Shhh... Be Very Very Quiet

From WhattoExpect.com:

For Dad: Hearing Baby's Heartbeat

Place your ear against her tummy and you may be able to hear your little one's heart beat.

You've probably been hearing your baby's heartbeat with a Doppler at those doctor or midwife visits. But at 25 weeks pregnant you can hear that thump-thump in the comfort and privacy of your own home. If the room is very quiet, and you both are very still, you may be able to hear a very faint heartbeat when you gently press your ear against her stomach. If not, try again tomorrow. You're getting closer — plus, this gets you closer to her, too.

She's kicking and punching at work!

Today, Suzanne and Deanna felt BGC kick/punch after I ate lunch today.  She took a while to perk up (I think she gets her shyness from me) but then she was comfortable and decided to punch away.  I think she may want to take my job away from me at The Career Center since she had fun with Suzanne and Deanna today.  In another month or so, she will be stretching her little body so much that we may actually see her feet! That is nutty!

School's Back!

Since school started back yesterday, Hofstra's campus is back to life! So this means we are busy bees, which I really enjoy since the days go by faster.  By the time I get home though, I'm pretty tired, so just a warning that my posts may not be as frequent during the week.  I will try my best though!

Just wanted to touch upon a couple of things...

Did Beyonce wear a prosthetic baby bump at the VMAs?

One source says that she is only 2 months preggers, but I don't believe they would announce so soon.  If she did wear a fake bump, I don't particularly like that idea.  I'm a little superstitious and I wouldn't want to fake anything involving my baby, but hey it was her decision.  However if she didn't wear a bump, I can understand her ups and downs with her bump size.  The pic on the left was probably after she ate throughout the day and maybe the pic on the right was in the beginning of the day.  Towards the end of the day for me, my bump gets bigger and it's just because of the food and the slow digestion.

On the way to work today, I heard on the radio that Kate Middleton may be pregnant! A few gossip websites said that she announced her pregnancy while Victoria Beckman was by her side.  Ha!
From the oh so reliable www.mjbstar.com source:

"Last Friday, Kate underwent pregnancy tests in the observation of Royal gynecologist, Dr. Fritz Barnwell and stated that she was not pregnant. But, Williams was not satisfied with the tests and requested the Royal doctors to perform advanced tests and in the advanced tests, it was confirmed that she is five days pregnant.

Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the family members are happy with the Kate Middleton pregnancy news. However, Prince Charles has been worrying about the violence in the country and not interested to focus more on the Kate pregnancy news.

She started taking precautions about her pregnancy and she did not have alcohol at the William’s cousin Zara Phillips’s reception on July 30.

The Royal couple, Prince and Kate is planning for the vacation at Queen Elizabeth‘s Scottish estate, Balmoral Castle."

I hope the rumors are true and there's a Royal baby on the way!

Uncle Harry will do a GREAT job babysitting! 

Labor Day 2011

Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  Next Labor Day we will have our BGC with us and it's pretty amazing to think that.  I can't really remember what we did last labor day weekend, but this and next are definitely ones that I will remember!

On Saturday I had to take 25 college Freshmen to the city.  I didn't think I would be so exhausted by the time I got home, but the heat and concentrating on everyone really made me conk out.  Nelson was actually sick (still kinda is) so I made him some soup and then I knocked out for the night.  Our plans for heading up to CT Saturday night switched to leaving Sunday instead.  I was fine with that!

On Sunday, our first stop was at Del and Anthony's house in Ellington, CT.  They built a new home in 2009 and they put so much hard work and detail in it, that it's always a pleasure going over there.  I feel like I'm in a Real Housewives show on Bravo when I go there, except, they are NOTHING like any of those characters.

This is the front of their home.  Can we please move in?

This is their back patio.  We hung out here for most of the afternoon.  Anthony made me a virgin bloody mary so I wouldn't feel left out.  Thanks Ant!

I normally would never post a photo of me like this.  But I like to think that I will look back at these photos to see what I looked like at 24 weeks.  Nelson said that I could save a few lives with my 2 floating devices.  Thanks Nelson, hardy har har.

Again, a photo that I can look back at.  Face says that I'm oh so happy that Nelson is taking pics of me.

We had a great dinner with Del, Anthony, and Del's mom Ruthie.  We haven't really had quality time with them since we live in NY but also they just opened up a Massage Envy in West Hartford, CT.  They are busy working working working so we appreciate that they spent their very first day off with us in their home.  Thanks guys! Oh and guess who is getting a prenatal massage when I come back to CT? Woohoo, can not wait!

We then made our way to the Castro's and spent the night there so we can wake up and enjoy Labor day with the family.  We also celebrated a belated bday with Mama/Vova Castro.  There's always an abundance of food when we go over there, a pregnant lady's dream.

How can you resist Portuguese bread, straight from the Bakery? Had just 1/2 with my burger, I'm sure BGC will be fine :)

Vova and Cousin Brenna blowing out the bday candles

After much food and laughs, we all departed so we could start our work week.  It's always hard to leave CT since we don't spend much time up there.  Hopefully after all the renovations and preparing for BGC's arrival we will be able to enjoy more quality time with family.

So I decided to take a different form of transportation home, just to make it exciting...

Are you kidding? I would never get on a motorcycle even if I wasn't pregnant! I'm a chicken, but hey no hands while sitting on a moto! What a rebel! You see pregnant ladies can do LOTS OF THINGS!

Well time for bed now, Hope you all had a lovely weekend and enjoy the week ahead! I'm welcoming the Fall with open arms, then Winter (EEK!) 

You can do it while you blog...

Pumping that is... I happened to come across this photo while looking at Target's maternity section online (searching for not-so-expensive pantyhose) 

Wow, I'm not sure what to say about this.  I was actually surprised that they actually paid someone to strap on a pump machine and act like they are typing away on facebook.  Good for her, I'm glad she got paid, but you know that's not her milk! Oh it's called "Medela Easy Expressions White Bustier"

I didn't find many choices of maternity pantyhose at target since a lot of them were out of stock, but they did have these:

Fertile Mind Maternity Tights - Black

Where do they come up with these names? Fertile Mind? How about Comfy Tummy Maternity Tights! 

I Put That S*!t on Everything!

I'm like the old lady from the commercial above.  My new craving is to put Frank's Red Hot Sauce on Baked Potatoes, sides, veggie burgers. You name it, I'll try it.  I love the Buffalo Wing one the most:

Avoidance

I've been avoiding writing this blog entry like it's the plague!

Yesterday after work I went to my monthly visit to the Dr.  I felt like I was getting ready for a Weight Watcher's meeting. I made sure I wore the lightest clothing possible, because you know what? I gained weight.

So I arrived at the doc's and everyone in that office is oh so nice.  The nurse called me in and asked me to step on the DUM DUM DUMMMMMM, the scale. 

Let's just say that there was a "growth spurt" since my last appointment and the nurse let me have it.  She pretty much said that the doctor was going to be mad at me.  Honestly I felt like Kirstie Alley in "Look Who's Talking."  Remember the music montage of her going on the scale?  In the beginning, it wasn't so bad and it was easy to accept for her and then when the scale went up and up, she looked like she was going to burst out crying.  Yep, that was me, especially when the nurse was letting me have it.  OK OK I know, I will stop it with the cookies that I made last weekend during Irene and I will make sure I will monitor the intake of what's coming in, but honestly I don't think I've been THAT bad! I even said to her that I believe a lot of my weight went into my chest and those who have seen me, can attest to it. 

She also said that there is a month that pregnant women do put on a lot of weight at one time so maybe/hopefully this was the month.  I did just pop out the past few weeks, so let's just hope.  My legs and bum look the same as before and thank goodness that I have been working out. If not, that number would be MUCH higher. 

Deanna made me feel better today when she sent me this picture of a mean nurse.

The doctor wasn't so bad with me.  He pretty much said "Now you know, take that information, and just watch yourself."  I like his attitude. He did tell me to watch my carbs and sweets to avoid gestational diabetes.  Also since my father is diabetic, I may be more prone to that.  So I will watch it all like a hawk!  SUZANNE AND DEANNA, if you are reading this (they are blog supporters), please make sure you knock that bagel out of my hands!  What's funny is that I brought in the cookies I made last weekend into work today, so that they wouldn't haunt me at home. They are now gone! THANK GOD!

He then proceeded to put the Doppler on my belly to hear BGC's heartbeat and as soon as he put it on my tummy, you heard her heartbeat right away.  He said "Well that was easy!"  She's in there, growing away and healthy as ever.  That was the only best part of my appointment yesterday.

In 3 weeks I have to take my glucose test! I have to drink some orange stuff...

My appointment is at 10am and I can't eat anything before hand.  I have to make sure I finish this drink by 9:15 and hopefully I can digest sugar the right way.  If I fail, then I will have to go through a more agonizing sugar test that takes about 3-5 hours?  Yikes!