31 weeks!

The last two weeks have been very eventful. We are getting really close to finishing up the baby's room. The chair rail was installed (thanks to Matt and his dad), we built the crib and glider and are going to pick up the dresser from the store tonight! Leo was so patient while building the crib, I think he is turning a new leaf. It was really sweet. Candice and I worked on Nicola's nursery letters. They came out beautiful. It took us a few tries but once we figured it out they came out AWESOME!!!

I had my final for my class the 8th. Leaving the university that day felt great! I can't believe that was my last last test in a university setting FOREVER!! The test was pretty hard but it was because I didn't prepared right. All I want to focus on is the baby and Leo and me time. I turned in final project and my adviser finally graded it and it was satisfactory (it was a pass/fail grade). Graduation was Dec 17th and my friends from work and Leo were there to cheer me on. These events are the hardest to be far from my Miami friends and family but my NC friends and Leo tried to make it special. I had the biggest cheering crowd and we were in and out in 45 mins. It was sort of cheesy but I'm glad I went.

Leo and I went to a very nice steakhouse that night to celebrate.

Lastly, I had a dr's appt today and the dr said everything was great with the baby. I've gain 19.5 to date and my belly is growing every week. I'm so grateful that pregnancy has been so easy because I don't know if I could have finished school and work full time if it were harder.

Leo, Pebbles and I are going to be driving down to Miami on Monday!! We are not looking forward to the drive but I can't wait to spend time with my family and friends. It is going to be a fun 2 weeks. My baby shower is Dec 27 and I can't wait!

I'll keep you posted. This is the most recent belly pic and below are links to graduation pictures and the most recent nursery pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/NCSUGraduation?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/BabyPics#

I hope your Christmas and New Year's is special and happy!

28 weeks and 6 days!!

2 more weeks down and 11 to go. It has been a busy 2 weeks. My father and law, Leo and I had a fun time in DC the weekend before thanksgiving. But it was freezing, the high was 36 degrees on Saturday! Leo's dad left the Monday before Thanksgiving and then we had 7 visitors rolling in from Tuesday to Thursday. Thanksgiving weekend was great! The house was full and it was so nice to have our friends over for the holiday. Sunday the house became pretty quit since it was just T and AJ. On Monday, I took the day off and we worked on the guest bedroom/office. Thanks to T, AJ and Leo we were able to move over the stuff from the old guest bedroom to the new guest bedroom/office. It looks great!! And now this upcoming weekend we are going to install the chair rail and build the crib!

School update: Yesterday was my last day of class and my final is on Monday, Dec 8th. WOOHOO!! I have a lot of studying to do but I will be done with school forever once Monday comes along.

Lastly I went to the Dr's today and everything checked out great. My iron was slightly low so I'm going to have to take an iron supplement...yuck. The baby is growing on target and no complaints yet. I can't believe there is only 11 weeks to go before the baby is born. It is still surreal. My belly is growing steadily and there is no denying that I'm pregnant anymore. I love my belly and feeling the baby move.

The latest pictures of my belly here. Below are also links to Thanksgiving weekend pictures and pictures our trip to DC. Enjoy!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/DCTrip2008?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/Thanksgiving2008#
http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/BabyPics#

27 Weeks!

I can't believe it is the beginning of the 3rd trimester!! I've been feeling great lately, trying to keep up my jogging/walking but it is getting harder due to the weather in NC. Some days it is perfect out (60 degrees) other days it is freezing (40 degrees). It gets dark here so early that I need to get out by 5pm to make it back before dark. Speaking of crazy weather, it was snowing here this morning!! I woke up to get to work and when I went to let out the dog, it was snowing. Pebbles is not used to snow so she came back in the house pretty quickly. The snow never sticks so by noon it is going to be all gone. I like this kind of snow b/c we don't have to worry about shoveling or icy roads.

I also went to the Doctors yesterday and they told me everything was looking great with the baby. I gained 4 pounds in 4 weeks, a total of 16 pounds. I had to do the gestational diabetes test and I passed, thank God b/c I don't think I would ever be able to give up sweets. From now on I will be going to the doctor every other week b/c it is my final trimester. The baby is moving regularly now and there are days that he moves more and days that he takes it easy.

Leo's dad has been visiting since Monday but we haven't done much. I've been so busy with school and work that we haven't had time to do much of anything. We are headed to DC today at around 4pm to sight see. I was hoping for a warmer weekend but it is going to be around 45 the high for both Saturday and Sunday. I will post pictures when we get back.

There has been no more progress on the baby nursery. We are waiting for visitor to come and go before we put in the chair rail in early December. I think once all the baby stuff is in the room it is going to dawn on me that I'm having a baby!

Last weekend, I received the invitation for my baby shower in Miami. It is beautiful, thanks to Caro (my sis). I know the party is going to be wonderful b/c T and Caro will make it special and all my friends and family will be there to share that day with me.

The two pics in the blog are the latest belly pics. It is growing every week. I didn't take any pics of my face b/c we took the pictures late and I looked tired so you guys just get pics of my belly.

24 weeks & 4 days!

A quick update this week. First, I'm feeling great! The baby has been moving more and more everyday. The baby moves a bunch in the middle of day and mostly after I eat. I haven't gained any more weight since the dr's appt. I'm at 11 pounds total. I was feeling like I was overeating lately but I guess not.

The nursery is coming along great. We finished painting last weekend. The stripes came out awesome and the color of the room is perfect. We are hoping to put in the chair rail in 2 weeks.


We also bought a running stroller from one of Leo's friends. It was in perfect condition and for a great price.


Those are all the updates I have for now. There a new pics of the nursery painting progress and my belly for this week. click below to see more pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/BabyPics#

22 weeks and 1/2...

Last time I failed to report how I was feeling, so this time I'll elaborate. I've been feeling great! My appetite is growing and as you all know I eat all the time. Yesterday was my doctor's appt and in 4 weeks I gained 5.5 lbs. I was worried about not gaining enough weight but I'm not worried anymore. The baby and I are growing steadily and the pictures will prove it. This weekend I'm going to run a 5k, I'll be running really slow and walking for some parts.

As we speak, the baby is kicking!! I finally felt the baby kick last week. I was sitting at work and I felt something weird in my stomach, I put my hand on my belly and then after a few seconds I felt a big thump. It was AMAZING! I had been waiting fluttering but instead I got a kick. That same night Leo was able to feel the baby too. Nicolas seems to be most active in the morning and early afternoon, especially after I eat.

Nursery update! Leo and I decided that instead of bead board, we would put a chair rail and paint white stripes on the bottom half and blue on the top half. We are going to buy the paint tonight and paint the blue half and the base coat for the bottom half on Saturday. Leo's guy friends are going to paint on Saturday and I will finish the stripes some time next week. We are going to buy low VOC paint so that I can paint and the baby won't be harmed. We also received the crib!! We won't be assembling it until early December because we'll have a bunch of guest in November.

Lastly, I'll mention school. I've been working hard on my research project but my advisor sucks!! I sent him my 1^st draft and haven't heard anything from him. My actual class is going well. I can't wait for school to be over. I should count down the number of days left.

There are more pics of my belly and a pic of the crib at the link below.

Stay tuned...new blog in 2 weeks.

http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/BabyPics

20 Weeks and 6 days!

For the last two weeks I've been thinking a lot of the baby's nursery. I've been searching for cute and inexpensive bedding set but those don't exist. Leo was hoping for a blue and brown theme but after scrounging at Ross, Marshalls, and TJ Max I found one in tones of blue, green and white!! I've been doing some research and looking at different nurseries and what I really liked was the beadboard and chair rail look. And we are going to try to install beadboard paneling and painting the top of it in a rich blue. I'm SOOOO EXCITED about the look of the room. We are also going to buy the crib this weekend or next week. We are going to buy cherry or expresso furniture.

Also for the last few weeks I've been lurking on these pregnancy message boards and now I think I'm officially addicted. They are a lot of fun and some are informative. They complain/comment about being pregnant, their husbands, their sex lives etc. I truly have to stop but for now it is a lot of fun.

Lastly, I guess I'll mention school. IT SUCKS!! My professor is this really old guy that doesn't really teach he just reminisces about the past. I have a test next week so this weekend is study time! I'm also working on my master's project. I'm hoping to be done by late October.

Last Saturday was my b-day and I had a really fun time. I have attached two links, one are pics of my b-day and the other is the link to the baby pics with new belly shots.

http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/Fall2008?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/BabyPics#

Later...

18 Weeks and 4 days!

It's a…..BOY!

But let me start by updating everyone since the last blog. I am now 18 weeks and 4 days, with a small belly. On Monday of last week, I finally decided that I needed to go shopping for bigger pants and other necessities. My pants were not buttoning anymore and my bras were too small. I went shopping for a few things on Tuesday and bought a pair of maternity jeans, a dress, and bras. On Friday I did some more shopping and now I have a total of 4 maternity pants. I thought of buying a few pants that were a bigger size but I knew I would need the pants in the near future. I've gained a total of 6 pounds and I am uploading some belly pics along with the ultrasound pics of today. I've not felt pregnant for a while now, just normal. I've been able to jog/walk about 3 times a week. The weather in NC has been wonderful for the last 2 weeks so it feels great to be out and doing stuff outdoors.

Now to the real news…the mid pregnancy ultrasound. I've been patiently waiting for the ultrasound for 4 weeks and I was starting to feel nervous and anxious yesterday. I've been praying for the baby to be developing normally and that everything would be ok. Last night I went to bed but could not sleep. I tried to not think too much about the ultrasound but it was in the back of my mind. In the morning I ate a little breakfast and drank so OJ b/c I heard that OJ makes the baby active. We got to the Dr's office and they lubed up my stomach. The first thing we saw was the baby's spine. For some reason that eased my mind and I knew that the baby was going to be just fine. The ultrasound lady measured a bunch of stuff and then told me that the baby was lying sideways on my belly and that my placenta is in front of the baby. At nights I try to feel the baby move but I haven't felt anything. She said that the placenta's position is to blame that is why I haven't felt the baby move yet. After getting the baby to shift they were able to get a wee-wee shot. The first wee-wee shot was sketchy and Leo and I were skeptical, then she was able to get a bunch of pics and we were convinced that it was truly a boy. After about 20 minutes of being with the ultrasound tech, we went to see the doctor. The doctor was the most personable yet and she just assured us that everything looked good.

Here is the link and attached is a short video of the ultrasound.

http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/BabyPics#

That is all for now....more news in 2 weeks.

16 Weeks!

Last week was crappy Leo was gone to Argentina and Chile and missed our anniversary. but we celebrated during the weekend. It is 4 great years...

Last week I went to the doctor's and all they did was hear the baby's heartbeat. It was the shortest appointment yet but great b/c I got to hear the heartbeat. Also we are able to find out the sex of the baby Sept. 23!!!

So I've been a little worried b/c I haven't gained much weight. I weighed myself earlier this week and I've gained 2.5 pounds since the beginning. The doctor said there was nothing to worry about. So I've stopped worrying. I've been looking a little bigger but mostly like I'm bloated not like I'm pregnant. My pants are tight but they still fit. I've been wanting to go shopping but feel silly getting maternity clothes since I'm not showing.

In the next couple of weeks, I should start feeling the baby move but nothing yet. I've thought I felt something but then realize it is my stomach grumbling and not the baby.

More news in 2 weeks!! 2 more pics of my growing belly, click here http://picasaweb.google.com/nataliasanc/BabyPics#

13 1/2 weeks...

The good news is that Leo and I are pregnant!! I am currently 13 weeks and a half and counting. The baby is due date is Feb. 20 or 21, 2009.

So I had this long elaborate blog describing our journey to this point and then it was deleted...here is the abridged version.

We found out on July 18th after two pregnancy tests. The first fell in the toilet and I thought it was defective.

Week 9 was the first ultrasound which was AMAZING!!! This is the time we felt it was real. The baby was shaking its head and wiggling its body. Leo and I were on cloud nine for the rest of the day.

We told our family the weekend of Aug 8th. They were so excited and it was nice to finally tell them after holding it in for 12 weeks.

I am now almost 14 weeks and I'm feeling great. The worst weeks were week 6-8th. I was nauseas, hungry, and queasy. All I could eat was Kix cereal, peanut butter sandwiches and fruit.

So here is a recap:
13 and 1/2 weeks
Due date Feb 20 or 21
I have gained 1 pound
Still running/walking
VERY EXCITED!

I am going to try to keep you posted on a bi-weekly basis.

Go to this link Baby Pics to see some pics of our baby journey so far....

Love,
Nat & Leo