Maternity Pictures and Update

So this is me on Christmas Eve at about 33 weeks.  It's kinda difficult to take your own maternity pictures but we did the best we could. I might have perfected the posing and changed up the background but this will suffice. But why did no one tell me my face was getting so puffy!?

Most everything is done.  The crib is built.  The dresser is build and stocked with washed clothes and a few diapers. The stroller is together.  The car seats will get installed in a week or so. I have just about everything I want/need for my hospital bag - I just have to pack it.  I've been so fixated on this c-section and coming to terms with it that it finally dawned on me a few weeks ago that this child may not actually come when I schedule it.  I mean it won't come later but it might actually come earlier!  Silly me!

I've had a really easy pregnancy but here in the last 6 weeks a bunch of mild problems have kicked in and some have already subsided.  None are worrisome but a few are mildly irritating and/or painful.  Still I can't complain.  I make a lot more noise these days, like when I try to bend over to tie my shoes or when he "kicks" me somewhere not so comfortable.  Diego says I'm snoring from time to time too... Bother.

I ADORE this picture below.  Diego's face is so content and happy.  He makes me lift my shirt and he kisses my belly usually when he leaves for work and then again some time in the evening.  He's gonna be a great father! I love that man.  I'm gonna keep him!

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Boy Oh Boy!

As you've probably seen or heard by now, we are expecting our first child at the beginning of next year. His c-section is schedule for Feb 6th. It's been a long and fraught-filled journey for us.

We've been waiting for this for 2 and 1/2 years. In between, we've had a miscarriage, a tumor removed and a couple of months of Clomid. Personally I think it's because we were finally set. We bought a house in March and we find out we are pregnant in June. Not that we were waiting or wanting to be "set" but I think Heavenly Father knows us well enough to give us what we need when we need it. Of course, I'm sure the Clomid helped!

We already know it's a c-section because of the tumor I had removed from my uterus a year ago.  It was so deep and in a part of the uterus that it would be unsafe for me to attempt a traditional vaginal birth.  I'm coming to terms with it. 

For my age, I am at a much higher risk for chromosomal defects. But after my ultrasound, the doctor reduced my risk to 1 in 750 because they liked what they saw. He was all curled up in a ball so it took a bit for the tech to actually see that it was going to be a boy. After we found out what we were having, she tried to get a picture of his face but he had his hands in front of his face.  So she jiggled him around a bit and he moved his hands to the side of his head but stuck his foot up in his face!  He's already giving us a hard time!

The first question people ask me is if we are excited. Yes, of course we are but it's taken some time.  We spent the first 3 months worrying that it wouldn't stay, that we would have another miscarriage and keeping the wonderful secret to ourselves.  Nobody tells you that the first few months you don't actually seem or feel pregnant.  I suppose I'm naive.  My biggest complaint at first was cramps, then headaches and now my feet hurt and I pee a little when I sneeze sometimes.  You don't need to know that, but there it is.  Time to do some Kegels. Altogether I've been very blessed.  No morning sickness, no extreme tiredness, no frequent urination...

Now, I must love you people to post this next picture... But in the spirit of full disclosure (and because people are asking me)...

This is me at 22 weeks.  Not sure I really look pregnant. I just look like I've gained weight.  What looks like baby is just my fat roll being pushed up. For the most part, the baby is below my belly button. I have officially given up on any kind on pants with a button on them but I'm not quite fitting into maternity clothes yet. Bother.

I guess I should back up.  When I said we were "set" I guess I meant that we had a home with an extra room to put a nursery.  As far as what a baby would need, we've got nothing!  So if any of you long lost friends out there want to contribute to the cause, PLEASE DO!!!  Here are the links to our registries.
Amazon.com
Target.com

Little Liam thanks you in adavance!!!

I am currently 23 weeks. I've been able to feel the baby move for a few weeks now.  Diego has been able to feel him from time to time.  The other day, he made me roll on my side on the couch so he could sit next to me and put his hand on my belly.  Another time he rolled over in the middle of the night and put his hand on my stomach and startled me awake.  I've read that pretty soon he'll be able to put his ear to my belly and hear the heartbeat.  I've read about the flashlight thing too but we're not going to do that.  It seems mean.

Anyway.  Wish us luck. And if you want to shower us with advice or presents we are totally willing...

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4th Anniversary - San Francisco

I'm liking this go-out-of-town-for-your-anniversary thing!  I think I'll keep it! This year was San Francisco.  We'd both been before but he never got to see Alcatraz and I wanted to see the Redwoods again.  So off we went.
This is San Francisco as seen from Alcatraz in the evening.  

At the gate of Chinatown the say we arrived.

At the tea shop where we got to try all these teas and learn about their health properties.  The Chinese drink tea not because it's yummy but because it's good for you.

One of the last handmade fortune cookie shops.  We didn't get a picture of me at one of the temples "shaking the sticks" to see what my fortune would be.

Diego eating "Lucky Fish".

We ordered hotpot in an attempt to relive one of my yummiest memories of China.  It was a disaster, as you can see on Diego's face.

Hanging off the Trolley. We waited in the gargantuan line at the main stop in the morning and I am glad we did.  At every stop we were instructed to yell at the waiting passanger, "We're Full!".

At the bottom of Lombard Street. The Crookedest Street.  Then we walked to Ghiradelli Square and then to Pier 39.

Muir Woods.  I was never any good at nature photography but still, in person it wasn't how I remember it.  Still very majestic!

In front of one of the Redwoods.

The Golden Gate Bridge. Note ALL the traffic.  We waited for a bus forever at the drop off from Muir Woods.  And then we had the bus drop us off at the last stop before the bridge.  Diego REALLY wanted to walk it.  I did not, however, but who am I to crush a dream.

So we're walking across the bridge and I want to take a picture of Diego but he won't stand by the water side.  He's scared!  WHAT!  You're making me walk all the way across this **** bridge and you won't even go to the side!!! Just left of center is the best I got.  Funny Boy.  Good thing I love him!

At the end of the walk on the San Francisco side.

Inside Alcatraz.

Inside one of the cells.  Diego thinks the hardest part would be doing your "business" in front of everyone.  I think the whole thing would be hard.

We took the night tour so we got to go up to the hospital.  This is the X-ray room.  Eerie, isn't it?

Lonely little Alcatraz.

All it all we did everything we wanted to in the short weekend we were there.  It was a TON of walking but I'm so glad we didn't rent a car.  Happy Anniversary to us!!!

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We bought a house!

Neither Diego nor I ever thought we'd be homeowners.  First of all we weren't mentally or financially prepared for such a thing.  How do people ever save up enough for a 20% down payment?...  But somewhere in December, we both starting thinking, "We should buy a house". So by Christmas we were working on mortgages and by New Years we were looking at houses.   (Note to others who may be looking: We qualified for WAY more than we could afford to pay back so be careful and know your limits before you make these decisions!)  We probably saw at least 80 houses and thought we might get 2 of them but in talking with our Realtor we never even made offers.  You see since we were getting a FHA loan (for first time home buyers) we used our tax return as the 3.5% down payment and had nothing left for closing costs.  And those other houses would still need money for repairs.  The house we ended up buying Diego saved from my discard pile.  Turns out, it is right down the street from where he lived when I met and married him. We paid list price for it but they paid for closing cost and for the refrigerator and the blinds throughout the house.

It's got 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and an office.  Turns out some people in our ward used to own this house and the first Sunday in church she came over and asked me about the trees in the backyard (which were just sticks when we moved in March).  I told her, very confusedly, that they were fine and she proceeded to tell me that they were fruit trees.  We inherited fruit trees!!!  We have a peach tree, a plum tree and an apricot tree!  Anyway.  We purposefully bought a house that didn't have really anything in the way of repairs but it's been an adjustment getting used to all the stuff we have to buy to maintain it!  Diego always said we'd hire some neighborhood boy to mow our lawn, but he has taken full ownership on it!  Our back yard has grass.  There are holes in our block wall back there and we get irrigation from our backyard neighbors (who happens to be the Elders Quorum President and the one who told us what the holes were for).  Anyway.  This is turned into quite the lengthy post on our home purchase.  I'll end with this.  That gravel in front yard, it's 90% gone (thanks to the Ricks) and we need to get the sprinkler system fixed and updated but after that we are gonna try for grass when some of this heat dies down.  Wish us luck!!!

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2010 Year End Wrap Up and Moving Forward

Yes, I do realize it's almost the end of February.  Whatever.  If 2009 was the year of us visiting everyone then 2010 was the year of everyone visiting us!

My friend Brandon came in April.  I can't put my fingers on any of those photos right now.  I think I've already packed the disc that has them... Brandon, email me a picture of the 2 of us from your visit please so I can update this post!!!

Then in July, my sister and her family came to visit.  Michael is not in this picture but he didn't like being in pictures anyway...

 And finally in December, we had Diego's mom and aunt come from Argentina!

With all that, we moved twice too.  The second time was cause we got smoked out of the first apartment.  We tried for a few weeks to beat that smoke smell from the previous or upstairs tenants but to no avail.  3 weeks later we moved.  Bother. 

Towards the end of the year I had surgery to remove a tumor from my uterus.  Not the cancerous kind but still bigger than a golf ball.  It wasn't really symptomatic but we are hopeful that it will change our chances of becoming and staying pregnant.

As far as moving forward in 2011, we are buying a house!!!  We should be in it within a month.  It has a HUGE walk-in pantry which is helpful because another one of our goals is to finish up our 1 year food storage.  72-hour kits - check.  3 month food storage - almost finished.  Non-perishables and toiletries - getting there.  1 year - I got nothing.  I wanna start a garden at the new house and I've been canning.  Here are some pictures of the chicken and breakfast sausage links I did.

Oh, and Diego is getting promoted! Hmm. What's next? *fingers crossed*

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Familia in EEUU

Diego's mother and his aunt came to visit us!!!  It was his mother's first trip to the United States (first time flying, for that matter).  They stayed almost a month with us and we tried to pack in as much as possible!  Among their favorite things was Wal-Mart but here are some other things we did.

Agua Fresca!!! Yum!

 

The lights at the Temple.

 

Their first snow.

 

The Grand Canyon.

Las Vegas.  The water ballet at the Bellagio, the ceilings at the Venitian, the chocolate factory, the sign, the flamingo, the Argentine restaurant, breakfast with the Johnsons, what else...  I can't remember.

 

 Tombstone.  We watched the show and went to Boothill Graveyard.

 

 The roller derby.  Once Diego explained a bit they liked it.

 

Diego and his mom.  Everyone thought he looked just like him mom.  Well, you should see his dad...  She doesn't like this picture cause she's not used to herself without her glasses.  I had to learn how to time my photos.  When you take a picture, you count uno...dos... tres.  And they repeat tres with you like we would say cheese except we don't actually say cheese every...single...time.

What I didn't include was the trip to the hospital when took them shooting and his aunt got hit in the face with the recoil of a gun she was shooting.  They were both doing very well but I guess her arms got progressively closer to her face and then, bam.  Yeah, she needed surgery in her eye. But she's okay!!!

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