Pregnancy Questions

So for this blog post, I decided to make a list of Q&A’s everyone has been asking me since I became pregnant. There have been quite a few, but if I missed any, let me know!

Q: How are you feeling? Did you get morning sickness?

A: I feel great! Besides getting tired earlier than usual (I’m fighting to stay awake at 9:30pm, and it’s harder to wake up in the morning even after 8-10hours of sleep), and I don’t really feel pregnant at all. I never had morning sickness (such a blessing), but I did feel sleepy and bloated for a while. Now I just feel “bigger” (you can definitely feel when you’ve put on baby weight…your body just feels bigger).

Q: Are you nervous at all?

A: Patrick and I both aren’t nervous at all! We both have our parents here to help just in case, and we also have his brother and sister-in-law to help us with new baby questions. His grandparents are all here as well. We just aren’t nervous at all to become parents…we both know we are as ready as we can be!

Q: What do you miss most while you’re pregnant?

A: Being able to drink when we go out with friends, and eating certain foods. I know you can have “one or two drinks” throughout the week, but I really just have avoided it all together. Whenever I “try” to have one drink (which happens maybe once every couple of weeks), I don’t even finish it. Also, I have really missed sushi and raw oysters (you’re not supposed to have raw fish) and I am a freak about cheese. There are “certain cheeses” you shouldn’t eat….but I LOVE cheese. So I’ve stuck with the basics (American, Swiss, & Provolone) but it makes it hard when I want to try new cheeses because other than those, I really don’t know what ones are “off-limits” since there are so many!

Q: How is it working while pregnant?

A: It’s great! My company is super accepting with doctor appointments, and they have told me if I “don’t feel well” or anything to let them know and they will accommodate me. Luckily, I have had an easy pregnancy so far (knock on wood!). I really do work for such a great company, and I will definitely work up until I pop! I want the longest maternity leave I can have with the baby (12 weeks is the standard by law). My company is very family-oriented, and what we do makes it easier to work from home if necessary.

Q: Are you going to go back to work or be a stay-at-home?

A: The plan is to go back to work after maternity leave, but really that is a question we can’t answer until the baby is here. I have no idea how much work goes into being a mom, as well as balancing work & baby. Once I get into a routine and feel adjusted, Patrick and I can make that decision ourselves. We also have to take our finances into account at that time, and especially with a little one in the family. Luckily, like I said earlier, all of our family is in the area, which will make going back to work easier like we plan. I really love where I work, and I'd love to stay after maternity leave, so we will see what happens!

Q: How did you react when you found out you were pregnant? How did everyone else react?

A: I think I put this in an earlier post (maybe the baby announcement one?), but we were very shocked, and not at all worried. I knew both of us were in a good place (both graduated college, both working full-time with fantastic jobs), and that we knew we were meant for each other. I did cry at first, but it was just an, “oh my gosh, I am shocked this is happening!” kind of thing. Patrick was very supportive and very positive, and we knew our families would be supportive and positive as well since they both love us together.

Q: What are your cravings?

A: I haven’t really had any cravings besides chocolate and fried chicken (thank God for Chicken Mini’s from Chik-Fil-A). For chocolate, is that really even a craving? I feel like I craved that before I was pregnant. However, I really love homemade chocolate cookies and Ghirardelli brownies, and decaf Starbucks Chocolate Mochas with extra chocolate sauce. However, I’ve just recently cut out my soda addiction (I was drinking decaf for the pregnancy), and I’ve cut down on the chocolate cravings (stupid Girl Scout cookies...). Any time I crave some kind of candy/chocolate, I’ve been eating fruit instead. I’ve also been making healthier breakfast/lunch/dinner choices, too.

Q: Have you been working out at all?

A: Yes! Well….I try to! I have a pregnancy workout DVD, and this girl kicks my butt and she’s 8 months pregnant in it! It definitely gets me sweating. We also have an elliptical/bike combo I try to use as well. I have a pregnancy yoga DVD, but I haven’t tried it yet. I may do that tonight! I kind of prefer the workouts over yoga, though. I definitely try to take Sadie and Max on walks (Sadie on the longer ones) just because I sit in an office cube all day while she is at home, so we both need to get out!

Q: Have you felt the baby kick yet? How big is she?

A: Yes! And she can KICK! Sometimes I think I did something to make her want to kick and punch me so hard. Patrick and my mom have both felt my stomach when she kicks. It’s a very cool feeling. I can also tell when she is going to kick because I can kind of feel her moving around. It’s a nice sign to know how active the baby is. When I’m sitting down or not moving is when she is active, because when you walk around or are active, the uterus moving rocks her to sleep. Also, my pregnancy app says she is about the size of a spaghetti squash and is 8in long and weighs about 1 lb.

And finally, YES. The baby will 100% be ALL VOL. Not that that was even a question ;)

Gender Reveal Party

Since I gave all my friends the go-ahead to post the exciting news, it’s no surprise on the blog that we are having a baby GIRL!

Patrick and I are beyond excited. At first, we thought we wanted a boy. We had convinced ourselves we were having one, since his family BREEDS boys! Because we had convinced ourselves it would be a boy, we didn’t want to get excited about the possibility of a girl. The video of us finding out it’s a girl is PRICELESS since our reactions are so stunned! I had to shorten the video because it was too large to upload, but I was in tears thanking everyone for coming to the party, because Patrick and I couldn't be happier or more blessed by the support we have. You can see me wiping the tears away. Also, Patrick saw the cupcake filling before I did, but once I heard everyone's screams I KNEW it was a girl! Once we found out, however, we were even more excited than if it had been a boy. All of our friends and family wanted a girl, since all the Laiti’s seem to be are boys (except my little niece Caitlin)! Our parents and grandparents all wanted a girl, and all my friends and his friends wanted a girl, but even they expected a boy. So everyone was shocked when we saw pink! I’m very glad that everyone wanted a girl, since that’s what she turned out to be.

Basically, we had the ultrasound technician write in a card we had bought if it was a boy or girl, and stick the ultrasound pictures where you can tell in the card as well. She sealed the envelope, and I drove it over to Cupcaked Bakery in Clifton, VA. Our friend Kristina owns Cupcaked, and I handed her the envelope, so only she (and the ultrasound tech!) knew if it was a boy or girl. She made two regular-sized cupcakes with the filling inside either pink or blue, and then made two orders of cupcake minis with either pink or blue frosting. We weren’t allowed to open the box of minis until we had bit into the regular-sized cupcakes with the pink or blue filling!

We had picked names well before the gender reveal for either boy or girl. We decided on the name Olivia Grace for her. It does not bear any family significance, but we just really like it! I think I convinced Patrick when I told him her initials are “O.G.” (like “original gangster”….haha). But either way, the name is a “normal” name but very cute. We aren’t into the weird baby name trends.

So, what was the next thing to do? Start on our baby registries, of course! We picked Pottery Barn: Baby and Target….and let me say, shopping for a girl is WAY more exciting! Monograms and baby pink & grey everything. My mom and I can’t wait to start decorating the nursery. Knowing what the gender and name are, Patrick and I feel like it seems more real (not like my large baby bump doesn’t make it seem real!). It makes us increasingly more excited. Also, she has been kicking like crazy! Patrick felt my tummy and felt her kick the other day. It’s really neat!

At our 20 week appointment we had, the ultrasound technician told us she looks healthy and that she couldn’t stop moving around the entire 45min appointment! She said we will definitely have our hands full. It’s so neat to watch the ultrasound and see her actually moving. It’s like watching TV! She kicked, waved her arms, and sucked her thumb. She also is measuring a week bigger than she should (big baby!) and her head is on the large side, which made me laugh. Overall, the appointment went very well!

We are so thrilled and can’t wait to welcome our little girl. The gender reveal was better than we ever could have asked for (there were almost 70 people there to support us!), and everyone that attended made the event even more special. It's so nice to be able to include our close family, friends, and coworkers into our exciting life events. Patrick and I couldn't say a million "thank you's" to justify how "on cloud 9" we are from it all! Now, to find out on Friday what my sister-in-law is having!

-LL

 

20 Week Ultrasound

Inside of the Cupcake!

DG's - Past and Future

Future Big and Little! Madelyn and Olivia

After the initial shock - love this one

Me and the Hubby in our Pink and Blue! Lots of compliments on the dress - a huge THANK YOU to my mom - she MADE this dress for me since we couldn't find any cute pink and blue maxi dresses!!!

Besties since middle school

Thank you Cupcaked! I promise they were put together nicer - people kept eating them so I tried to rearrange them!

Andy Photobomb- Pic of the house

Our surprised faces!

Book Review and Weekend(s) Recap

First, I'll start with a book review on a different parenting style I have read, then I will recap the weekends I missed blogging!

Bringing up BéBé: Book Review

Let me start by saying…I have not finished this book yet. My sister gave it to me for Christmas because she knew how much I enjoyed studying French in college and high school. However, once I finally got the chance to open this book (I am about halfway through)…I LOVED IT.

This book is written by an American mother (she is a journalist from New York) who marries a British man, and has to move to France with him because he is a writer for French sports teams. After they marry, they decide have a baby together and raise it in France instead of moving back to the United States or Great Britain. When she brings her baby for playdates with French and American mommies, she notices the differences in how French children act versus her own child and other American children. French children are incredibly well-behaved, while her own kid and other American kids are constantly “wanting” and “needing” things. She starts keeping a journal of the differences she notices so she can start to implement these in her own child (and write this book), because they are things that help create a behaved child.

Now, I do not have any kids yet (but one on the way!), so I have no idea if these tactics are even feasible. But, from what I have read, I really like the things I have learned (how to get a baby to sleep through the night, how to make sure you get “adult time” to have coffee with friends, appropriate “snack times,” etc.). From some of the reviews of the book I’ve seen though, I know there are a few tactics coming up that I may not agree with. However, I’d be VERY interested to have my mommy friends read this and tell me their opinions! Whether they have a baby on the way, toddlers, teenagers, or adult children, I’d love to hear their thoughts. They may hate this book, or love this book. Everyone has their own parenting style!

Keep in mind, when the writer moved to France, she HATED it. When she learned the French ways of parenting, she also had a VERY hard time adjusting to their ways versus hers. She is not an advocate for French parenting (neither am I- I have no idea if these "work" like she says since I have not raised a child yet), but she is merely trying these tactics on her child. She still has some of her own ways of American parenting, but implements the things she likes in French parenting. Also, since she is immersed in the French culture by living there, she kind of does not have any other choice but to use some of their tactics since they are used in the French schools and daycares. Also, a lot of French nannies refuse to nanny for American parents because they find American children to be harder to watch after. The parents can also be hard to deal with because they are constantly “hovering over” their kids.

Like I said, I’m really interested to have my mommy friends/those considering having a baby read this book (if they even have time to!). I’d love to hear what everyone has to say. Also, there are TONS of opinion articles on this book: some bashing her ways, some praising. It’s all about how YOU choose to raise your child. Am I going to “love” all of her tactics by the time I finish this book? Definitely not. Will I consider and try some of them? Absolutely yes…Lord willing!

Now that I’m done discussing a book I haven’t even finished yet (but am eager to!), I’ll share some things that happened over the weekends I missed blogging about.

Patrick and I had a date night to PF Chang's last weekend (I crave Chinese food), and it was incredible. We dressed up since we decided we will stay in for Valentine’s Day and make heart-shaped pizzas (he knows the way to my heart). We also did some things around the house, like hung shelves, he worked on the bathroom so it can hopefully be somewhat ready for this weekend, and ran some errands. One of his tenants (who is also one of his best friends) moved out, which was very sadL. We love Andy! Plus he dates one of my best friends, Amanda, so I won’t see her around the house (“the farm”) as often. So now we have his room open for storage until the bathroom and shed are finished. Once those are finished, we can move things back into the garage (which we use as a workspace for tools/things for the unfinished bathroom) and move things into the shed so we can make that room open to be the baby’s room! Also, we will officially have the house to ourselves come March…his other tenant, Frank, (also one of his other best friends) will be moving out. We are going to miss both Andy and Frank them terribly, and I know the dogs will, too!

Over Superbowl Weekend,  we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday, and we watched the (devastating) Superbowl. Obviously, I wore my Manning #16 Tennessee jersey, and I still love Peyton no matter how he or the team played! We also bought a new front entrance table and put in a new storm door since the one that came with the house needed to be tossed. The new one traps the warm air inside so we can actually leave the front door open and look out the glass door outside (and so can the dogs!).

Also, I don't know HOW I haven't written in detail on this (I touched on it in my last post)....but my sister-in-law, Crystal, who I am SO blessed to call family now, is also expecting! She and Peter (Patrick's older brother) are expecting their fourth child. They have two boys and a girl already. Crystal's due date is only 3 days after mine! So, I can definitely say I enjoy having someone to chat with about being pregnant and "mommy" things, especially when we go on family vacations and can't partake in some of the activities. Plus, we get to play with her precious children. She finds out the sex of her baby next week, which we are both eager to know if we are having the same or different. It will be neat to have cousins who are so close in age, since Peter is the only one of the four Laiti boys who has children already. Also, Crystal and I need to take a "baby bump" picture soon!

Patrick and I are SO excited for our 20 week appointment tomorrow…pray it all goes well! This will be our second ultrasound, which is the one that will show whether we are having a boy or girl! We will not have the ultrasound technician tell us, but write it down so we can give it to Kristina at Cupcaked Bakery so she can make us pink-or-blue-filled cupcakes for the gender reveal (which is how we will find out boy or girl!). This weekend and the gender reveal party can’t come fast enough! Hopefully the baby isn’t turned in a way that they can’t tell if it’s a boy or girl…that would be terrible! Wish us luck!

-LL

20 Weeks!

Front Entrance New table

Mother-in-Law's Birthday and the nephews!

55th Birthday Cake!

PF Chang's Date Night

How every Vol fan felt on the Superbowl