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!

Babymoon in the Veneto!

Two weeks ago Josh and I took a little vacation to the Veneto region of Italy and it was fabulous! The Veneto region is on the north eastern part of Italy and includes Venice, Verona, Belluno, and the Dolomites. This region is famous for a few reasons:

• It is one of the most important wine producing regions and produces the most DOC (original location certified) wine in Italy.
• The most important wines produced are Prosecco, Valpolicella, Valdobiadene, and Amarone di Valpolicella.
• It is one of the most visited regions in Italy (thanks to Venice), and is one of the richest regions in the country.
• Bennetton, Sisley and Diesel are all from the Veneto- originally from the town of Treviso

An apartment building in Treviso

On our way to find a place to eat- many places were closed
for Ferragosto



One of the best pizza places we've ever been to! Treviso



Mmm... the pizza!

Even though the region includes Venice, we did not go into the city. We stayed for a few nights just outside of Treviso, then spent a couple nights in Conegliano. We had a great time touring the cities, seeing the Dolomites again (we kept saying that we had to go back this year!), eating the AMAZING food, and of course Josh enjoyed trying all of the prosecco and white wines of the area. I was really jealous of this because I LOVE prosecco and couldn't partake in the fun :( Next time!! We did buy some bottles to open in celebration after Bambino arrives though. We were even able to spend some time with our friends since Josh and Francesco had tickets to see the Foo Fighters. It was a really great trip that I hope to do again some time. The area is beautiful and I happen to like it better than Tuscany for a few reasons:

1. It's cheaper!!
2. There aren't many tourists
3. There is really good white wine & prosecco, as well as some of the most famous Italian reds
4. The regional food is incredible!
5. You are less than an hour from the Dolomites- my favorite part of Italy!



From our day driving in the Dolomites- we visited Belluno,
and Pieve di Cadore

A place where we had coffee in Belluno- the cappucino was almost
twice as expensive as in Milan!

A garden in the main square of Belluno. Can you see the little
duck hiding in the bush?

The main church in Belluno



Across from the church, there was this beautiful building- I think
it was the city hall



We stopped near this river to take a little break. You can see
one of the towns we visited on the hill. We ate lunch not
far from there at a place called the Ski Bar. It was amazing!



Time for another break! And an amazing view of the Dolomites



It looked like the clouds were a waterfall over the mountain.
It was pretty amazing.

Some random gnomes from a house on the side of the road.

  

We have tons of pictures to share, so I'll follow up this post with more pictures. Enjoy!

After our drive through the Dolomites, we stopped in Cornegliano



The main square in Cornegliano

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.

Ferragosto

Many of you have realized that traveling to Europe in August may not be the best idea. Many people take a holiday during the month of August, and a lot of businesses shut down for the month. Here in Italy, it is no different. There is a holiday on August 15th called "Ferragosto" which celebrates the assumption of Mary. It is a national holiday in Italy and everything closes on that day. Really, most businesses shut down completely for at least that week, if not the entire month of August. Thankfully, the grocery stores are still open! But all of the small businesses near our house were shut down at the end of July, and re-open around August 27th.

Cinque Terre (just one of the many places that will be packed
full of people)

Most people take this opportunity to flee the stiflingly hot cities and head to the sea or mountains. Resorts are completely packed, and the sea is full of Italians sun bathing and enjoying their vacation. Ferragosto is celebrated typically with a feast or bbq and spending time with friends and family on the sea. For Josh and me it will be no different. We have found an amazing hotel north of Venice that we will visit for the week. Thankfully, there is a pool!! Lots of swimming in store for this preggo lady, I can't wait! We are now officially in the hottest time of the year. Thankfully, it will be over in a couple of weeks (at least I'm hoping!).

Liguria (west of Genoa), another beach that will be packed!!

So, word to the wise! If you plan on traveling to Europe in August, expect many places to be shut down in the big cities, resorts to be more expensive than normal, and TONS of Europeans to be crowding the seas and lakes. We are now officially in the peak tourist season of Italy (mainly European tourists). People here really enjoy their holidays and they make a big deal out of taking at least two weeks off every year to relax. This is a new mentality for me that was difficult to get used to. Americans typically don't take more than a few days off from work at a time, let alone taking 2-4 weeks off in the summer. I could definitely get on board with the European mentality though :)