweets and carbs. Ok, I can cut back on sweets, but I honestly didn't think I ate that many carbs... Between that and EVERYONE telling me at this point how BIG I am, it was everything I could do not to burst into tears at the appointment. Josh witnessed the whole thing and makes fun of me for it because he thinks I'm doing just fine.

In addition to being told that I've gained too much weight, she also told me that she wanted me to take the glucose tolerance test. So, I had that done the next day. Man, that is one disgusting drink they give you!! I took the 75 mg test where they take your blood three times over two hours (once before drinking the nasty stuff, once after one hour and finally after two hours). That stuff made me feel so icky- nauseous, and light headed, I even started to sweat a little. It certainly did a number on my body- I felt strange for the next day or so. I'm so glad that's over! I have the results, but don't know if they are normal. So, I have to go in to speak with the doctor tomorrow (this is standard procedure in Italy, you have to pick up your results from the hospital, then show them to your doctor). I think everything is good, but we'll see.

Some things that I've been able to learn about Bambino- last Monday we were on the boat at Josh's grandpa's cabin and Bambino loved it! The entire time we were on a boat Bambino thought it was play time. He/she was kicking, and doing summersaults. It was pretty fun. Bambino seems to be on a schedule now of sleep/play time. If babies are anything like they are in the womb, he/she will want to eat, then have play time. I swear, every time I eat Bambino starts moving like crazy! I've come to call this play time :)

Other things that have been happening... My feet swelled again on the flight back to Milan (not really a problem going to MN though). So, right now they look more like paddles than feet. But, thankfully it’s going down slowly. My hips have been sore on some nights, coincidentally it happens when I travel. But the pants I wore on the plane to MN now feel a little tight. I'm pretty sure my hips widened again last week. The nesting urge is starting to become real. After I purchased a bunch of stuff for Bambino last week I felt so much better! We still have a few things to purchase (furniture, a bath tub, and a few misc. things), but I feel like we are on our way to being prepared. It's a great feeling! Now I'm busy with laundry and re-organizing our apartment to make room for Bambino.

I'm so excited about the upcoming months and can't wait to have our apartment ready for bringing the little guy/girl home. And I'm so excited for my cousin Jenna who is due in the next week- I hope things for her go well and she has a safe delivery! Also, congratulations to Sissel and Ragnar who became grandparents this week! Babies are everywhere it seems!

My mom, Sissel (in her traditional Norwegian garb for my
brothers wedding), just two of the amazing women in my life!

25 weeks baby!

Well, this week is #25 in the adventure of bringing Bambino into this world! The past two weeks have been busier than normal since we have traveled a lot, in addition to working, and that is making time go so fast! Two weekends ago we took a road trip down to Tuscany for Cantine Aperte (a weekend where participating wineries open on Sunday for tastings), and this past weekend we flew up to see Sissel and Ragnar for a long weekend in Norway. Today I'm exhausted! But it was worth it! More to come on those trips...

23 weeks, 6 days, near Uccelliera Winery, Tuscany

Bambino has been moving up a storm lately! I got a kick last night that actually kind of hurt... It makes me a little nervous because I still have 15 weeks to go and Bambino will only get stronger! What's fun is that everyday Josh wants to feel Bambino move in there. He gets so excited by the movements! The other night he felt the strong kicks and couldn't believe it! He even makes sound effects, "Boom!!" It's so cute:) He's going to make such a great dad!

24 weeks, 6 days, on the Naeroyfjorden, Norway

 Our time in Norway was a lot of fun, but not so great for my back. We spent a lot of time in the car driving and my back wasn't too excited about that. I'm starting to think I may have a pinched nerve in the middle of the back because it always hurts in the same spot- it never changes. That will be a question to ask when I go into the doctor next week. At least I'm still able to function though! And if it gets really bad, usually just one tylenol makes a world of difference. My hips have been feeling better too. As long as I sleep on a softer matress with a pillow between my legs, I'm fine.

25 weeks, Drammen, Norway

I may also be entering what they call the "nesting" stage... I keep looking at our guest room thinking "can I move this to make room for a crib? If I do... how can we re-arrange that...?" I'm constantly wondering how we can get the room ready for Bambino, and I'm excited about organizing it! Me... exciting about organizing... This is a new experience! Usually that's such a chore to me.

Since we had ice cream up at Sissel's house this past weekend, all I can think of is ice cream! I think it's safe to say that this pregnancy has given me an ice cream addiction. That craving is back! It doesn't help that summer is the time for ice cream, and it keeps me cool. Unfortunately we don't have any in the house right now, otherwise I'd be eating it as I type this blog. It's probably a good thing though, I don't need to eat ice cream all the time :)

Stay tuned for more about Cantine Aperte and Norway!

23 weeks and counting!

Holy cow, am I really 23 weeks along already?? I guess time will only go faster as summer arrives and I get closer to my due date in September. The past two weeks have been really great- a lot of time with friends, and a little bit of travel. The next month will be even crazier with travel (Tuscany, Norway, and the US), so I need to rest up!

At 23 weeks I feel really healthy. A little tired this week, but that's to be expected. It seems like Bambino has been growing a lot in the last 48 hours, and is supposed to be about the size of a large mango. I feel everything inside of me stretching to make room for him/her. Last weekend in Montagnana was really fun because our friends were able to feel Bambino move! The looks on their faces when they felt the little kicks was fantastic and it was fun for me to be able to share that with them. They just couldn't believe it and were so excited.

Other than feeling healthy, I have had some pains in the past couple of weeks. I keep waking up in the middle of the night, around 4-5AM, with pains in my hips. At first I thought it was the way I was sleeping with all of that extra weight when laying on my side, but I think it's my hips adjusting to make room for Bambino. Pre-pregnancy I had pretty narrow hips, so I was expecting them to widen. Actually, I was hoping that they would!! Delivery will be a lot easier if they can widen a bit. But, the process isn't so fun... Last night I had to get out of bed and walk around the apartment a bit to loosen my left hip. I may have to start keeping tylenol next to the bed!!

In addition to the hip pains, I have also had a strange pain in my middle back on my right side. It's always in the same place. There are a few things that could be contributing to this- my purse and bag with teaching files, Bambino, slouching... But I think it's just something that comes along with pregnancy. I just try to sit up straight as much as possible and that helps, but the end of the day is when it's the worst. In the evening I just can't get comfortable. Hopefully this will be short lived! But again, tylenol may become my best friend if it gets any worse! For now though I'm just trying to stretch a lot and avoid any pain meds.

Cravings... I've been craving white peaches! They are starting to be in season here in Italy and I am so excited!! They are like eating candy and soooo delicious. Summer is the best because of all of the different kinds of fruit available here. I can't wait :)

Growing pains

The past two weeks have seen a lot of growth, both literally and figuratively... In the literal sense, my belly seems to be expanding at an exponential rate these days and it is getting more difficult to exercise. I can still walk long distances, but I have to slow my pace so I don't get cramps now. My back has been a little sore, but I think it's only because I'm carrying extra weight- hopefully the yoga I started will help with that. It's also strange that I can't see my feet anymore when I look down! In order to see them I have to lean over. But it's all worth it! I have also been craving ice cream a lot! If it was possible to eat a tub of ice cream every night, I absolutely would.

21 weeks

Yesterday morning I had my 21 week ultrasound and little Bambino has been growing a lot! According to the measurements, Bambino is now 469 kg (a little over a pound), and everything looks good :) He/she has all 10 toes, 10 fingers, a working heart, stomach, kidneys, etc. It was fun to see everything again and be reassured that Bambino is healthy. They also printed some pictures for us to keep (I love that part). We stayed strong in not finding out the gender of the baby, but as Josh said "it's hard not to ask if it's a boy or girl when the doctor tells you to look away from the screen!"

Queens Day, April 2012, Amsterdam

On another note, the last week or so has also given me a lot of room for growth mentally and in my relationship with Josh. After leaving Amsterdam I was not feeling very good because I over did it with the walking. After returning to Milan I was unable to walk very much without cramping and I was just exhausted. Unfortunately, Josh didn't leave Amsterdam with me to go home to Milan, he followed a day and a half later after a work meeting in London. He didn't get to see the initial shock that my body went through, and I failed to talk to him about it. He was frustrated when things weren't getting done, and I was frustrated that he didn't understand that I needed rest and recuperation. All I wanted was to heal so I could get back to the daily grind without getting crampy. It was a mistake not to openly communicate how I was feeling with him and it created some tense moments for us last week. I'm learning that even though he can't go through what I am experiencing, he should at least get a chance to know what I'm going through. I have to be more open about the changes going on each week with my body/emotions and allow him a chance to respond to that. It wasn't fair that I kept him in the dark about that, and then got frustrated when he didn't understand.

July 2011 in Rome

These moments crate an opportunity for growth between us and it is bringing us closer together in the end. I just need to be open and trust that he will do his best to understand. After all, he is the main person I can really rely on in Italy. I love you Josh!!


PS. I have posts pending for our Amsterdam trip... coming soon...  they are just waiting for pictures to be edited.

The halfway point!

20 weeks on Queens Day (Monday)! Orange
is the color of the day!

So, this week marks the halfway point of my pregnancy- 20 weeks!! It's hard to believe that it's already half over! It seems like just last week that I found out I was pregnant. I guess time flies when you're having fun!

Since my last preggo update things have been going great. I'm pretty sure that about a week and a half ago I started feeling little Bambino moving around!! Some people tell me that it's like butterflies or air bubbles moving around in there, but to me it feels like little muscle twitches. At my last ultrasound Bambino was moving up a storm, and now I'm starting to feel it. It's the coolest thing! Josh is pretty excited about that too and is looking forward to when he'll be able to feel the movement.

This past weekend we were in Amsterdam for Laura Lew's birthday celebration. It also happened to be the national holiday Queens Day. Needless to say, we walked EVERYWHERE. I'm realizing that my body is not as "mobile" as it used to be. My feet are completely torn up and sore from walking/standing all weekend, and I started to feel some nasty cramping as a result of walking so much. It's starting to sink in that I can't push myself to do things now and it's a little frustrating. Things that were so easy before suddenly seem like work to me (IE: walking to the train station with a suitcase on wheels). I have to realize that my body isn't my own anymore (at least for the next few months) and I have to listen to what it is telling me.

Other than that, Josh tells me that I'm a happy pregnant woman. At this point I'm feeling good and just trying to enjoy the experience. I guess thats good! I don't seem to be too stressed out by things at this point, but sometimes I get frustrated when I feel that Josh doesn't understand what I'm going through (and how could he??). But Josh has been really wonderful through everything and is very supportive. When we were in Amsterdam I had serious cravings for french fries, but that was the case before I was pregnant too... Everywhere you walk there is a stand selling fries, and when you can't smell the sweet smoke from the "coffee shops", all you can smell is french fries! I was good though and only ate them once... ok twice :)

More to come on our trip to Amsterdam. Stay tuned!

Me and Bambino at the Keukenhof Gardens on Tuesday

Family Time, More Family, and Preggo update

 Weeks 17 and 18 brought a lot of family time and some interesting new pregnancy experiences. It's interesting how each week things change during pregnancy. But first, the past two weeks have given Josh and I lots of time with our familes. The weekend after Easter we headed up to northern MN to spend time with Josh's family. His brother Casey married his high school sweetheart Leslie, and it was a great time to catch up with everyone and have some fun. In Milan before we flew to MN we found a chocolate egg for Easter with Pooh on it and we had to buy it for Josh's cousin Amy. She is in LOVE with Pooh. She was so excited because inside the egg was a coin purse with all of the characters pictured. These eggs are the typical candy given to kids in Italy on Easter.

Cousin Amy and her Pooh Bear coin purse

 After our trip to MN, we flew back to Milan just in time for the arrival of my Uncle Ted and his wife Alice. They have been on a two and a half month (or maybe longer?) road trip of Europe. They started in Paris, drove down to Spain, then across the coastline of the Mediterranean to Italy. We were able to spend some time with them for a few days in Milan and show them all of our favorite spots. Including the city center with the Duomo, Galleria, Castello Sforzesco, and Pizzeria Spontini. We were also able to get tickets to see DaVinci's "Last Supper" after many months of trying. We also brought them up to Lake Como to Bellagio and Villa Carlotta (more on that and "The Last Supper" later). Overall, we had a great time with them and it was great to see more family in Milan.

Bellagio, Lake Como

Outside Castello Sforzesco

In addition to the family fun, weeks 17 and 18 of pregnancy have been pretty good. The flight back to Milan was a little uncomfortable (mainly because my back was sore from the uncomfortable seat), and my feet seriously swelled!! After being in heels all day on Saturday for Casey and Leslie's wedding, then getting on a plane the next day, my ankles balooned. I had some serious kankles for a few days. But thankfully they have gone back to normal!! Now I understand when people say how good it feels to put their feet up! I could almost feel the swelling go down instantly!

This morning I had an ultrasound and it was so much fun!! Everything looks good and I was able to see little Bambino moving up a storm! I could see the heart beating, the stomach, and the legs and arms moving. I could also see the bones that have formed in the arms/legs. He/she was even nodding his head! It was pretty amazing. I'm not able to feel the movement yet, but hopefully soon!

Pizzeria Spontini with the Pizza Nazi, Alessandro

Cannoli for their anniversary

Right now, Josh has the camera (and our pictures from Como) in Belgium. Next weekend we'll be in Amsterdam for Laura Lew's birthday and Queens Day. I'm so excited!!! I'll post more updates with pictures after that. Ci vediamo! Ciao!

Can't you take a gas-x or something??



Baby Carter!



For the past week Josh and I have been in Minnesota visiting family and friends, and also getting ready for his brothers wedding this Saturday. It's been fun seeing everyone but it is seriously exhausting! I was always a little run down just from the emotions of seeing so many people when I wasn't pregnant, but multiply that by about 10, and you have me on this trip. Every night I could go to sleep at 7PM and sleep right through the night! Jet lag may also have something to do with that though... But I was able to see Holly, Brady and their new baby boy Carter- that was so much fun!! He is just absolutely adorable! We also spent Easter with my family which was nice. My mom made a bunny cake that was delicious! But, the poor thing had some frosting troubles... She frosted it on Sat night, and on Sunday morning it looked like he worked out and sweat off his fur! I also had breakfast yesterday with my cousin Jenna (who is also pregnant and due on July 1st) and my uncle Bruce. It's been a fun trip so far!



Me and Holly



The sweating bunny cake

So, at the risk of sounding crude, it's time to talk about some funny things that have been happening in week 17 of pregnancy for me. Well, it's actually something that has been happening since I got pregnant- GAS. Normally this is not an issue for me, but since becoming pregnant I am so gassy! Josh has been traveling almost every week for the past couple of months, so he hasn't really experienced it... until this week. He thinks it's something in the food in MN that's affecting me, but really I think it's little Bambino. Each night the poor guy comes into our bedroom scared that he's going to get a ticking time bomb... Apparently I've woken him up at night because I've dropped a few bombs in my sleep. He keeps telling me that I'm giving him the "dutch oven". I certainly don't mean to!! If I could, I would change that situation! Last night he finally said "can't you take a gas-x or something?!?" It's really embarrassing, but I can't help it!


Me and cousin Jenna- the preggos!




I'm not sure if every woman deals with this during pregnancy, but I know I'm not the only one! I just read Jenny McCarthy's Belly Laughs, and she talks about being in a similar situation. Although, her reason for the gas was a little different... It made me feel better knowing that this was something that others have to deal with. If you haven't read her book, I would highly recommend it! I was laughing the whole way through.