Anyone there?

At this point, I'm assuming you've all given up on me, and believe me, I don't blame you, but if you are still there, I'll give you a little update. I am now at 35 weeks, which means that I have about 5 weeks to go. Ella is probably about 5 1/2 pounds and 20 inches. She is still a little nugget, but if she were born right now, she would probably be okay, which is nice to know. I'm still feeling good, but this past week I have definitely started to feel more pregnant.

Mike and I just finished our baby classes. We learned all about labor, delivery, breastfeeding, and even took a hospital tour. Mike had to learn how to be really nice to me when I'm in labor, and even forced himself to look at pictures of poop so he will know what is normal and what isn't. He only gagged a little. I was so proud of him.

Best of all, Mike surprised me last weekend with a Valentine's getaway to Litchfield where we stayed at a quaint little inn. We went out to fancy dinners and visited amazing bakeries and did a little sight seeing. It was really nice to have one last vacation before the baby comes. Thank you Michael! You can all go on his facebook to see the pictures.

Well, tomorrow is my baby shower, so I am super excited to see everyone I haven't seen in a long time and to get some much needed baby supplies. Hopefully I'll write again soon to let you know how I'm doing.

Thanks for sticking with me!

A few missteps

Hey everybody! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Mike, Ella, and I are spending our holiday vacation in Alabama with Mike's mom, dad, brother and his family. Ella has certainly had a great holiday so far. She has gotten lots of clothes, blankets, bibs, and toys and can't wait to start wearing and playing with everything.

She is getting bigger everyday and by Thursday I will be 28 weeks pregnant, which means hello third trimester. She is about 2 1/2 pounds now and 15 inches long. I can feel her moving around and Michael has finally started feeling her move, too.

Now, at this point, you are all probably wondering about the title of this blog post. Well, I have to be honest with you guys. Pregnancy has caused me to lose a little balance in my life. Yesterday, while on a lovely country walk, I fell down. I mean I really fell down. I skinned my hands, knees, and right shoulder and found myself crying on the side of the road. Once I picked myself up, I realized my ego was more bruised than anything else. So, no worries. Ella is fine besides being a little annoyed with her clumsy mother. Other than that, everything is good.

Well, I'd like to say I'll write again soon, but let's be honest. It's me. It'll probably be a while. See you all then!

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Hey blogosphere, Jeni here writing from pregnancy land. I am now just over 25 weeks which means I'm in my sixth month. Ella weighs about a pound and a 1/2 and is about 9 or so inches long, crown to rump. I'm feeling her move all the time now, but it still just feels like little flutters more than actual body parts moving around. I'm sure it will become annoying later on, but right now it is the coolest feeling ever. I still don't have too many symptoms, but as I am writing this, I did just notice that my ankles are pretty swollen. I guess it is good to be pregnant in the winter because you can wear boots and pants and hide your problem areas as much as possible. Good planning on my part. I still have crazy leg cramps at night, but as far as I know, there's nothing you can do about that.

And just so everyone knows, we have registered at Babies R Us. It was pretty fun to pick out all the cool gadgets. Plus, I let Michael use the gun, so he was happy. Word of advice for you future moms out there, bring a mother with you. Registering for baby stuff is not like registering for your wedding. When there are about twenty different monitors to choose from, you need a little guidance. We forgot to do that, but we figured it out. So, feel free to start buying us presents! Talk to you later!

Baby's first Thanksgiving

Well, Ella got to experience her first Thanksgiving this past week and let me tell you, she really enjoyed herself. Turkey flavored amniotic fluid is the best. Also, I know my entire family was really jealous that they weren't wearing maternity pants that day. I think that I am going to hold onto at least one pair and call them my "Thanksgiving pants."

So, I am 23 and 1/2 weeks pregnant which means I have just entered my sixth month and the little one weighs about a pound or so and is about 8 to 9 inches, crown to rump. My uterus is about the size of a soccer ball which explains why I have to pee every five seconds. So far, everything has been great. My belly has finally popped and there is no way I can put my regular pants on, but as I said, maternity clothes are so awesome, I couldn't care less. I can feel her do some little fluttery movements, but I haven't yet felt a really solid kick. I think it will be a few more weeks for that.

So far, pregnancy has been awesome, and I can only hope it stays that way. I figure that if I keep doing my Jillian Michaels' Wii workout game for as long as possible, then things will continue to go smoothly. Well, that's all from pregnancy land!

What's in a name?

Sorry I haven't written in a while. I had some technical difficulties, but I figured it all out. So, if you haven't already heard, our babies name is going to be: Gabriella Marguerite Bonaldo. In case you didn't know, she's Italian. Who could have guessed that I would end up having such an Italian baby? Oh well, people at the supermarket will probably think I'm babysitting, but I'll know she's mine. I keep imagining her coming out with Michael's hair, skin, and face, right down to the beard! No matter what, she will be super cute. I also wanted to mention that we are not going to be calling her Gabby. Her nickname will be Ella, so start practicing that now, okay? Ella Bonaldo, Ella Bonaldo, Ella Bonaldo. It sounds pretty good, don't you think?

Well, anyway, I haven't felt her move yet, but I am starting to have a little more of a belly. I'm still waiting for the big belly pop, but considering that I am 20 weeks, it should be happening any day now. I'll keep you all posted on the status of my expanding waistline. Wow, does that sound like a woman's worst nightmare, or what?

That's all from pregnancy land!

The big reveal!

So, if you haven't already heard, I am having a.... (cue drum roll)...girl! While I was trying to be open-minded about the whole thing, in my heart of hearts what I really wanted was a girl and so did Mike so we were so happy when the technician gave us the good news. It was a pretty cool experience overall. We got to see her brain, heart, kidneys, bladder, etc. or at least we got to look at a blurry blob while the technician told us what we were seeing. I think that learning how to read an ultrasound is truly an art form. I didn't understand half the things I was looking at, but I did get to see her cute little head and hands, and at one point she was facing my back so we got to see her little butt and legs and even her tiny feet. It is hard to believe that she already has so many parts when she is only about six inches long (crown to rump). She is a very tiny, perfectly formed little girl and now I just can't wait to meet her! It is also amazing that she is moving around so much, and yet I haven't felt any of it yet. That is the next milestone and should be coming any day now.

Now, I know you skeptics out there are going to remind me that identifying the sex of a baby via ultrasound is not one hundred percent accurate, but I did have both the technician and the doctor offer their opinions, so at least two people who know what they are talking about said it is a girl. So, I feel confident (and also weird) in saying, I have a daughter, but I won't start monogramming everything yet.

Thanks for your patience. See you later.

Counting Down

So, I'm counting down to Friday, "G" day let's call it, as in gender day. Of course, the purpose of my 18 week ultrasound is not really to find out the gender. The real purpose is to check the brain, and lungs, and all the other body parts to make sure everything is alright, but all I can think is: boy or girl? boy or girl? boy or girl?! People keep asking me if I have that "feeling" about what it might be, but I really don't. To be honest, I kind of want a little girl, but of course I will be happy regardless. I just keep imagining my own little Isabel to dress up.

Anyway, I'll find out in a few days. I'm not much of a secret keeper, so I'll definitely let you all know, but I'd rather have the fun of telling you in person or over the phone, rather then here. Eventually, for those of you I don't see or talk to very often, I will certainly post the results here, if for no other reason than so I don't have to use both pronouns anymore.

That's all from pregnancy land! Talk to you later!