20 Weeks

Oh BOY, what an EXCITING week we have had!  We have made some great purchases for our home: sofa, recliner, and a kitchen table that I fell in love with.  We also traded in my winter-death trap, light weight Saturn ION for a safe family SUV with 4 wheel drive (Thank God).  We are now HALFWAY through the pregnancy and HALFWAY to meeting out precious baby!  AND MOST EXCITING OF ALL THIS WEEK, WE FOUND OUT THE GENDER OF BABY FOTI!  

Gender?  I HAVE TO START WITH THIS ONE!  We get settled in the room with the tech woman, and the first question she asks is “Are we finding out the sex today?” I say, “YES, ASAP, please!”  She moves the instrument around asking, “Well, you know what this is?” and points to this area (two round circles) – I am just about to jump out of my skin WAITING for her to answer her own damn question, and then she says, “It’s a BOY”  Haha!  I was non-stop giggles!  After like 35/40 minutes of her taking pictures and measuring everything from toes to fingers to bones to the heart and skull, I ask, “So, are you, like, 100% sure it’s a boy?” (thinking to myself, I have heard this being wrong before)  So she moves the instrument around again to show us a new view of a little "part" sticking straight out of the body, she takes a picture for us of his "you know what" and says. “Oh, I am sure it is a boy!”  Tyler was BEAMING from EAR TO EAR.  He was such a proud Papa.  It was one of my favorite moments EVER!!!  Ahhh!  It is absolutely FOR REAL after that ultrasound – there is a REAL LIVE BABY in my tummy and it is a BOY!    

Exercising?   Yup… I ended my volleyball season this past week. We played well but “choked” a little, leaving our final record at 43-5, but we had a great time and I will always love this team!  I am very much looking forward to watching them play this summer.  It will be VERY hard to not be on the court with them, but they are too much fun to stay away from just because I am not playing right now.  On top of that my girlfriend, Danielle, from the team, just announced she is due this December!!  Our team is growing by the second!  She will also be sitting on the sidelines with me during the summer season!  We will be two preggos on the sideline yelling at our teammates to make a play!  Hopefully she will be attending prenatal yoga with me as well! 

Maternity clothes?   Oh ya… I would not even try to put on normal pants at this point… that might be pretty depressing.  As a fashionista I am quite disappointed that I have really failed with fashion during pregnancy.  I always feel frumpy and "not put together".  And oddly enough, I don't always have the confidence to put this new body into fashionista mode.... so I am try to cope but I will be grateful the day I get to slip on an old pair of jeans, high heals, and hot top.  There is a "unsexy" feel about pregnancy for me... I mean I feel AWESOME and BLESSED to be able to carry a baby and give life (please don't get me wrong).... but wearing this bump with some sexy top and high heals just doesn't seem right to me.      

Sleeping?  Got a little better sleep this week – went to bed at a more appropriate time (sometimes)… but I am really starting to feel annoyed by ONLY sleeping on my left side right now.  (Continues in next paragraph….)  

Missing Anything?   Ummmm ya, I was so wishing I could sleep on my tummy this past week.  My hips are sore from sleeping on my sides, my left arm falls asleep too much, my left EAR hurts sometimes (this is really weird to me) and sometimes I wake up just from “accidentally” rolling on my back and I see Tyler all cozy on his tummy and I get jealous that I cannot sleep on my tummy!!  Haha.    

Food cravings?  STILL NOTHING!  Obviously anything I am already eating is going well for Sal and there is nothing out of the blue that I feel urges to eat!  Does this indicate that MAYBE Salvatore will NOT be a picky eater!?  Lets cross our fingers!  

Acid Reflux?  Heartburn has been a little better this past week!  I think the tums and smaller portions are key to solving this problem.  I am sure the bigger the babe grows the less room I get for food, so this will probably change soon.      

Anything making you queasy or sick?   Nope… still gagging once in a while when I brush my teeth in the morning, but I think that is because I am on an empty stomach at that point (I usually eat breakfast at work while I charge up the computer and print out reports).  I notice if I  have a chance to eat breakfast before I leave for work and then brush my teeth, it is not so painful.  

This Weeks Symptoms?  Minimal back pain this past week and I would say that is about it… feeling pretty blessed to have this go so easy for me right now.  Oh, I would point out that I have had SUPER itchy skin for a while now and I just recently discovered that this could be a symptom of pregnancy.  No stretch marks yet and using my Bio Oil every day in hopes to avoid them, but the itchy skin is on my face, legs, and arms so I am trying to lotion more than usual.

Any Movement?   After I posted on Monday I told Tyler that I wasn’t feeling strong movements like I did on that one Sunday night, but right after I said that, Salvatore was right back to his antics and moving like crazy…. I think he wanted to reassure Mom that he was alive and well!  Tuesday at work I was feeling movement ALL day long.  I don’t know if he was having a dance party in there or what… but Tuesday was a big workout day for him, I guess.  Even during the ultrasound we were watching him move, from flipping, to kicking, and even watching his little fingers open and close!  It was so awesome to SEE!  

Labor Signs?  nope  

Belly Button: in or out?  Not completely out yet…  

Wedding rings on or off?   on  

Overall Mood this week?  All the anxiety has turned into Absolute Joy and Excitement...I feel a sense of calmness... I just think this past week was one to put down in the books… It is amazing to have the technology to find out the gender before the baby is born and it is so satisfying to get a little reassurance by all the ultrasound’s pictures and measurements that Salvatore is safe and sound in there.  That is such an amazing feeling to actually see that things look well form the inside and I think every parent knows exactly what I mean when you get to this point in the pregnancy.  And to top it off, it makes all the sacrifices for the last 20 weeks SO worth it.... and the sacrifices I must make for the next 20 weeks become much easier to deal with!    

Looking forward to?  Getting the house in order… Tyler’s dad is hosting one more of his big parties in honor of Lindsay’s birthday this coming Saturday the 5th (Stop by to say hi and have a margarita but make sure to wear your favorite Kentucky Derby Hat!), and then…. we are going to be VERY BUSY… moving his stuff out, moving our stuff in, and making the house our home.  All we have unpacked since we have been therein February is clothes and toiletries so we have lots to do this summer… and we finally get to BUST OUT SOME AWESOME wedding gifts that we have still boxed up!  SO pumped to re-live all that as well!    

Pit of the week?  WAITING….Friday felt like it was NEVER going to come... I could not handle the wait and anxiety to find out the sex.  I am sure this will be a reoccurring theme when it gets close to the end as well... when we are dying to meet our Salvatore!!   Also, we have not finished the registry like I was expecting us to do, so I am in HIGH hopes that will be completed in the next few days!  

Peak of the week?  The obvious! FINDING OUT THAT WE ARE HAVING A SON and for Tyler's benefit the Foti name will live on!!   Also, had a wonderful dinner Saturday night with my two GRADE SCHOOL friends, Erin and Maria, who have sons.  We have been great friends since we were young, we were like three peas in a pod growing up, they both stood up in my wedding, and now that I am joining the motherhood club with them I foresee many more nights of laughter and great advice like this past Saturday night.  

Thanks again for stopping by!
Make it a great week, everyone!
Much Love,
Jax

19 Weeks

Hello!  Wow.. can you believe 19 weeks already!?  Enjoying this time being a baby-free lady right now.  Had too much fun in Madison with some awesome people and missed my post on Sunday! Maybe I should make Mondays my new post day.....

Exercising?   Yes... could be doing more, but I feel lack of desire- which is not like me.  I do wish there were some hard workouts that I could feel comfortable doing to work up a sweat!  I need some GOOD summer weather to start walking EVERY day!  Had a great volleyball game on Thursday and I was feeling pretty wiped out after.  Was pretty sore and my back was bothering me most of Friday....  It felt great to sweat though!  One more volleyball game left for me.  Wish me luck.  Hoping to go out on a good note!  I will truly MISS my teammates for a while; this is by far the BEST team I have played with since I have been playing sand volleyball at the age of 16 and on top of it, these people are just GREAT friends for LIFE.


Maternity clothes?   Looking forward to wearing one of my dresses to the first wedding of the summer!  Less than a month now...  More pics will be added to the blog as the events of the summer kick off.  I know pictures are way more fun than all this mumble jumble.  The camera is coming out!!  Need to practice having that on hand anyway.


Sleeping?  Was not getting good sleep this past week at all.  I think the BUSY schedules and staying up way too late was very naughty on my part.  This coming week I am going to focus on good night sleeps... I better take advantage of that while I can!!  I will probably look back as ask myself why I did not sleep when I could.... I am already looking back wondering why  I was not going to bed at a more appropriate time!  


Missing Anything?   Well, with my trip to Madison, there were some things missed.... Sushi, Oysters, Martinis(with blue cheese stuffed olives), and Wine to mention a few..... these are four things I am so looking forward to getting my hands on after September.  These are staples of my love for Madison, not to mention the many LOCAL brewed beers that I always enjoy taste testing!  These things might might have been missed, but the visit was well worth the lack of these things!  Had a FANTASTIC time visiting my girlfriends!


Food cravings?  Ummm... nope.... what do these cravings feel like people!?  Ahh!  Haha.  Where are mine?  Does a martini count?


Acid Reflux?  Heartburn, heartburn, heartburn and oh my, more heartburn.... I remember in the first 12 weeks I was so tired and physically exhausted that I started living life not remembering what it was like to actually have energy.  Now I feel like I will be living life for a while not remembering what it felt like to NOT have heartburn!  Haha... the ONLY up side: it does help me to NOT over eat.... so I am somewhat thankful for these burning pains that make me curse big meals. But my gosh- I feel like someone jammed a pole in my chest and it is coming out my back.... unreal, the pain.  


Anything making you queasy or sick?   No...  I actually feel hungry, which I have not really felt, and I feel like I am able to eat a winder variety of food lately.  No oatmeal yet, though.



This Weeks Symptoms?  The lower back pain has stayed somewhat minimal (one or two days a week), thank God. But hey, get this.... I know lots of people say that pregnancy is so great for your hair.  And I usually have pretty healthy hair, so I was expecting these beautiful locks out of a shampoo commercial, but my hair has been so annoying and probably the biggest struggle in the morning!  I have never had a problem with getting volume in my hair- I  have it now.  I have never had dandruff before- I have it now.  I have never had an issue with greasy hair- I have it now.  I have never had an issue with product buildup in my hair- I have it now.  I mean seriously, I can't even wear my hair down without wondering if someone thinks it looks DIRTY.  But on the up side, my skin is absolutely wonderful- probably the best it has ever been in like 10 years!  SO I am just saying, if my choices were greasy hair or pimples, God knows me well because I will take greasy hair over pimples any day !  


Gender?  Last time I will type here -  "I don't know"... at least I hope so...  It is so funny that I use to be ADAMANT about not knowing the gender until the birth, and I still think that is a GREAT way to experience the birth of your child and I hope to go that route on day with one of my kids(although Tyler is still not in agreement with this but after the labor and birth of this one I think he will know who is boss)...... So, with the hype of this baby and the talk of whether is will be a girl or boy has totally peer pressured me into freakishly, agonizing wonder of what this child's gender is!  I have now heard stories, crushing my excitement, that stubborn babies will show you who is boss when it comes time to peep on their little parts.  Baby Foti will be in the dog house with me from the start if there is not cooperation on the 27th. (joking) BUT this crazy mama is dying to know!!


Any Movement?   Some bumps and here and there.... not as much as I was expecting after last Sunday....


Labor Signs?  nope


Belly Button: in or out?  As I have said before... more out than in.  haha.  If it didn't look so funny I would be able to say this with a straight face, but it just seems so goofy to have this little button sticking out of the belly...  


Wedding rings on or off?   on


Overall Mood this week?    Anxiety to the MAX!   ONE week shy of half way.  ONE week away from knowing whether I should be stocking up on bows and tutus or baseball caps and sports gear.  And, on top of that, 21(ish) weeks away from having a little human relying on me and Ty for every vital and not so vital need in life,  The UNKNOWN of parenthood is scary.  Does this anxiety go away with the second kid (when the unknown is more known)?  I think it is always the UNKNOWN that is the root of anxiety....  but it is just awesome and scary all at the same time when you hear stories about everything from pregnancy, to labor and delivery, to 4 months after the baby is born, and you just want to do everything in your power to make it all go smoothly and most of all you want it to be ENJOYABLE!  I have anxiety that I might not "enjoy" something along the way... But I am sure every parent has that time.  It leads to the phrase you say to your teenager "I am not mad, but I am disappointed in you"... I don't think those times are "enjoyable" for parents.   Haha... yes. Anxiety brings crazy racing thoughts to my head and I guess I am already thinking about Baby Foti being a teenager.  But I am sure EVERY parent deals with this anxiety in some form.  Or, maybe I am just extra crazy,


Looking forward to?  Take a guess... Ya, I am head over heels about knowing this baby's gender.  I think the most exciting part is that I don't care either way, but I just want to put a name to this bump and start picturing us with a daughter or a son!  Seriously, I will be running into that ultra sound room, jumping on the table and letting that nurse know to slap some lube on this belly and lets find out what we are having!!  I am crazy.  I understand this.


Pit of the week?  Ummm if I had to get picky here... I was really dying for a martini this weekend with the girls.  But honestly, it did not ruin the time with them, so no big deal!  

Peak of the week?  Got my "baby needs/wants" list down (take a peak below) and I am soooo ready to FINALIZE THE BABY REGISTRY!  :)   The locations of registry will be released after the gender is determined (have to add those last couple things that might be pink or blue!).  We are trying to let EVERYONE know at the same time.  We have been diligently working on this, getting tons of great advice and recommendations!  So, thank you everyone that has peeped in!  Tyler and I are blessed to be from HUGE families.  This was a result of 3 bridal showers and luckily, Baby Foti will get to feel the love as well with 3 baby showers!   I would have to say though, this registry felt more like business than fun... I did not want to screw this up!  Anything that you think I might have missed, holler at me asap... Baby Foti and I do not take offence(we are new at this).

 



Make it a great week everyone and very much looking forward to sharing the BIG NEWS on the next post!    
Sofia or Salvatore!?!?

Much Love,

Jax

18 Weeks

Sorry I am ALREADY in my PJs, but I had to get a pic of the bump action!  Lots to do tonight, but I couldn't go another day without posting!  Had a rough weekend and missed posting, but I am sure you will understand.  I am looking forward to the next couple weeks... We will be painting and decorating Baby's room and I can't wait to show you how things are going.  Alright, enjoy!

Exercising?  A couple walks and volleyball, of course.  2 more weeks of volleyball and then it will be over for a while, for me at least.  My team will play on without me and I hope to be reunited with them down the road!  Also, looking forward to prenatal yoga in the next couple weeks(no luck getting that in this week)… I might even have a friend that will be joining me!   I also downloaded these AWESOME apps called Hatha Yoga and YOGAmazing.  It is a great way to just do my own yoga at home when I have time here and there….  


Maternity clothes?  You bectcha baby!  All the girls at work were looking for the bump and this week... and the bump IS out!  I am sure if you don’t know I am pregnant, I just look like I eat too much, but if you know me, you can see the huge difference this week in size.  


Sleeping?  Oh I am trying!  I am fearing the this bump interrupting more and more now... as it is already the reason I wake up every time I MOVE in the bed!  


Missing Anything?  I think I know why they call this stage the honeymoon period.  I am really not missing anything...I am feeling pretty good! The only thing I thought about this week is that is was nice to NOT worry about every action I do affecting someone else right now.  Everything I eat, drink, smell, etc is all going right to someone else.  So not only do I over indulge in the Easter basket of chocolate, but baby does too!  It will be nice to not have to worry about my EVERY SINGLE ACTION affecting baby one day... but then again, with the hope of breast-feeding... it will be a long time from now!  


Food cravings?  Nah..... nothing!!  I can't believe it!


Acid Reflux? I think I need to change this question to HEARTBURN?  ABSOLUTELY!  Oh my.... I find the less I eat and more frequent I eat the heartburn is not so bad, but if I try to sit down and have a meal that I would have eaten 18 weeks ago, it does not sit well....  the pain radiates into my back and under my ribs.  I am a tum-a-holic right now.  They are not the best relief, but even a little helps when the pain strikes.


Anything making you queasy or sick?  Well my weekend has put me on an oatmeal hiatus.  Oatmeal is my FAVORITE breakfast... I have it ALMOST every morning.  I add blueberries to it, it is easy to eat at work when I start my day, it has some good fiber in it (which EVERY pregnant woman knows is essential! Hehe) and tastes DELICIOUS.... well, I am not so much interested in it after I saw it come up.  


This Weeks Symptoms?  Low immune system brought on by pregnancy strikes AGAIN!  Flu or Food Poising crept in on my fun filled weekend... Saturday morning I woke up feeling fine... started getting ready for the bridal shower and West Side Story musical.  During my morning routine, I felt a little tummy ache and I thought, oh, I should eat something... of course I go for my golden breakfast: bowl of oatmeal!  I should have known while I was eating it, it just didn't feel right... my tummy was still yelling at me!  Finished up the oatmeal and right after I dropped my bowl off in the sink I sprinted right into the bathroom.  From there you know how flu/food poising works... couldn't even keep down water or bread!  My tummy was fighting the "hunger pain" and the "don't eat" pain!!

 

Gender?  I wish I had an answer for you... I really really really do.  I just keep saying to myself April 27th, April 27th, April 27th....


Any Movement?  Oh ya... Baby Foti was throwing jabs/kicks/punches (WHO KNOWS) on Sunday night!  I even attempted to have Tyler try and feel it, but he couldn't...   I had to text Lindsay (not that she has been pregnant or anything but Tyler and I just rely on her to have all the answers being a Labor and Delivery nurse-haha)  and I asked her what was going on in there.  Haha.  I was feeling movement of some sort on the higher end of my bump.  I guess I just expected it to be lower.... but it was non-stop, like a bouncy ball just bouncing over and over and over and over against my tummy.  I texted to Lindsay, "Is that the BABY!?"  She texts back, "Welcome to pregnancy!"  haha.... it was awesome to have that validation.  And it was awesome to feel something substantial compared to the little flutters that I has felt in the past.


Labor Signs? Nope.


Belly Button: in or out?  Haha... I feel so funny saying this, but it is more out than in!  Why so early!?  I thought this happens like the last month!


Wedding rings on or off?  On


Overall Mood this week?  Great! (Besides the weekend shenanigans.)  We are just dying to know the gender so the anxiety and anticipation is quite high, but other than that... I am feeling fantastic.    


Looking forward to?  I think you can guess this.... BOY OR GIRL!?  I feel like this question consumes my mind!!  In the mean time... this weekend I am making an appearance back in MADISON!  I have missed my downtown crew for a long time so I will be spending the weekend walking the streets of Mad-town and eating some of the BEST food Wisconsin can offer.  Unfortunately, this appearance will be missing my favorite Madison treat: a nice "slightly" dirty martini with some raw oysters toped with a dash of horseradish.  Yummy.  But it will still be great and I am very much looking forward to reminiscing my love for that city and their fine taste in exquisite food.


Pit of the week?  It is obvious that feeling like death on Saturday morning tops the charts here... It also interrupted my weekend plans!  I stayed home from the bridal shower to sleep and get my tummy rested.  Thank God I made it to the West Side Story Musical (which was phenomenal) but I was always planning my escape incase I needed to dart to the restrooms.  And then, still not feeling a 100%  on Sunday, we decided to pass on the Art Museum and missed reporting to blogger.  Hopefully some time soon we get there!


Peak of the week?  Tyler's dad signed a lease for a house on Okauchee Lake!!  Looks like we will do a little lake living this summer!  Also means one step closer to having our own HOME!  I feel like the nesting stage is JUST around the corner!  Yahh Hooo!


Make it a great week and see you real soon!!!

Much Love,

Jax

17 Weeks

Happy Easter Everyone!!  Christ has Risen, Indeed.  May your Easter be full of Joy and Praise! Enjoy the sunshine and  wonderful spring weather!  xo


Exercising?  Sadly, I have not done yoga in a little while now…  boo.  Really going to try to get one or two classes in next week!  And walking seems to be out of the question right now with the chilly breeze and BUSY schedules Tyler and I have had all week.  We did get a walk in on Friday after work.  And of course, I played volleyball this week!  Team "Beast Mode" Standing: 38-1!  I am really going to miss playing with my team after this season.  They are just awesome.

Maternity clothes?  There was ONE pair of work pants that I was still barley fitting into, and I think this past week was their last week…  I have one pair of maternity work pants so I think a trip to the maternity store was due this weekend so that I can wear more than one pair of pants during the week.  Saturday afternoon after work I went browsing with my Mum, and picked up another pair.  Also got my eye on a couple summer dresses for the MANY MANY MANY (seven to be exact) weddings that we have this summer!  Was lucky enough to find a classy dress from TJmaxx!  Whooo hooo... that was an awesome find.  Looking forward to showing that one off in May!

Sleeping?  Yes… about sleeping…. I am getting more aware of is my sleeping positions lately.  I was a tummy sleeper before I got pregnant.  I do miss that a lot, but after I stopped sleeping on my tummy I started sleeping on my back… now I am trying to get out of that bad habit!  I consciously start sleeping on my left side but always wake up on my back… I am sure this will be a little battle for a while, so we will see!  I am just generally uncomfortable when I am sleeping right now, and I am assuming that will progress in the next few months…. 

Missing Anything?  This week has been really easy.  I have NO complaints!  I even had my first non alcoholic beer!  Because I love the taste of beer I think the hardest part will be not having more than one or two in a sitting.  I went to dinner with couple girlfriends and had an O’Doul’s Amber and I was pleasantly surprised.  Now if this is because I have not had a beer since the first week of January, I don’t know, but I do know I could drink those pretty easily to suffice my thirst for a nice cold one.   

Food cravings?  Nada.  I was expecting some crazing cravings during pregnancy… I mean my usual monthly PMS craving are pickles and cheese (alternating bites of each)… so I was thinking I could experience a craving to brag about, but I have nothing for you.   

Acid Reflux?  I have been so happy that this acid reflux has been so manageable without my medication.  In fact this is probably the best I have felt in two years…. And I am going to try to NOT go back on the meds after the baby is born. But (yes, there is a “but” here) I am thinking heartburn has made an appearance in my life in the last week.  Acid reflux (aka GERD) has been an issue in my throat and esophagus MORE than my tummy… but lately after eating I have a different strong pain in the center on my chest (lower than where I would imagine my heart to be).  Sometimes it radiates into the center of my back… and I try to stretch it out and I stop eating and I do whatever I can to make it go away but only time helps… 

Anything making you queasy or sick?  No… still not interested in any slabs of meat though… but doing well!   

This Weeks Symptoms?  Less lower back pain than the prior two weeks, but still very present here and there...Also, the only thing I would note here is that I wish I didn’t feel like I was getting STABBED in my lower tummy every time I SNEEZE!  My allergies are in full force right now and I dread every sneeze I feel coming because of the little and sometimes big, sharp pains it brings!  I researched it and it is NORMAL, but it has to do with ligaments formed to hold the baby in my tummy right now.  Like rubber bands snapping every time there is a jerky movement (example: A SNEEZE).  I would really appreciate if these allergies would cut me some slack here… 
  
Gender?  APRIL 27^TH  Ahhh!!  THREE MORE WEEKS!!!  We will find out if God has blessed us with a beautiful Sofia or handsome Salvatore (not yet sure on middle names)!  We are wondering how we are going to get through this month!  I cannot believe how much I think about it EVERYDAY... I am completely 50/50 on whether I care if it is a boy or girl.  50% of me looks at the relationship I have with my own mom and can't imagine not having a daughter to share that with but on the other hand, I KNOW a son would be the best way to pass the Foti family name on.  Plus I think Tyler would feel complete with a son.  Good thing we are SOO very busy and hopefully the time will FLY! 

Any Movement?  Small movement suspected- light flutters, like a little butterfly is in there.… but still nothing to start charting. 

Labor Signs? Nope. 

Belly Button: in or out? Ummm... I think in, but it is truly on its way out.   

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Overall Mood this week?  Amazing.  I knew this being pregnant thing would be hard for me.  I am a very independent person and feeling lack of freedom has been a little annoying and sad at some times, but it is not killing me.  I would not say that I LOVE being pregnant.  But I DON’T HATE IT.  I can manage.  And knowing that we get a precious little BABY in the end makes it all so worth it.   
  
Looking forward to?  Baby Foti is making a first Brewer game appearance Easter Sunday!  Now that Baby Foti CAN hear from in there, I hope that s/he gets use to sports announcers, because with being a Foti, you HAVE to tolerate sports.  Hehe. 

Pit of the week?  Ummm if I had to get picky, I guess I would say the painful sneezes!  Wish those were not an issue, but maybe it is part of building pain tolerance…. Haha.

Peak of the week?  BREWERS!!!  What is the NUMBER ONE sign of SPRING in Milwaukee!?  You better believe it: Brewer Opening Day!!  Whoo hooo…. even though I did not get to go on Friday, I am looking forward to many more brewer games this summer (minus the crazy tailgating- but thank God for O’Doul’s Amber)!

Make it a great week and HAPPY EASTER Everyone!!! 
Much Love, 
Jax 

16 Weeks

No hubby around again so sorry for the self-pic!  Hopefully you see the little bump in action!  

Exercising?  Burrrr… I guess this is how March usually is.  What a chilly and windy start to the week.  No walking at all this week!!  Darn cold weather!  But volleyball is going great!  I forgot to tell you about last week at volleyball!  I was playing great. I mean my team was like- Wow, Jackie is back!  I was actually MOVING and getting to the ball, pretty much doing everything possible to make the play aside from diving on my tummy… and we went into the game 30-0…but WE LOST A GAME, leaving us at 32-1 after the match!  The boys were sour and crabby from our loss, but I had to put this out there: I am so glad I was playing on top of my game when we lost because for a while I feared our winning streak coming to an end due to MY LACK of mobility and motion! Well… the boys were not too happy about that comment, but I am glad to be back in the volleyball swing of things, little baby bump and all.

Maternity clothes?  I am looking forward to dressing this belly in the next several weeks.  Still not wearing any outfits that outright yell “Hey I have a BABY in here!” but… keeping comfy is the goal right now!  The longer and baggy tops are great for hiding the belly right now.  I don’t necessarily look pregnant yet, I just look like I drink a 12pack of beer every night. 

Sleeping?  Not an essential yet.  Still staying up late as long as I have the energy to do so!  But I have noticed a too large of dinner (which is not THAT much food these days) puts me in to a food coma pretty quick….   You know what would HELP though!?  If I could indulge in my caffeinated coffee in the MORNING! Haha… craving some black regular coffee….

Missing Anything?  Beer… really missing me some beer these days… and then… I found this web site: http://www.11points.com/Food-Drink/11_Non-Alcoholic_Beers,_Taste_Tested. This lady is my HERO!  Have not really had a night yet where I can taste test some myself… and not even sure I can fit it in our busy schedule next week, but it is a must to try!  Maybe on a HOT summer day when I am drooling over a Miller Lite.   Also… Thanks to my girlfriend Suzie, I have some “wine” that I can enjoy once in a while too! http://www.frewines.com/wines.  Great for pregnant ladies who are winos! 

Food cravings?  Really, just fruit has been my major go-to for food.  I have noticed I am leaning towards carbs more than anything for meals right now. It sucks not being able to have a nice juicy steak, and that is because I prefer mine still moo-ing.  Staying away from raw or undercooked food puts a little cramp on my style, but I have had no desire for meat … I nibble at it here and there(fully cooked), but I am more satisfied with bread, noodles and cheese.

Acid Reflux?  Nothing too unbearable! But I have been steering clear of ANY spicy food and drinking decaf coffee ONLY once in awhile.  I think that helps a lot.

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Not really!  Although, Friday morning was full of sneezing (allergies), coughing (drainage from allergies), and dry heaving (from the drainage)… that was fun... haha.  If I think about something grossing me out, I gag.  I have never been like that.  I am also just having a little aversion to meat lately. I might think I can eat it, but once it is on my plate, I can’t really stomach it.  NEVER thought I would say meat grosses me out!  (sad face)

This Weeks Symptoms?  Back pain... which I brought up to the doctor and she asked me a million questions that I answered "no" to, and she said okay, we will monitor that... but never seemed too concerned.  I am not going to be concerned either, but when the pain is there, it is THERE and annoying!

Gender?  Not that this story will tell you the gender of Baby Foti, but it is a good one, promise!  My mom is born to a family of 10 kids.  That being said, my generation is blessed with 24 cousins from that side of the family. Many of them are married and have families of their own as well… giving us a total of 26 second cousins (one JUST arriving this past week! Yay!).  Okay… here is the “gender” related part…. Out of 26 babies, only THREE have been girls!!  23 BOYS and 3 GIRLS!  Crazy.  Baby Foti will be the 27th second cousin born on the Raml side.  Whether this story concludes that baby girls are hard to come by or we are so overdue for one on the Raml side, I don’t know, but I think we need to get a HUGE family picture going real soon because this is just awesome how big we have grown over the past years! (And I wasn’t even counting spouses… I am sure you see why our holidays and weddings are a little out of control!)

Any Movement?  No… and I was really wishing for a little something to justify what I felt last week, but nothing… When I go in for my check ups, the doctor does say the baby is a "mover"!  Every time she attempts to get a heart beat, the kid doesn't sit still.... Hope this is not a sign the baby will be as SPAZY as me!

Labor Signs? Nope.

Belly Button: in or out? In – but is it just me or can it be changing shape already, this early?

Wedding rings on or off? On

Overall Mood this week?  Great!  I am so happy to have energy and we are getting closer to finding out the sex and then…. it will be off to registering for baby!  Everything seems to be happening kinda slow, but looking back today, I cannot believe how FAST that all went.  I mean I am FOUR weeks shy of a halfway point! Holy Crap-ola!

Looking forward to?  The more people talk about gender, the more I am dying to know.  Did not expect that I would be this excited to find out!!  Added bonus to that as well- we can stop referring to it as “the kid”.

Pit of the week?  Is it possible to not have a PIT!?  It is awesome to NOT have anything specific to type here.   And this is NOT that big of a deal, but I would say I hate the anxiety of how things will fall into place… from now till the baby is born (everything about the being born part) and after (healing, recovery, and being a mom)… but I guess that has to be pretty normal for a 1st pregnancy.

Peak of the week?  My wonderful husband's birthday!  Not that we did anything off the wall crazy to celebrate, but I just wanted to take a minute to focus on him for his special day.  He is the MOST amazing man I have ever met.  I thank God everyday to wake up and have Tyler in my life.  There are so many wonderful adjectives I could use to describe him but I few I would like to note are: LOYAL, patient, grounded, and wise.  He is the peak of my everyday life, but this week I wanted to sing it to the mountain tops.  He is going to make a GREAT father, that is FOR SURE! 

Thanks for stopping by again; I am really enjoying sharing this blog with everyone so thank you for being there to read it and comment.  Make it a great week and see you back here soon!

Much Love,

Jax