23 Weeks 6 Days

February 1st already! My goodness the time is just flying by. Tomorrow is a day that many pregnant woman look forward to. Tomorrow is 24 weeks. People refer to this day as "viability day" which means that this baby has a very good chance of surviving on the outside, and that a team of doctors would do everything in their power to make sure the baby survives. I do not want him coming out even a minute before he is good and ready, but knowing that we are at the point, where Gavin is actually developed enough to survive on the outside is awesome. As I tell many people, I am convinved that he will not be born until June. I have a feeling he will stay cozy in mama's belly for quite awhile. AND, since we are going to a no-intervention practice of midwives, there will be no inducing to get him out. We will let him (and God) decide what his birthday is.

Although, I did have a random dream just a few days ago that I went into labor on May 13 and he was born early, early in the morning May 14. Who knows?

Things that we've accomplished since my last post:
1. Andre did a BEAUTIFUL job painting the nursery blue.
2. My amazing, generous parents and sister outfitted the nursery with all the furniture which we assembled (and rearranged about 100 times).

3. We had our 20 week ultrasound (also known as the Anatomy Scan) which was the last time we will see Gavin until he greets us on his birthday. We got to see that his brain, spine, spinal cord, lungs, stomach, kidneys, liver, fingers, toes etc are growing exactly as to be expected. He is one healthy, beautiful little boy. I was 20w6d at the ultrasound and he was measuring 21w5d. Again... he will likely be tall like his Daddy!

4. Our little karate kid kicks and moves all the time, and Andre FINALLY has seen/felt him!
5. I met and hired a beautiful woman to be our birth doula. I am so excited to have her as a part of our journey and to help pray for us, help us during labor, and help us establish breast feeding.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.747783923225.2207830.36400546&type=3#!/MommyMeDoulaServices

6. I also met and hired a birth photographer, who I clicked with immediately. She is so awesome and set me up with a network of other natural birth, cloth diapering, breastfeeding mamas in the Tampa area.
http://www.whatisremarkable.com/category/remarkable-photography/?doing_wp_cron=1359730941.3872249126434326171875

7. My boss and I began discussing maternity leave, and what my schedule will look like once Gavin is born. (We are praying that I get to stay home with him part time).

And here is our survey update...

How far along? 24 Weeks

Total weight gain: My total weight gain to this point is still around 9-10 pounds. Almost all of which was gained during the first trimester, very litte of which I've gained since week 12.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively. I've got quite the belly now!
Stretch marks? No stretch marks, but I have noticed that I have some tiny veins/capillaries on my belly.
Sleep: I've become quite accustomed to sleeping on my side, with a pillow between my knees, and getting up to pee 1-3 times.
Best moment this week: Likely yesterday when I met Lee Anne Roquomore of Remarkable Photography. The entire conversation was such a blessing to me.
Miss Anything? Hmm, I think I miss being able to sleep through without getting up to pee constantly. And maybe, being able to sit on the floor and get up from the floor effortlessly. This is something I had definitely taken for granted!
Movement: Constantly! Sometimes my entire belly moves. It never gets old and I am still obsessed with feeling/seeing him move.
Food cravings: Nothing crazy. I do eat Chobani yogurt pretty much very single day of my life, but I don't crave it, I just know that its a good, healthy morning snack.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: I KNEW he was a boy!!! Gavin Luis Genao!
Labor Signs: None, and if I had any this early, I'd probably freak!
Symptoms: Well my breasts have proven to me that they ARE in fact capable of feeding our son... Let's leave it at that :-P
Belly Button in or out? It's still innie, but at least half of the depth that it normally is. It is very shallow.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Andre says I get a little whiny sometimes, but I'd say generally very happy!
Looking forward to: My mama, daddy and Serena coming to Florida in just 19 days to see our house, my belly, and have our little baby shower! I can not wait to have them here! FINALLY!

Holiday Time

It's been a very hectic couple of weeks!

At my dating ultrasound on 14 weeks, 6 days, we learned that Mini Schmoop is a BOY!! We all "knew" that already, but it was great to hear confirmation. We've made it official that his name is Gavin Luis Genao. He is named after his great-grandfather, Andre's grandfather. We were able to share that special moment in NY to tell him that this baby would take his name Luis if he is a boy (sooo yay!!!).

Andre's already started painting baby Gavin boy's room with a beautiful light blue/gray shade. It's coming along and looks great so far!

Christmas was very special this year. Unfortunately I did have to work both Christmas eve and day, but we made the best of it. We spent Christmas eve over at Phil and Jeanette's house which was so special. I loved seeing the little ones play together and open their gifts. And.... dinner was SOOO yummy! Christmas day we spent at home just our little family, exchanged gifts and facetime'd with the family to open gifts from NY to FL. I even got to say the dinner prayer over the technology. Pretty cool!

I'm starting to adjust to working nights, somewhat. I don't love the shift, but I am trying my hardest to adapt to it. Adjusting my sleep schedule and my eating schedule it the hardest. According to the midwife, I am not eating nearly enough and I need to start gaining some weight before Gavin starts emptying me of all my nutrients. It's really a hard mindset to get into... the idea of trying to gain weight.

Speaking of mindsets, I have ALWAYS tried to do everything I can on my own. I'm pretty strong and hate to have to ask for help. People kept telling me to take it easy during pregnancy but I just have a REALLY hard time admitting that I am not capable of doing things now that I normally can. That said: I hurt myself pretty badly at work moving a box that I shouldn't have attempted to move in the first place. I spent about 4 hours in the E.R. a couple days ago while the Dr. researched what, if any, drug I can take that will help me with the exrutiating pain, yet won't hurt Gavin in anyway. I got a muscle relaxer, some tylenol, hot packs and rest- with a "Do not lift more than 5 lbs" notice. Cool. Diagnosis is Costo chondritis. Apparently I not only pulled the muscle in my back, but damaged the cartlidge between ribs in my chest. Yes, I've learned my lesson. No it wasn't a fun lesson to learn. No I will not lift things anymore. I'm doing my best to rest it, keep hot compresses on it, and sleep when I can (muscle relaxers help with that).

Let's continue my survey. I did it last at 13 weeks, let's see what's changed.

How far along? 19 Weeks

Total weight gain: I've lost weight from my 12 week to 16 week appointment. Desperately trying to gain some weight before my Jan 8th 20 week appointment. Much harder than it seems. Ugh.
Maternity clothes? I LOVE maternity clothes. Can't we wear them all the time? I'm pretty much exclusively wearing maternity.
Stretch marks? No, although I had a very real-feeling dream that my belly was covered in them... Luckily I am still without.
Sleep: Sleep was very hard while my back/rib hurt so terribly. These muscle relaxers are insane. I slept 16 hours yesterday. Eeek. But I think I need the rest.
Best moment this week: Christmas was awesome. Skyping (facetiming) with my family in NY while we exchanged gifts 1300 miles away. Incredible.
Miss Anything? Hmmm not really. Although I might miss some champagne at new years monday night, but that's no biggie at all.Movement: This little Karate Kid is moving like crazy! I feel him constantly. He isn't quite strong enough for Andre to feel, but I'm sure that will change VERY soon.
Food cravings: While my back was spasming out of control, I went to CVS to get the icy hot and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw cheese doodles hanging in the aisle. I HAD to have them. Besides that, I had an urge for pepperoni pizza which I did eat, but nothing since then.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: I KNEW he was a boy!!! Gavin Luis Genao!
Labor Signs: No, thank God... way too early for that.
Symptoms: I think it's safe to say my belly has "popped". Definitely showing now. Nothing else really.
Belly Button in or out? In...however its starting to look a little... shallow? I dunno its weird.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: As long as I'm not crying from horrible pain with this Rib damage, I'm in generally a happy mood.
Looking forward to: Our last new years celebration without a little one. Going to the Aquarium for Aqua Eve with my love! I can't wait!


Here's a new belly shot. It's a little blurry since the camera was about to die. 18 weeks at Christmas!

The BEST Thanksgiving EVER!

We went to New York!!!

I started packing on Wednesday and I desperately wanted to bring little Milo with us, but unfortunately he had to stay in Florida in the Pet Hotel.

Thursday morning everything seemed to be going very well and smoothly. We left the house on time. There was no one on the road to the airport. Found the place to park our car right away. Got right onto the shuttle to the airport and then.... I realize I left my phone on the passenger seat of the car. At first I say, "Ok, no worries, we will tell people to call your phone." Followed immediately by "WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!!!!!" I had PROMISED Mommy that we would share together in hearing the baby's heartbeat which I had recorded on my phone from my last midwife appointment. Needless to say, the very generous shuttle driver dropped all the people off and obliged the hysterical pregnant lady and took us back to the car to get my phone. PHEW!

Getting through security in Tampa airport is about one of the nicest/easiest things around to do. I asked to have a pat-down rather than go through the x-ray and they were so accommodating and respectful. I feel like it could be kind of embarrassing to be completely pat down in the airport, but the lady really was great! I guess it helped, that I had made myself a t-shirt that says "This is what I'm thankful for" with an arrow pointing to my belly. We got lots of congratulations in the airport! Here's a great pic of my t-shirt, but an even greater pic of my beautiful cousin!

We get off into the air and I'm so anxious and excited to just GET THERE and see my parents and Serena! As she promised, she was standing RIGHT at the door we come out of and we just hugged and cried and hugged and cried! She led the way outside to where Daddy was standing with the car. I literally skipped all the way to him to give him a huge hug. Then we sat in lots of traffic as we tried to make our way home to see Mama and eat all of her AMAZING food. Serena and I took this picture in the car on the way (and texted it to Mommy so she would know I really was on my way!)

As no one besides Daddy can do, he predicted that we'd be in the drive way at 3:35pm and sure enough he had it right on! Mommy and I both started crying before we even hugged each other. Then we hugged and I showed her my (tiny) baby bump! We went into the kitchen with Serena and I shared with them for the first time the sound of the little one's amazing heartbeat. It was so special to share that moment with both of them. It's very hard not having them close where they can just come to doctor's visits with me etc. Afterwards I shared with them the narrowed down baby name list (that is still on lock down publicly until we know the sex of the baby).

We all shared in an amazing dinner (of which I ate WAYYY too much but couldn't control myself). Serena brought out all of her beautiful looking home made desserts- and because Mini Schmoop is just LOVING fruit these days, I ate a passion fruit ice pop instead! Hahahah Sorry Serena! (They still tease me about that ice pop).

We went to Aunt Vee and Uncle Gary's house later on and got to visit with a bunch of family which was so amazing. I got to share the excitement of the pregnancy with my aunts/cousins/grandma all while my mama and sister were there!

I had SO much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! Friday morning we went to visit some old coworkers, and then drove straight into Queens to see my amazing inlaws. We had such a fabulous dinner with them. We ate Chicken and Rice and some yummy meat and plantain dish. I absolutely loved spending time chatting with them and catching them up on all of the very exciting things we have going on! From there we drove into Manhattan and spent an hour or so visiting with Andre's grandparents. These two are so special, it makes me emotional even trying to talk about them. They just have so much love in their hearts, it really is a beautiful thing. I am so thankful for his family.

Leo met up with us there and we took him over to Bill's Bar and Burger with us to meet up with SO many people who came out to visit with us.

We got a great big table and everyone shared in burgers, fries, milkshakes, drinks and laughs. It was so special to see how many people would go out of their way to see us while we were there. It was a better turnout than I could have imagined and it was PERFECT. We try so hard to maintain these relationships with all of these beautiful people even though we've moved and can't seem them as often anymore.

When we got home late at night, we saw that Mommy had already finished putting up her Christmas tree, and I realized that I want some "belly shots" infront of that tree. Our family has generations of pictures of beautiful pregnant ladies with those belly bumps in front of the tree, and so I did my makeup and starting posing before we had to leave for the airport today.

To anyone who knows Me, my Mom or Serena- I'm pretty sure I don't need to say that we were all a sack of tears when the family dropped us off at the airport. We gave hugs and kisses and "see you soons" and as we were checking in at the kiosk, I broke down into sobs that poor Andre didn't know what to do with me!

Although it was a very emotional trip, it was by far the most special holiday I have ever celebrated. I just have SO much to be thankful for. It feels great to be back home and in our new house, but I definitely left a piece of my heart in New York.

Matthew 6:21 ESV / 58 helpful votes

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Second Trimester!

I found this survey on a blog online and figured it would be fun to answer every now and then to track progress :)

Tuesday November 20, 2012- 13 weeks, 3 days and officially in second trimester! Baby is the size of a Peach! (wow peaches are pretty big aren't they!?:)

How far along? 13 Weeks

Total weight gain: Somewhere around 8 lbs
Maternity clothes? Mostly just maternity jeans. Otherwise still able to wear my shirts and leggings etc.
Stretch marks? nope
Sleep: I think switching to night shift has helped my sleep! I fall asleep instantaneously when I get home from work in the morning.
Best moment this week: On Wednesday we had the 12 week check-up appointment, heard Baby's heartbeat fast and strong AND because my uterus is bigger than expected, we get to see Baby sooner on the ultrasound! My appointment is the week after Thanksgiving :)
Miss Anything? I miss milk and cheese since Baby decided mama should be lactose intolerant for a while :\
Movement: Nothing yet and I can't wait!
Food cravings: I can't get enough oranges, orange juice and clementines!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Hmm not really too much anymore.
Gender: I've got the feeling its a boy (actually to the point of me referring to "him" by his name quite frequently!) Hoping we can find out at the ultrasound in a week and a half!!
Labor Signs: No way! Way too early and I'd freak if I did. 
Symptoms: My belly is definitely rounding out, occasional "stretchy" feelings in my uterus, and lately my back feels like it can use a good massage.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!! I had one crazy mood swing after my first night shift (totally blame exhaustion on that one)
Looking forward to: Going to New York on Thursday to celebrate Thanksgiving with everyone we love! Can't wait to see the immediate and extended family and all our friends :) It can't come soon enough. 

Our New Home!!

Lot's of very exciting things taking place in the Genao family!

As you all already know, Andre and I made the big announcement a week ago that we are expecting our first blessing from God! We are so excited to experience the entire pregnancy week by week to see how much that tiny baby grows. I am 12 weeks and 2 days along today and our little miracle is the size of a plum! There are many changes happening to my body (some more enjoyable than others) but I wouldn't change it for the world. I love seeing my tiny belly grow, knowing that there is a baby growing big and fast in there.

It's been very hard to be away from my our families during this process, but we've kept very closely in touch so they can be a part of the whole 9 months with us. In just over a week we will be traveling up to New York to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday with our families; and BOY do we have a lot to be thankful for! I know Meema is dying to see that little tummy so she can tap tap her very first grandbaby. Titi Nina is having just as hard a time as I am being away from each other, but I know we will savor every second we have together in that short weekend we will be visiting.

In other great news, we are OFFICIALLY home owners and living in our house!

On Thursday our POD got delivered to the home from New York and was placed in our driveway. We spent Friday packing up everything from our temporary apartment and loading up the car. First thing Saturday morning, we drove over to our house. I was a little scared to see how that POD held up (I've never packed to move across country and had NO idea how well we did). Thank God, all of our belongings came out of the POD exactly how they went in there! Nothing was damaged or broken or shifted at all. What a relief!

Cousin Phil met us there at 10am and I watched (and took pictures) as he and Andre carried all the big, heavy furniture up the stairs. I made myself busy by making MANY trips with one tiny thing at a time since about a gozillion people warned me about heavy lifting. And trust me, I would NEVER do anything to my body if there was even a TINY chance I could hurt our precious little baby.

They got that POD unpacked really fast and Jeanette came over and tackled the kitchen with me. We unpacked every single kitchen box and put everything away. I can not believe how much we got done in such a short amount of time. We were practically done for lunch. (The 4 of us plowed down 30 awesome chicken wings!) Just as we finished eating, Uncle Phil and Aunt Marge came over to see our home, and we gladly gave them the grand tour.

After successfully putting our bed together, and unpacking sheets, we spent our first night in our home together. It felt GREAT to wake up Sunday morning in our home. I can't even begin to imagine how it will feel the day we bring home Mini Genao into this house. Our family is so blessed!

We made a big shopping spree at Target yesterday and bought lots of nick nacks for the house. It really is slowly coming together.

Tonight at 11pm I start my very first over night shift. We weren't sure the best way to transition, so I went to bed at normal time and woke up this morning at 6:30. We figure I should stay busy and moving all day to tire myself. Take a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon to get refreshed so I can (hopefully) feel nice and energized tonight. Part of pregnancy is keeping your body clean of medicines and chemicals so the baby is not subjected to anything. Because of this- I have to make the transition to nights sans caffeine, or any sleep aids at all. Here's to hoping I (and the little one) adjust quickly!

I promise I will update with pictures soon. And to those we will see while we are in New York... I plan to take some great pics of the home and print them so we can show you.

Counting down to New York...10 days! I am so thankful. This Thanksgiving is going to mean more to me than any other has in the past.

Isaiah 32:18 ESV / 18 helpful votes

My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

Trick or Treat!

The everlasting saga of house-hunting.

In the middle of October, shortly after I wrote the emotional last blog, I spoke to Mommy and she suggested Andre and I start the house hunt all over again. I dreaded that a lot, but knew it was inevitable. If the house didn't work out- we were going to need another one. After all, we only have this sublet until the end of December (which in house buying world is right around the corner).

We went out with our awesome realtor Jessie on a Saturday morning and saw two homes for sale. We really, really liked one of them which was listed at $204,000. Since we were in contract for $206,000 on the other house, we felt comfortable just going in at full asking and securing that house. Jessie had another appointment to go to, so she left after that-but called us back within an hour to let us know that we would face the EXACT same problem with that house that we had with our original. Most of the comps in the neighborhood were going to be short sales and foreclosures and that home would never appraise out. Ugh, here we go again. We thank Jessie and tell her to forget about it, we'll talk to her tomorrow.

At that point, we decide to check out some model homes in the community where our new friends Shane and Maria live based on their recommendation. They have a beautiful home, so we figured we would check it out. After viewing the models, a few inventory homes for sale, and talking lots of numbers, we were thoroughly impressed. We went to lunch to talk all of our options. We decided to check out another builder so we can compare apples to apples. After another few hours of talking and viewing with that company we went home to weigh all of our pros and cons. After all, there are very few cons when talking about a brand new build.

The next morning, on Sunday, we took Jessie back with us to the community where our friends live. She got to see the home we were interested in and hear all of their perks as well. We trust Jessie because she is very honest and is ALWAYS looking out in OUR best interest. We knew that if there was anything not so great about this situation, she would be the first to let us know. Well, she couldn't come up with any negatives at all. She even helped us try to negotiate a little bit. After a bit of back and forth, lots of discussions, we bought  a beautiful, brand new home in Land O' Lakes, Florida. Because it was the end of their fiscal year, they were in a hurry to get rid of these homes. Our home was "on sale" if you will and they are paying all of our closing costs. It turns out- we are getting a nicer, newer home than our original one, and are bringing MUCH less cash to the closing table than we would have for the other one. We are set to close on Halloween, Wednesday October 31, 2012! 

We are SO excited to live around the corner from our new friends. We've also met some of our neighbors, who are nice, young families. It's going to be absolutely perfect for us. 

Yesterday we started shopping for furniture. We came out of a small 1 bedroom apartment in long island and are moving into a huge 4 bed, 3 bath home with a dining room, and 2 family rooms! We bought our new living room set, a dining room set, a kitchen table and lots of art to decorate. It is being shipped to the house on Saturday. I can't believe this is real. It's all so fast and exciting.

O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples!
1 Chronicles 16: 8

I haven't updated in a while since we've had a lot going on. And not necessarily fun, exciting things worth sharing.

Bullet points for the home we are currently in contract with.

• Passed inspection with flying colors. We were very excited and hopeful.
• Failed the bank home appraisal.
• We are in contract for $206,000
• The bank appraises the house out at $174,000
• The bank will never gives us a mortgage for a penny over what the home is actually worth.
• We can't afford/ would never pay $30,000 MORE than the bank says the home is worth. That is plain stupid and we will not start out completely upside down.
• Our realtor, Jessie, was submitting some more comps to the underwriter hoping to get the number up a little bit.
• Upon research, it appears the current home owners took a morgage of $218,000 4  years ago. I'm betting they still owe a lot of money on the home and will NEVER want to sell it for $174,000 or anywhere else.
• Banks lie. They say they will evaluate the new comps and get back to us by Monday, uhh Wednesday.... maybe tomorrow?
• We have to pray for a (very unlikely) miracle that the sellers come down in price, and the bank comes up with the appraisal.
• Very likely we will be at square one, house hunting and starting all over WITHOUT our dream home (and hoping to find a new dream).

I'm so over all of this. I want to say that I have faith and that I've been happily praying for a favorable outcome. But honestly, I just feel defeated. I have a strong feeling this home isn't going to work out. I want someone to give us an answer. One way or another I want an answer so we can MOVE ON.

I still love this home, I still picture us living in there, decorating it, celebrating holidays in it etc. I still pray there is a huge miracle and we can still buy this house. But I just want an answer. Yes its yours, you are closing on November 5. or Sorry, not going to work out- start all over again.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 "When life is good, enjoy it. But remember: God gives good times and hard times, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring."