Your quirks: Pregnancy time

Baby:

I promise to do this list every year – starting before you’re born – of your every quirk and habit and every funny story about you. I don’t want to forget about how you made me feel while I had you in my belly, and how happy you made me (will make me) after we finally meet.  We can re-read this together when you’re older and I’ll remember more stories about you – I’m going to even venture to ask your dad to do his own list. We’ll see how he does, you know he’s lazy to write things – however he’s not aware of what an amazing writer he is. He has a little notebook where he wrote his every thought of Peru during his first visit. He’ll let you read it some time and you’ll feel just as proud as I do.

 

• I didn’t get sick at all during my whole pregnancy, thank you!
• You grew so slowly, it seemed to me. Up until my 6th month I didn’t show almost at all.
• Finally, my belly popped during month 8th.
• By week 34 you dropped a little. My belly looked way lower!
• On Sunday November 1 – during week 36 – you completely changed your position: I woke up and belly was up very high and I thought you were breeched. You had me all day doing squats and sitting on all fours bouncing my pelvis up and down, back and forth.  By the end of the day, nothing had changed. I was so frustrated and worried you weren’t going to go lower again. When I woke up the next morning to go to work, you were low again! Different position than before but definitely lower.  I could feel your butt sticking out behind my belly button! (You still are by now, week 37)
• One of my ex-pregnant friends (gave birth a couple of months ago) asked me if you were kicking me on the sides yet. I said no. Two hours later, you started the habit of kicking me on my left side. I guess you speak English already and you thought to yourself  ‘What a great idea! I’ll start kicking now!’ That is your favorite side to kick and lay down. If I lay down on my left side, you completely roll over that side and it feels so heavy it almost hurts. Now I have to lay down on my right side more often.
• During my last quick ultrasound I was told my placenta was on my right side. That I guess makes sense – you have more room to lay down, kick and roll over on the left side than on the right side.
• You don’t always respond to my kicks – you respond more to slaps. I slap my belly until it’s red just to see you move. It’s so amazing.
• You can be moving a lot for 30 minutes straight, and as soon as I ask your daddy to put his hand on my belly and feel you move, you stop. I don’t know if that’s good or bad – I guess he soothes you and makes you relax but… maybe his feelings get hurt because you don’t want to kick for him?
• You haven’t given me any stretch marks (yet)!
• I always wonder if you look more like daddy or more like me. Or a mix of both? Blue eyes, black hair and darker skin? Lighter skin, brown eyes and brown hair? Tall or short? Chubby or long and skinny? I just care if you’re healthy but I hope you look like a little bit of both… don’t go too blue-eyed and blond on me!
• I’m getting lots of contractions lately (Braxton-Hicks ones) and it really hurts! Everytime I get a hard one, I wonder if this is it. Then I wonder how will I know if that’s it or not, and when I ask a mom about it they all say ‘Oh honey, you WILL know’. It’s starting to piss me off! Even books say ‘ If you’re not sure if this is it or not (a.k.a. labor), then it’s probably not IT’. Jeez.
• Your dad and I are so into monkeys. Stuffed monkeys, monkey blankies, clothes that say ‘mama’s little monkey’. Even dad calls you little monkey man!. I hope you like monkeys too.  — If not, sorry for monkeing you around!
• I’m hungry all the time. I haven’t been too healthy with food, I guess I just eat normal, some chocolates here and there. I hope I’m not making you super fat on candies! And I certainly hope you like veggies, at least more than I do!
• Your big sister, Penny, I don’t think she knows (or cares) much about the big change coming up. She’s been extra needy, yes, but she hasn’t minded her crate being moved, or not being allowed up to our bed. She does love smelling all the new things we buy, things we get has hand-me-downs, and things we get as presents. She takes her time to smell every little bit of everything. Your car seat is sitting on our living room and your hand-me-down bouncer seat was here too, and she spent hours smelling them. She even licked them a few times. I think she’s going to love sniffing you too. You’re going to have to be very patient with her. She’s a good puppy, but very needy and clingy – remember she’s our first (very spoiled) kid!

 

(Will keep updating this last few weeks)

Baby showers :-)

I had two baby showers in the last week. They were so fun! One was with my in-laws and the other one was with my work guys.

I got together with the in-laws last Saturday. I had insisted on having a boys & girls shower so Jeremy can be part of it. After all, this baby wouldn’t exist without him and why shouldn’t he enjoy the fun part of it? I think opening presents and being the center of attention needs to be shared with the guys too, even more if they’re so awesome like he is.

 

We had games, and winners and losers (we lost all the games but who’s counting? Plus, we still got prizes, HA!) and lots of food and good company. It is really so endearing to me to watch my husband looking at baby stuff and having that excited look on his face – no fear, no nerves, no bad feelings. I can almost read his thoughts and visualize what he’s visualizing: a little minime and minihim wrapped up in that homemade blankie, dressed in that super cute onesie, playing with those adorable toys. A little person looking at him and holding his finger very tightly, like if there’s no one else in this world that can keep him protected and safe. The very thought just brings tears to my eyes. He’s already such a great dad and he doesn’t even know it. I’m so proud of him.

We shared dinner and just hung out, like a big loving family we are. I really didn’t want all the attention on me, I just wanted another family gathering with kids playing around and laughs and food, and this was all I had hoped for. We didn’t stayed too late – which I had hoped for as well – and we had time to go home and look at our little baby things again, organize them and record some videos for my mom to see. She has been so excited as things get closer. She’s also sad about not being here with me, but really there’s nothing we can do. We have come to accept that we won’t be together to welcome the first born, but we will for the next one. And hopefully she’ll be here for my little boy’s first birthday!

I also had my last baby shower with my work friends on Thursday. Of course, guess who was late to the shower?

ME.

Uh – huh. It was only for 10 minutes and I really thought it wasn’t that late but it was. Everybody was already there and everything started moving right after I dropped my purse and took my coat off. We were rushed to the living room after a little mingling because everyone was so excited about opening presents. I sat on my special bowed chair and we started the adventure. I got so many cute and useful stuff! Believe it or not, I still don’t have diapers at all. I only have a few diapers size 2 that came on my diaper cake from my first baby shower. On this shower, I got 100 size 1 diapers! I probably (a.k.a. obviously) still need to buy more but at least not right away.

Everybody had fun, even more after coming up with the blue rule: everybody drinks when I receive something blue. If they hadn’t mixed up a sip of the alcoholic drink with a sip of water, I’m sure they wouldn’t have made it to the last present. It got louder and louder toward the end.

BLUE! DRINK UP!

 

Another good part of the night was when I got a bottle of wine as a present. They made me pose with the bottle on my mouth and holding my belly.

The pic is a little blurry but I think you get it

We’ll finally be getting our crib next weekend… so excited about that! After that, it’s all about waiting. I’m on week 36 this week, and it seems so far away ad at the same time so close.

I just want to meet him right now!

Back in the Blogginghood: Part II

SECOND PART:

Things that HAVE changed:

* FLASH NEWS! Did I mention that I’m pregnant? WELL I AM!! I will be 4 months preggo next week… yay! I still don’t feel completely comfortable telling the world – no facebook/twitter/similars for sure! – I think it’s because it’s hard to believe right now when I’m not showing yet, I’m still in that ‘fat girl’ state where people see me as a little chubbier and not all of them know I’m pregnant. It sucks, because nothing fits me right, but I’m not ‘fat’ enough to wear maternity clothes. I’m stuck in between. Oh well, it will come soon enough I hope. And no, I still don’t know what I’m having – but YES, I will definitely find out. I don’t understand why people don’t want to find out, I still respect it but I don’t get it. I have some shopping to do and only 4 months after that! That’s so little time.

* I’m going to San Francisco next week! Wheee!!! Way excited about that, every time I leave town I get excited, even if it’s just to Salt Lake City (no, that was a lie, I do not like Salt Lake, ew). Correcting: I love every time I get out of town ON A PLANE. We’ll be there from the 9th thru the 14th and I’m hoping to do a lot of walking and a lot of photographing. Finally I’m going to start using my SLR camera!

* I have to renew my green card this year. And paperwork needs to be sent in two weeks. I’m excited about that too, because a year after that I could apply for citizenship and my mom will finally be able to come and visit me. Even more now with a grandkid on the way!

* I have more aches and pains. Not very often, but they exist. My back hurts, my uterus hurts (from growing and hanging – it cramps when I stand up too fast! It’s the ligaments holding the uterus, I guess it bounces/stretches faster if I stand up too fast… it’s kind of a funny feeling!).

* Days go by so slow if you look at it day by day but so fast if you look at it month by month! Soon enough, my little baby will be here… like for Thanksgiving, it will probably be born by then! (I hope so anyway, even though my due date is Nov 26, I hope it’s born before so I don’t miss Thanksgiving dinner! Yum!)

* I’m going to celebrate Mother’s/Father’s day next year! J did give me a little something for mother’s day and I’m planning on doing the same for him on that Sunday. I think we have begun on the parenthood thing already, I mean, I had to change my eating/drinking habits, my sleeping time, my sleeping positions, read a whole lot more and give up my beloved sushi and wine. And J, well, he has to put up with me and at the same time encourage me to be good. Plus we’ve been doing SO much reading… we have like 4 books about pregnancy (and counting) and he’s so good to me. He cooks healthy food for me and massages my back when it hurts. Maybe I should do another post about that, of all the things he does for me and why he’s already a good daddy. Oooooh! I’ll do it for Father’s day! Gosh, I’m so creative, I can’t get over myself.

* One of my very best friends is pregnant too! And she’s two weeks behind me… I think I’m having a girl and she thinks she’s having a boy. We have already decided they will be together, get married and have little kids. It’s going to be so perfect! She lives in California, so I hope we get together when our tummies start getting bigger and take some cute pics. It’s so exciting, we can talk about it all day and that way, we don’t make our other friends bored. It works perfectly!

I just realized pretty much everything on this list is pregnancy/baby-related. I hope I don’t become one of those moms-to-be that only talks about babies 24/7.  Please spank me if I do! Even if I’m pregnant I still have a life (or should have one anyways) So I should start thinking about other things to blog about. I know I have some topics but I can’t think of them right now, I’m in baby mode, geez.

I have tried to keep up with my favorite blogs, but if I miss something big, would you remind me? I think everybody is ok and with the normal ups and downs of life, right? I hope everyone is healthy, with a job, and happy.

Will be blogging again after my trip to San Fran! (hopefully sooner )

Happy Wednesday!

About life.

Editor’s note: I started this post very randomly because – I thought – my brain was empty and didn’t know what to write about so I just started typing and blabbing. And then it just starting evolving into something that matters to me. I asked a question and was hoping for some suggestions and I ended up answering it because I realized I always knew the answer. Deep inside me.

Sunday was a beautiful day.

And every time I miss a beautiful day because of work it makes me think about what I expect in life. I know I HAVE to work now because we have bills to pay and things to buy (food and stuff) but… am I going to have to work forever?

I’ve always wanted to be a part-time something / stay-at-home mom. I remember when I was younger I had lots of dreams of me being professional and having a perfect job -a job related to what I went to school for and not a completely different career – and being an independent woman who wouldn’t just give up her dreams. But then I fell in love, got married and had to keep working because I couldn’t afford going back to school to get a masters degree. It’s not that I regret anything I’ve done. I am happy where I am now, but I always wonder: what if I would have carried on with my plans? Where would I be now? Would I be doing something completely different to what I went to school for – like now – or would I be doing what I always wanted to do? See, I went to school to be a translator/interpreter in German and English. I always wanted to translate and dubbed movies. I think that is sooo interesting. To be able to fit in the same time frame what one actor says in his original language, but translated into a second language.

That is my passion.

I know it’s really hard to accomplish that now. I don’t feel the necessity to go back to school, I’ve almost forgotten about it because I’ve exchanged it for different dreams. I guess I’ve changed. Evolved. Got different priorities in life.

I know I need to work in order to get things in life – and I don’t mind that. I enjoy my job and I love working with the people I work directly with. But I always wonder why I don’t miss my dreams as much. I mean, I worked SO hard for them. And now they’re forgotten. I’ve given up on them and I don’t even feel bad. Is that wrong?

I don’t want to go school anymore. Now my priorities are my family, my extended family and friends, my job – that is, keeping my job or getting a better one, our health and our home (getting a bigger one). It’s not all about me anymore. I guess in some ways it’s normal and it’s right. It’s time. But sometimes I wonder if I should be missing my older dreams. I wonder if I will miss them in the future.

I know what I’m doing now is what I really want to do, but is that what I will want in 2, 3, 10 years? I guess everything has a reason to happen in life, and every decision affects your life – for good or bad. I’m confident that every decision I’ve taken so far has eventually led me to my husband and my life in a foreign country and even though I miss my family so so so bad, I think it’s been worth it. Every tear, every smile and every up and down has made me the person I am now and had taken me to this exact place in this precise moment.

I don’t regret any of it. I love my life as is, and I take it and enjoy it – as is. With all happiness; money struggles; small but very cozy home; family far away but with an amazing husband to support me when I need him (and can easily represent 10 family members supporting me at the same time); a crazy pup that snores at night and sleeps sideways in the middle of our our bed and pushes us out until we almost fall, plus pees on my bed,  – but knows when I’m sad and comes to cuddle with me, welcomes me home with a big kiss and a wagging tail and keeps my feet warm at night; a group of friends so different from each other but that are there for me 24/7 and that are my family in this country; a job that sometimes frustrates me because I don’t even use half of my brain and I feel very unappreciated and underestimated but with an incredible and awesome boss who is also one of my closest and most trusted friends;  and so many other reasons where bad things comes hand in hand with good things.

I guess I answered my own question: I don’t regret anything and I’m happy where I am now, because I’m still building the Melissa of the future: the mom, the aunt, the 40 year-old wife that still takes care of the 15-year old little Penny (hopefully) and I don’t know where I will be in the future but I’m sure I’ll look back in life and THEN I’ll know why I did the things I do now.

And I will be very proud of myself.

Post 201, picture time!

My favorite: The one with J and Penny

Which one is yours?

clearing up

where are the stairs?

daddy warming up Penny’s paws

frisbee time!

elks… how lucky are we to find them?

POST #200!

It’s been a crazy week.

Shopping, working, decorating, scraping car, driving 5 miles per hour and enjoying our awesome weather. Sigh.

I finally get some time to share my Christmas with you guys! I spent Christmas’ eve with a couple of friends and their son Jake. He’s getting so big! He has over 2 years old and was ALL over the place. Penny was nice around him, although sometimes I thought she was going to lose her patience.

We waited until midnight to open our presents. I – of course – had opened the present I got for myself (my camera) and spent most of the night just taking pictures of my beautiful christmas tree.

 

So lovely...

I think my camera is actually making everything look prettier. I’m so happy I got it! Now, E.P. I’m going to need some good tips on how to take pictures without the Auto Focus thingy on. I tried reading the manual but it all looks Chinese to me. I might need a translator!

J got me a nice winter jacket and the big box from the previous post was… A TELESCOPE! I’ve been wanting one for a while and he remembered We just finished setting it up so hopefully I’ll be able to use it tomorrow night (still too cloudy tonight) I’m super excited.

I got him a pasta maker, a bunch of shirts, and there’s one present that hasn’t arrived yet – it will come next week so I’m not saying what it is (he reads me).

Penny also got a present:

How was your Christmas?

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

I’m stuffed and still feeling like eating more.

Is that weird or very thanksgivinny normal?

I was meaning to take pictures of all the food but I just got distracted between the turkey, yams, cranberry sauce, beans and pies. We brought some leftovers home and J is in love with that jello salad – which I don’t understand – and the I’m in love with rolls.

How was your Thanksgiving dinner? Are you full or what?

Things I love

Inspired on EP’s post from Sunday, here’s the list of my favorite things If you decide to do it too, leave a comment to let me know so I can read yours!

Smiling. Hugging people. Bonding with friends at work. Baby smell. Diet coke (light on the ice) and fresh squeezed orange juice. Homemade breakfast. Internet. Chocolate cake with fudge (just simple old cake, nothing fancy). Emailing old friends. Looking for shooting stars. Sleeping in. Cuddling (just for a few minutes…). Christmas music. Finding old friends on Facebook. The Twilight series. SHOPPING. Friends trusting me with very private stuff. Paying off debts.

Staring at my puppy’s cute little eye brows.

Soft kisses. Laying down on the grass while I watch J and Penny playing and running around. Romantic comedy movies. Hanging out with my best friends. Sharing the bed with my mom and talk all night.

Teaching tricks to Penny.

Travelling to see my family.

Watching my best friend’s kids grow. Dressing up. Reading blogs. Finding cool recipes for Jeremy. Payday Fridays. Making lists! Using bullets on all my lists.

Helping everyone with computer troubleshooting and knowing that they will ask for my help because I’m computer-savvy. My iPhone. Having the bestest boss EVER. Cleaning Penny’s pee from my bed at midnight… NOT!

People complimenting on my outfits (awesome confident boost! Plus I do put some effort on that). Getting forwarded emails in my work email. Making new friends.

People reading and commenting on my blog, I heart you guys

My hero!

Editor’s note: Warning! Little rant below, if you’re not in the mood – don’t read!

Just got a call from J and he asked me to keep my fingers crossed because he bought the lotto and hopefully we’ll win

One hundred and thirty eight MILLION dollars.

I mean, how many zeros is that?

Can you imagine what would you do with $138 million?

I would do whatever the hell I want during the first year, you name it: shop til I drop, travel the world, spend money on the silliest things, just because I can.

After the first year – I actually started writing the list on my head but I’ve posted too many list lately so I’ll leave it in sentences – I think I will spend money in a smarter way.

I would buy all my family (including extended family) houses and then buy myself a big one, with small little cottages around so friends and family can stay close to me if they want to.

I would have my mom come ANYTIME SHE WANTS TO. She would never be denied a tourist visa again because she would be rich ha! That way the next time she sees the stupid jerk at the American embassy in Lima (Peru) she can say FUCK YOU IDIOT (if she can say it properly in English… I’m sure J or I can volunteer to say it if she can’t). She can say that to the jerk who laughed at her face when she applied for a tourist visa to come to her only daughter’s wedding (and she being a single mom); that jerk who ignored my mom’s tears when she was showing pictures of my grandparents saying I promise I won’t stay in your country, I have to be back here to take care of my parents, I just want to walk my daughter down the aisle, that jerk who smiled ironically at her saying your daughter lied to us because she said she went there for work when she just wanted to get married with one of US (US! like if being an American is any different than being Italian, Spanish, Jamaican, Colombian or Peruvian; like if being an American means being above everybody else and have the right to look people over their shoulders… because I know that’s not how regular Americans really are. They’re compassionate, understanding, patient, loving people that welcomed me and made me feel like I’m no different that anybody else just because I have a ‘permanent tan’ or because my passport is red and not blue); that jerk who saw through her when she stayed quietly in front of him waiting for a miracle to happen or for him to say nahh just kidding, here’s your visa lady but no, he even got annoyed and looked at her with hate and then looked to the person stading in line behind her and said Next!.

**Sorry I got carried away here, I haven’t really dealt with my feelings when my mom told me that on the phone -days before my wedding – that she wasn’t going to be here to walk me down the aisle as I’ve always dreamed (I know it sounds weird, but with not having an actual dad to do it, it made sense to me, she’s been my mom&dad to me all these years). Anyways, sorry about my rant. Ahem! Let’s resume.**

I would buy a house for her so she can come visit me anytime and stay as long as she wants.
I would also buy her another house back home so she can be with the other half of the family and speak all the Spanish that she wants.

I would let J decide what he wants to do on his side of the family: buy houses, pay school, pay off debts, etc etc.

I would quit my job (obviously) and start our own family business, that way we can still work but with no schedules or other shit that makes us hate our jobs.

I would have 5 kids – instead of the 2 or 3 we actually are planning to have some day – 5 kids of my own and maybe adopt another one.

I would donate money to Animal shelters, and children foundations, or any other organizations that needs money.

I would get a boyfriend for little Penny so she can do her thing all day if she wants to.

I would take all my best friends on cruises – all paid and included.

I would…

Maybe it would be easier if I start a list with what I WOULDN’T do. That would be a shorter list, huh?

And you? What would you do with $138 million??

More about me

I’ copying this from rialeilani and her blog That’s the way life goes.

Since no one tagged me, I’m not tagging either. But everyone is more than welcome to copy it from here and share your thoughts in your blog! Don’t forget to leave a comment if you do, so I can go check it out.

I am: curious, stubborn, very self-concious, smart, anxious, loving
I think: sometimes – not too often thank God – I’m too bitchy and that I need to see the brighter side of things, or enjoy life AS IS
I know: I need to learn to enjoy cooking, but I always find a reason not to
I have: the best husband on earth and a good life, and sometimes I don’t thank God enough
I wish: people would comment here, just let me know if you hate my posts or if you enjoy them, I really would like to improve it if you don’t like it
I hate: obnoxious, selfish, loud people that think they own the world and don’t respect that some others want some quietness during their day
I miss: my family
I fear: something bad will happen to my family when I’m not around
I hear: a lot of stuff, but most of it could or could not be true
I smell: my perfume (Armani Code)
I crave: crab legs and lobster… lots of them
I search: in Google every day
I wonder: how long will it take us to be able to afford a house (not a condo)
I regret: reacting rudely with people I love
I love: my husband, my family, my dog, my friends, my life
I ache: nothing, I’m a very healthy woman
I am not: as naive as I used to be
I believe: that sometimes people think I’m stuck up, but I’m so not
I dance: NOT. At least not anymore, and I wish I could go out dancing more often
I sing: too often
I cry: when seeing commercials of the homeless dogs
I fight: for an even better life
I win: when I don’t let my temper show
I lose: at every nintendo game
I never: had been to Europe
I always: wanted to go to Europe
I confuse: people sometimes with my broken English
I listen: but often interrupt before they’re finished
I can usually be found: googling stuff online or watching TV with J
I am scared: dying drowned in the ocean (I’m not a good swimmer)
I need: to hear an ‘I love you’ at least 3 times a day
I am happy about: how far I’ve come
I imagine: my life in 5 years (and it’s great!)
I tag: nobody, because (1) nobody tagged me on this one, (2) I don’t want to impose a post to my blogger friends (but do it if you feel like it!), (3) I just have like 5 or 7 blogger friends that I talked to –more like comment in each other’s blogs – and we haven’t bonded yet.

Now copy and paste from here if you want to do it in your own blog!