Thankful Thursday - Maternity Shopping

While I may not have my close family and friends here to accompany me whenever I need (or simply want to) go maternity clothes shopping, I manage to have fun all by myself. Motherhood has this silly little pillow that you wrap around your belly and every time I shop there, I wear it and giggle. I love to imagine how big my belly will get as peanut grows and it's fun to see if the clothes I'm buying will stretch along with my bump!

Baby Bump Pillow!! :)

I'm thankful for days like today where the weather was nice enough for me to walk 15 minutes over to the store. I'm thankful that I found a pretty dress for my 1st Mother's Day and especially thankful that I'll be sharing that day with my mom and grandma. I'm thankful that the dress I wound up liking the most was on sale (every dollar counts!) and I'm thankful I found underwear that now fits my rounder body. :D

Most of all I am thankful to be having a happy and healthy pregnancy. I look at myself in the mirror and still can't believe it! Then I start crying of happiness because, well, I'm hormonal and just can't help it. Which then makes me thankful for my Twitter mamas for their love and support. It's great knowing I'm not alone with how I feel! ^_^

What are you thankful for?

Midwife Visit & Baby's Heart Beat

I officially have a midwife! I never did interview any others, or even make more phone calls like I originally set out to do. Honestly, after meeting Kimm I just knew in my gut that this was the woman that would help bring my child into this world in the comfort of my home.

Michael and I went to see her today so that they could meet each other and to ensure that the three of us were on the same page. It was a quick meeting at the end of which we all agreed that we'd work around my pending insurance application and start prenatal visits with her as soon as possible.

My next (and last) prenatal visit at the free clinic is on Tuesday the 12th where I'll ask them to release my medical records to my midwife and finally be done with that place. I already caught a glimpse into the comfort of my visits with Kimm, since her home is her office. She sits on these cool pillows on the floor and I loved the fact that she checked for peanut's heart beat on her own couch.

Today was the third time I got to enjoy hearing peanut's heart beat but it was the first time that I got to record it. Strong and healthy and 145bpm I got overly emotional (as I usually do) and couldn't stop mumbling the words "There really is a baby in my belly!"

Needless to say, today was an amazingly spectacularly magical day. :) I couldn't be more pleased with how everything is turning out and hope that things will continue along the path of the peaceful home birth that I have envisioned.

Here is a sound clip of Baby's Heart Beat 4.8.11 :)

No More Baby Shower Sadness

A few days ago I had a couple of tweets stating that I was stressing out trying to have a baby shower the week leading up to Mother's Day. A lot of my awesome mommy-to-be friends on twitter were telling me it was too soon and that I am not supposed to plan my own shower! (Follow me on twitter @VeganBabyBump)

I realize that I am only 10 weeks pregnant and that tradition calls for your shower to be a) thrown and paid for by someone else and b) thrown 6-8 weeks before your due date. However, I have a few things that I feel are getting in the way of what tradition calls for.

For starters, I live in New York City and all my family and closest friends live in Miami, Florida. My mom and grandmother are coming to visit me for Mother's Day and it occurred to me that maybe I could just have an early shower so that they could be a part of it. I can't afford to go home for the sake of just a shower to having it there. Although it would be great, it just isn't practical.

I went back and forth through a lot of "planning" which included a lot of tradition breaking, such as asking guests to chip in for costs. (I know that's a big no-no but I was getting desperate). I was getting frustrated, sad, anxious, I would cry, I even screamed into a pillow. I have always dreamt about how my baby shower would be and not having my mom there just doesn't fit in with what I want.

At the end of the day, Hubby held me and said the most comforting thing. I can't remember word for word, but the message was that I should just enjoy the week that my mom and grandma will be here and let the rest just fall into place. Not everyone knows yet that I'm pregnant so there is still a possibility that someone will throw me a shower.

But honestly, realizing now that the most important thing for me is to share my pregnancy with my mom & grandma, if I end up having a baby shower-great, if not-then that's ok too.

It took me longer than it should have to realize that what's important is already coming to me and I am so grateful that I have my boyfriend and my family that love and support me through this amazing journey.

In lieu of having this rushed, extremely early baby shower, I've opted to plan a nice family brunch at V-Note which is this amazing vegan restaurant that I'm sure my mom & grandma will enjoy.

Can't wait to celebrate Mother's Day with three generations, soon to be four!

Listening To My Inner Mom Voice

My mom and I have a wonderful relationship. We talk every single day, sometimes for hours if time permits. I share pretty much everything with her and she is the first one to know about 98% of what goes on in my life. We don't always agree on everything, but we are able to listen to each other's opinions and agree to disagree if in the end that is what it comes to.

That is not to say that our relationship is perfect. We do have heated conversations, especially now that I am pregnant. She doesn't fully understand why I do certain things, like why I'm still vegan now in my pregnancy, and I always do my best to explain it to her, but since it's not the "norm" she continues to not be 100% on board.

Right now there are a few things that I am really trying to get her to agree with me or at least leave me alone about:

1. I won't stop being vegan in my pregnancy or after I give birth (or ever).
2. Our baby will be raised a vegan until he/she is old enough to form his/her own opinion.
3. I will breast feed exclusively for as long as I can.
4. I will co-sleep with our baby and not use a traditional crib. (disregard "dream crib post!)
5. Our baby will use cloth diapers. No ifs, ands or butts. ;)
6. I will have a natural birth with as little medical intervention as possible. 
7. We will use a sling with our baby.

I can probably think of more things but these seem to be the ones we touch on the most. Since my mom and I are so close, I do seek her approval a lot and I really need to stick to my guns now more than ever. I can't start compromising how I want Mike & I to raise our baby just because my mom has a different point of view. The most I can do is allow her to voice her opinion and then share mine and let her know I won't be changing my mind.

After talking for hours about the crib (which she even hated our "dream crib" because it was oval shaped), I finally got her to stop pushing the idea of a traditional crib on me. When I showed her a picture of the Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper that I like, she actually offered to be the one to buy it for me.

That's the great thing about my mom. At the end of the day, I know that everything she says, she says out of love. She means no harm because she really just doesn't know any better. I really can't wait to see her when she comes visit me with my Grams for Mother's Day. I haven't seem them in almost a year. My mom's love for me is unconditional and I know she will always support me no matter what I do. I just need to have a little more patience with her and more confidence in my decisions and we'll continue to be just fine!

Thankful Thursday 3/10

Before the day ends, since I don't have anything to specific in mind to write about, I'd like to list the top 10 things I am grateful for this very moment.

• #10 - I'm thankful for frozen vegan foods. I try my best to not have processed food, especially now that I am preggers, but I really did not feel like cooking today and Morning Star Farms BBQ Riblets saved my life. 
•  #9 - I'm thankful for my cell phone functioning properly again. For whatever reason I wasn't able to charge it and was losing my mind a little bit having lost communication from the world. All is ok now. 
•  #8 - I'm thankful for my adorable cat who cuddles with me and my baby bump while Hubby is at work. 
• #7 - I'm thankful for living in this wonderful city where everything is within walking distance, a short bus ride, a train stop or two or even a cheap cab ride away. 
• #6 - I'm thankful for having such a great support system that includes Hubby, my entire family back home in Florida, great friends and other mommies-to-be that I meet online.
•  #5 - I'm thankful for having different outlets for the different feelings that are running through me lately. Writing, singing, reading, even tweeting helps!
•  #4 - I'm thankful for all of my pregnancy symptoms because it makes me feel more like a mom every time I experience a new one.
• #3 - I'm thankful that my mom & grandma were able to buy their tickets to come visit me for Mother's Day. 
• #2 - I'm thankful that I always have a phone call, email, text message, or instant message to answer from someone who cares about me. 
• #1 - I'm thankful that I get to share every minute of my day with the love of my life and with our creation growing inside me.

I hope that this inspires at least one person to take a second and think about what they are grateful for in their life. It is very easy to wallow in the bad but we should always remember the good. The good in life, the good in others, the good in ourselves.

Thank you to all who read this. :)

Baby Name Game

It has begun! Hubby and I have officially started throwing out name possibilities. I won't be listing them here because I am not quite ready for other people's opinions. And boy does everyone seem to have an opinion about absolutely everything, it's exhausting!

I will however say that I seem to be throwing out more girl names and Mike has been throwing out more boy names. While we both want a healthy and happy baby it's difficult to shy away from the fact that we do have slight gender preferences.

As far as strategizing for a name, my biggest concern right now is what last name we will give the baby. We're not married, nor do we plan to be. This is not because we don't want to spend the rest of our lives together, we just disagree with the legalities of marriage. At the very most we would have some kind of celebration of our love or something equally cheesy. But that's a topic for another time perhaps. The point is, we obviously have different last names.

What to do when baby arrives? I would really like for us to all share a last name and I don't believe in hyphenating or "merging" them together. That is just lengthy and annoying. (My personal opinion-really hope no one takes this personal as I am not judging anyone). I have zero attachment to my last name, mostly because my father and his side of the family are all jerks. I don't believe Mike has any attachment to his last name either. But we can't just give Peanut a third random last name. Which brings us back to square one.

This all bothers me because the three of us will be a family. I keep fighting against my gut feeling that having the same name would make us more of a family than if we had different last names, somehow tying us closer together, but I know that's not true. Case in point, my mom & dad. Having the same last name did not stop us from being a broken family.

Really the more I write on this subject the more I realize I kind of just needed to vent a little bit. At the end of the day what matters the most to both of us is that we are together, healthy and happy, loving and supporting one another. We'll figure out the logistics of it eventually. We have 7 months to do so!

Choosing Peanut's first name will definitely be fun though. It has been so far. Hubby & I had such different opinions about what kind of name our child should have. The gap has been closing in more and more as we continue to explore new names. I wonder how soon we'll be able to agree on one once we know the gender!

8 Weeks Pregnant = Morning Sickness?

I am 8 weeks pregnant today! I thought I was one of the lucky ones. Everyone kept asking me from the day I found out I was pregnant if I had been getting nauseous, having aversions to specific foods or weird cravings. I would grin from ear to ear and say "No! I feel perfectly normal!" Well that all changed the past few days.

Apparently my "morning sickness" is more like "evening sickness". I'm not throwing up as much as just getting extremely nauseous making it difficult for me to fall asleep. Though I must admit, once I'm asleep I am completely knocked out (except for the 3 or 4 times I get up to tinkle).

So yeah, being pregnant is so much fun! I can't be around chocolate. Chocolate. I can't even say the word without throwing up in my mouth a little bit. Gross, I know, but clearly this baby is not a chocolate lover like I am...or once was. It's the one thing that will without a doubt make me sick.

As far as cravings, I haven't been able to determine if these count or not, but I get hungry every few hours and when it's time for a snack I always go for tomatoes and cucumbers. Or grapes. Mmm, grapes. Anyone who knows me knows that even now as a vegan, I hardly ever go for the fruits & veggies first. But baby wants greens and sweets from fruits so that is what baby gets!

I suppose I am one of the lucky ones. My baby doesn't like chocolate, which the way I consume it couldn't possibly be healthy, and asks for nutritious things like apples & sometimes even things that I'm not too fond of like broccoli. I have actually lost a few pounds in the past few weeks (not that I am trying to). I've made a point to walk as much as I can. I get off early on the train and use other tricks like that and I manage to walk 30-60 minutes a day.

Daddy-to-be is very supportive, even when I have to ask him to eat in a different room because I just can't stand the smell. >.<

The most important thing for me right now is to be healthy. Healthy mommy equals healthy baby. :)

First Sonogram 2/23

Yesterday was by far the most exciting day of our pregnancy. We learned that I am actually only 7 weeks pregnant making the new EDD October 12th. There are no words to express how I felt when I heard peanut's heart beat. I wish I had asked the nurse to hear it for a little longer, it all just happened so fast!

We waited almost an hour to be seen; long enough for Hubby to even take a little nap. I had the need to tinkle but didn't say anything because I had read that a full bladder helps with the contrast when you're doing an early sonogram. Luckily I did not have an accident while the nurse examined me! The gel was cold which I knew to expect thanks to seeing it on movies, but the nurse didn't warn me so it did catch me slightly off guard.

The whole sonogram was done in under 5 minutes. I saw the nurse as she measured peanut and tried to get a good picture for us to take home. She asked me to hold my breath which is when I heard the heart beat at 146bpm. It was difficult to hold my breath once I heard peanut's heart beat because I was fighting back the tears. I hope to learn to add pictures to this blog so that I can share that with you all. :)

I keep staring at the picture and am still in a little bit of shock that we are pregnant. My next sonogram is in 5 weeks. I hope to have more to share before then. ^_^

There's our little peanut <3

                                                      

Extra Long Weekend 02/17-02/22

Last Thursday when I started this blog, I had a horrible toothache. It was a pain so severe that I had to be extremely creative to keep myself from crying. I couldn't eat, I could only drink water at room temperature and there was no getting me to sleep.

I paced back and forth for almost 2 hours just rubbing my belly and speaking to peanut, holding back the tears. I didn't want peanut to worry that mommy was in so much pain. From exhaustion I managed to fall asleep with a bag of ice on my cheek only to be woken up with the same intense pain.

I called my doctor who conveniently does not work Fridays. I asked for the dentist who works at the same clinic and she happened to be on vacation for the next two weeks. The receptionist offered the emergency room as my only option. That's when I couldn't hold it in anymore. Hubby held me as I cried hysterically, not from the pain, but from fear. Without speaking to my obgyn, I was worried about getting x-rays, anesthesia or any dental procedure period. I'd rather endure the pain than do anything that might hurt peanut, but with this pain I wasn't able to eat and I knew that wasn't good either.

I wound up getting a root canal. The dentist was very understanding of my situation and managed to calm me down. Hubby stayed with me as long as he could but he was already late for work. Once she numbed my gums the worst was over. She prescribed me some painkillers but I didn't feel comfortable taking them and luckily have not had the need to take them either. The discomfort after the anesthesia wore off lasted about two days. I'm still only chewing on the left side but I'm grateful that I can eat again. Even though I gave in to the crying, I kept telling myself that things would work out and everything would be ok. I'm so thankful that it's all over and that Hubby was there to comfort me.

On a brighter note, yesterday was a delightful day. I spent some time with Louis, Jessica & Renesmee, as they were nice enough to take me to Fairway to buy some groceries. We made a pit stop at Toys R Us to look for a walker for Renesmee and instead of helping Jessie, all I did was drool over nursery sets and the adorable spring outfits they have for girls. If our little peanut is a girl, Hubby is in so much trouble!

I came home with a ton of energy and cooked enough food for the next three days. I reorganized our pantry and fridge and surprised Hubby with some hot cocoa when he came home from work. Whenever I have a doctor's appointment, I'm not able to fall asleep the night before unless it's from exhaustion but at least I get to be productive.

This morning I find out my obgyn, Dr. Love, is being moved to another clinic. Today was my last visit with her. My next appointment in 4 weeks will be with another doctor but I am really hoping to have a midwife by then to avoid all this inconsistency. All of my tests came back normal and I learned that my blood type is A positive.

I came home and took a nap which resulted in me sleeping for over 3 hours. I dreamt about my first sonogram which won't be until tomorrow but to say I am excited is an understatement. Hubby will be meeting me there so I just hope he is able to get there on time. I've never been to this hospital so I hope I find it ok by myself as well. Luckily the appointment is at 3pm which means I'll have time to catch up on sleep in the morning because I'm pretty sure I will have a hard time falling asleep tonight as well.

Once they do the sonogram they will give me a more accurate due date so it's possible that I am not 9 weeks pregnant. I could be earlier along. I doubt that I am further along but I guess we'll find out either way for sure!

After the sonogram we will grab some dinner and wait until 6pm when they are holding a tour of their birthing center. It will give me a chance to see the rooms in person as opposed to the cheesy hotel-like pictures they have online. I would love to make a firm decision about where I'll be giving birth before I enter my 2nd trimester but we may need more time to research and ask questions.

Tomorrow I will be logging on to give all of the wonderful details from our first sonogram. I still can't believe it!

19.5 hours and counting! <3

Valentine's Day 2011

When and how we would announce our pregnancy to Hubby's family & friends was the popular topic in the days that followed our first prenatal visit. He really wanted to create a baby-themed level on Little Big Planet, somehow incorporating clues leading up to the big news. I had several ideas given that I'd had ample time to brainstorm and get inspiration from stories online. We couldn't fully agree on any ideas as I felt creating the game level would take too long & I wasn't sure how much more I could hold out on sharing the news. He didn't agree on my ideas only because he was fully sold on his.

In the mean time, on February 11th I went to Motherhood and purchased my first maternity outfit with the intention to wear it for Valentine's Day. I had entered a contest in January for tickets to a screening of All Star Superman where some of the cast and crew would attend for a panel after the movie. When I received confirmation for the tickets (yay!) the screening happened to be scheduled for Valentine's Day, which meant there was no need to plan anything. It occurred to me though, that it would be great to go to dinner after the movie with his brother to tell him the news. Being that it was going to be Valentine's Day & we'd be going to dinner, I started coming up with clues to hide in a fake "specials" menu and have the hostess slip them in before seating us.

Hubby preferred the idea of saying grace before our meal and including that we were thankful for our baby on the way. I thought it was perfect because it was simple yet meaningful and we'd get to do it early enough in the dinner that I wouldn't be temped to blurt it out.

After the movie (which was a fun experience) we met his brother, girlfriend & baby Renesmee along with our friends Jasmine & Allan at one of our favorite vegetarian restaurants in Soho. While we were eating our appetizers I kept nudging at Hubby wondering when he'd volunteer to say grace. I was starting to get a little antsy and was starting to wonder if anyone had noticed I was wearing maternity clothes, or running to the bathroom after every sip of water I drank.

We all love Renesmee and we were taking turns holding her. Allan was sitting across from me and was the one holding her at the moment. I was making baby talk and said "soon it'll be my turn". In all honestly, I simply meant it'd be my turn to hold her next, but Louis (Mike's brother) started asking me if I wanted a boy or a girl and at what age I'd want to have a baby. I glanced over at Hubby & asked as subtly as I could if I could please just tell them. He didn't seem to mind.

Without answering any of his questions I just blurted out "I'M PREGNANT!". I had to say it three times!!! Everyone was completely surprised. Jessica & Jasmine hugged me & congratulated me. I think at that point all Louis was saying was "wow". =)

It was amazing to finally share the news with his family & friends & it was my first time saying it in person. I wish I could have seen my family's reaction when I told them. I guess I'll have to plan better & learn to hold my tongue when I find out the gender so that I don't blurt that out as well!

As of right now, Hubby wants a boy and is willing it to be so. My mom swears it's a girl. My grandmother thought it was a girl, then she had a dream the night after my prenatal visit where I was knitting a blue sweater so now she thinks it's a boy. My aunt also thinks it's a boy but more because she wants it to be a boy. It's no lie that I have always said I'd want a girl first but right now I just want peanut to be healthy. A boy or a girl, either way this baby will be a blessing!

A Happy Valentine's Day indeed. =)

5 week belly (more belly than baby!) 2/14/11

                              

Our first prenatal visit 2/8/11

Our first prenatal visit was on my auntie's birthday. Hubby went with me and helped me pack snacks. I was warned that the first visit is the longest and that I would be seeing several doctors, taking up to three hours. I took a bottle of water, grapes, cashews, cranberries, a banana and had a nice breakfast of oatmeal with toast before leaving the apartment.

Since my appointment was the first of the day I didn't have to wait long between doctors. I took my "peanut journal" where I had listed all the questions I had along with the multi-vitamin capsules I was already taking to make sure that would continue to be enough. The obstetrician that met with me that day was Dr. Love. Her name could not have been more perfect. :)

They did lab work, I met with a counselor and the office manager to help me apply for financial assistance as well as a nutritionist to talk about my eating habits. The visit with the nutritionist was nothing like I expected. I was concerned that they'd freak out about me being vegan and tell me I'd have to change my new lifestyle (which I am not about to do). But she was great! She's a vegetarian which is why talking to her was so easy. I was able to speak freely and got all my questions answered.

Hubby was by my side the entire time and even participated with the question asking. Sadly the clinic doesn't have the equipment for sonograms, which is what we were looking forward to the most. I was told I'd get my referral appointment in the mail in a few days. Luckily it didn't take that long for me to receive it and I know now that my first ultrasound will be on the 23rd. I'll get a more "accurate" estimated due date but for now Dr. Love told me the baby is due September 26!

I still shared the poem with Hubby after having filled in the due date month despite the fact that we didn't get to see peanut. The days that followed have been filled with me researching midwives, birthing centers, scheduling tours and consultations and following up on the paperwork they submitted for me at the clinic.

My next doctor's appointment is on the 22nd to get my lab results, followed by our first sonogram on the 23rd. I signed up for a free weekly prenatal yoga class that I hope to start on the 21st, so next week will be a busy one! I'm looking forward to it all. :)

To Daddy, from Baby 2/7/11

Dear Peanut,
  
     In a few hours, daddy-to-be will be holding my hand & watching you grow inside me. I know you're excited to meet him so I've dedicated this poem from you to him to share tomorrow.

                                                                                                           Love, Mommy

Dear Daddy,

I do not have a face to see
Or put inside a frame.
I do not have soft cheeks to kiss.
I don't yet have a name.

Not yet can you hold my tiny hands
Nor whisper in my ear.
It's still too soon to sing a song
Or cuddle me so near.

But all that'll change come September
When they say I'm due.
I am your first born child
And I can't wait to meet you!

All I ask between now and then
Is your love for me to grow.
I promise I'll be worth the wait
Because of all the love we'll know!

So as you're waiting patiently
Please dream sweet dreams of me.
I cannot wait to be a part
Of this great family!

                                                                                                  I love you daddy,
                                                                                                     Baby                      




*When I chose this poem I was under the impression that my first prenatal visit would include a sonogram, but that actually won't happen until February 23rd. I also had the month blanked out until I was told our due date and filled it in as soon as I was told. Baby's name is also blanked out until we know if it's a boy peanut or girl peanut and decide on a name!

My second journal entry 2/7/11

"It's 2:30am & I'm so tired! Same group from last night came over & I've been cooking, baking & cleaning for 12 hrs (with Hubby's help of course). My cooking & cupcakes were a hit & so was my hot chocolate. I love getting compliments on things I make. =)

But really today's major event was not Greenbay winning the Superbowl, it was that I finally gave away over 80% of my "skinny Yami" clothes. Now that I know I'm pregnant I'm the most comfortable I've ever been in my own skin. Wish I could describe how amazing it feels to be growing a little peanut inside me! Daddy-to-be still has not let me make the announcement but it'll be that much more special when he's on board.

Two very important things I forgot to mention about Saturday (02/05): One - daddy-to-be likes the name Jeffrey for a boy. Just the fact that we had a brief conversation about names solidifies that he does know there's a peanut inside me. =) Two - when we went out to eat at Vegetarian Paradise I was extremely aware of the fact that I needed to order something nutritious. I chose the lemon soy chicken with steamed broccoli vs. the soy bbq ribs & fries. Hope peanut enjoyed his trees! Also, 02/05 was out 150th day of being vegan. =)

Okay, time for this mommy-to-be to get some sleep. 30 more hours until my 1st prenatal appointment. How exciting!"

My first journal entry 2/5/11

The days following the big news, I started to keep a journal filled with questions for the doctor, a page to list important dates and a place for me to write my feelings and letters to the baby. Here's what I wrote on February 5th:

"Today was such a difficult day! Spent time with Mike's brother, girlfriend & baby & later went to a friend's house for their birthday and I was not allowed to tell anyone about peanut! =( I guess daddy-to-be isn't ready to go public, but I did confide in Renesmee! It was still a great day spent among family & friends. Tomorrow they will come over to my house for Superbowl Sunday! I wonder if Hubby will have changed his mind by then or if he'll have to lock me up in the room to keep me quiet! =)

(I love you my little peanut & I know daddy does too. Counting down the hours to my first prenatal visit - I'm so eager to meet you!)  Love, Mommy"

The day we found out 2/2/11

I still can't believe that I'm pregnant! Right now I am about 8 weeks along in my pregnancy. I found out that I am pregnant on Wednesday, February 2nd and it still hasn't fully sunk in. I've been told by other mommies that it never really does! I took a home pregnancy test that morning and although you are supposed to wait 3 minutes to get the results, the second pink line on my test popped up before the 2nd minute was up. I stood there hovering over the sink with my mouth just wide open. Hubby was home but I knew he'd ask for medical confirmation, so the first person I told was my mommy, followed by my aunt who is also like a mommy to me. My grandmother was third and my uncle would have been next but he was working!

Once Hubby left to work I went to the doctor. I'd lie if I said I wasn't nervous. I went as a walk in and thought I'd have to wait forever to be seen but they called my name pretty quickly. After I provided what was needed for the lab, I could already tell what the verdict was when the doctor called me in. Once she confirmed I was pregnant, I started crying and my hands were shaking. She instructed me to go downstairs to make my prenatal appointment and told me what to expect during that visit. When I made the appointment, the young lady congratulated me on my pregnancy and asked if it was my first. I replied by crying. She hugged me. I cried more. Everyone was giggling at this point. I must have come across as a hormonal nut!

As soon as I left the clinic with the confirmation I knew I'd need for Hubby, I went straight to Babies R Us. I kept envisioning telling him about our pregnancy in a creative way, perhaps with a bib that said "I love Daddy" or something along those lines. The more I walked around the store the more anxious and excited I became. I called Griselda and shared the news with her next because I just couldn't not talk about it at that point. After her I also told Barbie. I asked them both for advice on how to tell the daddy-to-be but the more I thought about it the more I just wanted to call him and blurt it out.

I left the store empty handed, jumped on the train and went to his job. After some small talk, I told him I had gone to the doctor earlier that day. When he asked me why and what the doctor said, I handed him the paper that had my pregnancy results and just waited for his reaction. I wish I could describe his face as he read the results and allowed the information to slowly sink in. He was pleasantly surprised but didn't say much, mostly because he was at work. Once he was home we started having "baby talk" and it hasn't stopped since!

That day I used an online estimated due date calculator and it told me I was about 6 weeks pregnant and it showed pictures of what the baby should look like. It looked like a peanut to me so when Hubby got home that night, I told him I had a peanut inside me. Ever since then we have been lovingly referring to the baby as "peanut".

And that's all about the day we found out we are going to have a baby!