30 Facts About Yours Truly - November Blogathon

It's finally here! Welcome November and welcome Blogathon...

I've been thinking about this post all day. Mostly because I have no idea which 30 facts I'm going to share. Then I started listing ridiculous things: I'm right handed - yawn... I have brown hair - obvious. So bear with me. Hopefully this list will be more fruitful and exciting than the aforementioned snoozeville facts.

HERE WE GO...

1. I was born with cleft lip and palate
2. I used to be obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer between 5th grade - Sophomore in high school. Super embarrassing! 
3. I have a hippie dream of owning a summer camp. I love the camaraderie between the campers and the counselors. Camp was always a magical place for me. 
4. On that note, I used to go to craniofacial camp. It was a camp where all the campers had craniofacial deformities. Such a great feeling to be "normal" and around people that were just like me for a few days. 
5. I have a fear of Gary Sinise. It's not logical but it's a real deep down fear.... Blegh
6. I have the strange talent of being able to tell what mixes most dogs are. I have yet to discover where this talent comes in handy in my life. Although, it has impressed my husband from time to time.
7. I miss reading! Having a one year old does not leave me much time to sit and crack open a book. At least, a book that's author isn't Dr. Seuss. 
8. I have a guilty pleasure of reality TV. Bravo is my secret drug... 
9. My husband and I celebrate the day we met as our "friend-iversary".
10. I always wanted to move to NYC. I got as close as Syracuse.... Brrrrr...
11. I have my bachelor's degree in Psychology
12. I changed my major 3 times: Public Relations, Aesthetics Specialist, and Business ... I'm still not sure I made the right choice.
13. I love being a mother more than I ever thought I would. I thought I would miss going into an office, wearing heels, and sending emails... Turns out I don't but benefits talk.
14. Thank God for Pinterest because my family would be so sick of the only 2 meals I could make - spaghetti and breaded chicken cutlet.
15. I love a parade. Especially if there's a marching band in it. 
16. I want to be a snow bird when I grow up... Mountains in the summer and beach in the winter... Sign me up, please!!!
17. I want to be a tough girl when I'm out on the farm but the quick movement of a bug, animal, piece of grass and I will jump out of my skin because I'm obviously being attacked.
18. I think I only want one child. Not sure if this is a fact considering I'm not sure how I feel about it yet but I'm putting it out there. 
19. I make fake trips on Expedia so I can have a number in my head of how much I need to save for - if I ever got the chance to travel to Europe. Then something in the house breaks and my Europe money turns into A/C money. 
20. I used to be a really good singer. I performed in school, church, and summer camp.
21. I have to wear special earplugs on an airplane because I can't regulate the air pressure changes
22. I really enjoy cleaning my ears with a q-tip. 
23. I'm a cryer. It's my reaction to anything in life. Happy - cry. Sad - cry. Scared - cry. Excited - cry. Nervous - nausea and probably cry. 
24. I can play the spoons. Thank you Dollywood and our family vacation circa 1996.
25. I really want to find a church that I feel at home in. I grew up in church and I haven't found one that I've been comfortable in since I left Syracuse 2 years ago. 
26. I'm a matching freak. I think it hinders my fashion daring-ness
27. When I was a bartender, I could blow fire. 
28. I used to be a bartender... Is this one cheating?? 
29. I'm my parents' only child but I have 4 siblings from my dad's other marriages. 
30. I was born in Brooklyn, New York, moved to Florida when I was 3 years old, and I still consider myself a New Yorker. 

There you have it! I did it... Phew! My husband even popped his head into the room to offer some facts. None of which I used - thanks anyway, babe. 

Until tomorrow my friends... #NovemberBlogathon

Week 19-20

March Madness is appropriate for the March we have coming up...

 

 

The annual Strawberry Festival was this week in Plant City, FL and if you can't tell by the strawberries we're holding the festival really delivered!

 

 

The Twins turned 3 this week! I'm really going to need them to stop growing up. I don't like it, they're too cute, and too smart. My mom, Keagan, and I brought them to Gatorland and while they were skeptical at first the minute we got through the gates they enjoyed themselves!

This belly is getting out of control!!!!!

The Bump.com says:

She's got working taste buds.

Now, she's gulping down several ounces of amniotic fluid each day -- that's significantly more than before.

Week 17-18

I'm officially 27 years old! Happy birthday to me!! My friends and I went to a Solar Bear hockey game and then went out for sushi afterward. Don't worry! I stayed away from the fish... Gotta keep my little nuggest safe in there.

Also this week we had a photoshoot at work and I really got to see how big my bump is getting. It no longer looks like a beer belly but a real baby belly! The pictures came out great and I'm hoping they'll use them in the magazine.

Maybe we'll have a little hockey player one day!

Mmmmm...sushi

 

 

 

 

The Bump.com says:

 

Can you believe she's yawning, hiccuping, sucking and swallowing?

And she's twisting, rolling, punching and kicking, too -- and she's big enough that you might be able to feel her doing it!

  (That's a sweet potato... scary looking!)



Week 15-16

Husband (hehe) and I went on a mini-honeymoon this weekend to the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Studios. It was an absolutely gorgeous hotel and the room did not disappoint either. We took the water taxi from the hotel into City Walk and had dinner at Jimmy Buffet's.

My baby belly is really starting to show... Make Way for Baby....

 

 

The Bump.com says:

 

She's listening to your voice, thanks to tiny bones forming in her ears.

She's growing hair, lashes and eyebrows.

And she's forming taste buds.



Week 13-14

We've had a couple of crazy weeks! My father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer last week. It was one of the most unexpected things that has ever happened in my life. A part of me wants to curl up in a ball and cry but the other part of me knows that I've got to stay positive for my family and my new baby. He will start treatments in a few weeks and we will hopefully know more then.

In response to my father being so sick and not having too many answers about his cancer; Keagan and I decided that we wanted to get married quickly so that my dad could walk me down the aisle. 

Later on that week we got to see our baby! It's finally starting to look like a real baby instead of dinosaur. I was so happy to see it moving around and watch while it hiccuped on the monitor.

On Sunday, January 27th, Keagan and I tied the knot in front of our family lakeside in Mount Dora, FL. It wasn't anything we thought we'd ever wanted but we were surrounded by so much love and support that it made the wedding beyond special.

My youngest brother and sister bringing our dad a "Get Well" balloon

 

 

Our sweet little baby

 

Finally married!!

 

 

 

The Bump.com says:

 

He's probably sucking his thumb and wiggling his toes in there!

His kidneys are making urine, and his liver and spleen are doing their jobs, too.

And he's growing lanugo, a thin, peach-fuzz-like hair, all over his body -- it will help him keep warm!

 



Week 12

Keagan and I went to the doctor this week and got to hear baby-saurus' heartbeat for the first time!! It was the most amazing sound ever. I started crying, of course, and Keagan and the BIGGEST smile on face.

My bump is also continuing to grow.. and some more awesome news - I GOT THE JOB! I start next week at Parenting Magazine as an editorial assistant.

 

 

The Bump.com says:

Most of her critical systems are fully formed!

She's about to enter the growth and maturation stage, in which her organs and tissues will grow    and develop rapidly.

She's now developing her reflexes -- if you poke her body, she'll likely move.

She's opening and closing her fingers and curling her toes, too.

Her brain is developing fast!



Week 10

We've decided to start documenting my stomach growth. Thank God for pinterest and all of its crafty ideas. The nausea and vomitting are still around. I've learned that I have to eat every 2 hours to keep my stomach full. I have to eat through the nausea, which is a feat in and of itself.



I also had my a job interview today for Parenting Magazine... The irony is not lost on me. I'm very excited because the Executive Editor and I got along amazingly well. Keep your fingers crossed...


The Bump.com says:

Baby has working arm joints, and her cartilage and bones are forming.

Her vital organs are fully developed and they're starting to function.

Her fingernails and hair are starting to appear, too.

Plus, she's swallowing and kicking in there. (Can you believe it?!)

Week 9

FINALLY!! Keagan moved me home this week and I will get to ring in the new year in Florida with my friends and NO SNOW!

We did hit some serious snow on our way home heading through the mountains of Pennsylvania. It was one of the scariest things I've ever done. Royce behaved so well the entire trip and we made it in 2 days.

 

 

Later that week we celebrated 2013 with a few our friends, Jessica, Alexis, and her boyfriend, Dennis. We went downtown and hung out at Finnigan's. We left at 12:04am and headed home to avoid the traffic and didn't even see one police officer our entire drive home.

 

 

Jessica and I enjoying the New Year

 

Keagan and I ringing it in

 

 

The Bump.com says:

This is a milestone. She's no longer an embryo -- now she's a fetus!

She's developing more distinct facial features.

And she might now have a strong enough heartbeat to be picked up by a fetal doppler







Week 8

Last week was my final week of work before moving back to Florida. I was sad to say goodbye to everyone but was too happy to be seeing my mom and fiance at the end of the week. Of course the week my mom was flying in Syracuse had their first major snow storm.

Nice snow shelf building on my car

 

Royce was enjoying the flurries

 

 

The shoveled walkway up to my house

 

Snow angels with Mom

 

Enjoying our time in the snow

 

2 Month Mark!

My funnniest pregnancy moment so far: I've had terrible baby brain. My memory is good for nothing.

Foods I can't get enough of: Buttered noodles

Strangest food I've been craving: I haven't had cravings I've been so sick

Foods I can't stand: hotdogs

Smells that make me sick: The mix of food smells in the fridge

Highlight of my first trimester: Seeing my baby's heartbeat

Low points of my first trimester: Being so sick and nauseous

The Bump.com says:

You can't feel it yet, but she's moving those arms and legs like crazy!

Her fingers and toes are now only slightly webbed, and her tail (yes, she had one) is gone.

Fun fact: your baby's taste buds are now forming.

Week 7

The never ending nauea parade is still marching through my stomach. I haven't been able to eating anything but buttered noodles and cereal. I bought prenatal gummy vitamins because the thought of swallowing a pill causes my horn section to start tuning up.

I had my first REAL OB appointment this week. They did a bunch of tests and asked a ton of questions. I didn't particularly enjoy myself... The doctor was rushed and a little cold. I felt like I was at one of those 10 Minute Oil Changes. I did get to see baby-saurus again! The ultrasound picture wasn't as good as the one but I would take any chance to see my baby's heartbeat.

I've already started noticing my stomach starting to stick out a little further than before... Just a hint of baby in there...

I'm BEYOND exciting because my mother is coming next week for Christmas and then Keagan comes a few days after that to help bring me back to Florida!

The Bump.com says:

She's generating about one hundred new brain cells each minute!

Not only is her brain becoming more complex, but her heart is too.

Also important: She's developing a permanent set of kidneys

Her arm and leg joints are now forming.

Never a dull moment

After a weekend of nausea, vomitting, and napping I headed in to work on Monday to tell my job the new exciting news and to let them know that I was planning on moving back to Florida. About 2 hours into my day I get a phone call from the doctor's office letting me know that my blood test results were in and that my hormone levels were very high. The nurse explained the high level of hormones were probably the reason I'd been so sick. She also explained that I would have to go back in for ANOTHER ultrasound. High hormone levels can mean several things: multiple babies, ectopic pregnancy, or signs of a miscarriage... I was praying that the high hormone levels were just a fluke...

On Tuesday, I woke up early and headed to the specialist ultrasound office. I love being able to see my little nugget twice in less then a week. I also got to see its heart beat on the monitor.

The specialist told me that everything looks great and that there's only ONE baby in there... PHEW!!I had another round of blood testing and my hormone levels came back normal.

From the bottom photo we thought it looked like a dinosaur. Thus the nickname baby-saurus was born.

A Little Scare

We had a little scare today. While I was at work today I noticed some spotting. I immediately called my OB/GYN and let them know what was going on. They told me to come in immediately and make sure everything was alright.


When I got to the office they took me into the back and got me set up on an ultrasound machine. After a few moments of searching and held breath I got to see the first glimpse of our baby...

 

 

That little speck at the bottom of that black oval is our baby! Holding on tight!! I also discovered that we were 5 weeks pregnant.

 

After the ultrasound, the doctor sent me over to have my blood drawn to make sure everything was really alright.

 

It was so exciting to see there was actually something inside me! I can't believe something so small can be making be making me so sick! I haven't been able to eat anything. I'm sticking to buttered noodles and white cheddar popcorn.



Quite the Surprise!

Last week was Thanksgiving and, unfortunately, due to snowy upstate New York weather and a lack of funds I was unable to visit any of my family members. Royce and I spent the day watching the parade on TV, romping in the snow, and eating turkey sandwiches. Looking around at my family-empty apartment it was then I realized "I need to go home (Florida)". I called my mom tears streaming down my face and told her that I needed to move home and the sooner the better. She agreed and we decided that I would move home at the beginning of 2013.

As soon as we hung up the phone I felt sick to my stomach. I had exactly a month to pack up my life in Syracuse, NY and schlep all of my stuff back to the Sunshine State. I called my fiance, Keagan, and told him what my new plan was and he agreed to come up the weekend before New Years and help me move home.

For the next several days the sick feeling in my stomach never eased up. I was certain the limited time span I'd given myself to pack and move was stressing me out and causing me to have a bout of IBS. After work on Monday, December 3rd, I headed to the corner Rite Aid and purchased Zantac 75 for my new stomach issues. On my way to the register something else registered and I grabbed a home pregnancy test.

Well, surprise, surprise... Looks like I won't be needing that Zantac 75 after all...