We've got a mover and shaker on our hands! For the past week or so, our Baby Stop has been dancing, playing quarterback or doing some variety of high kicks in my belly. Last night we actually saw his/her antics from the outside. If I laid still, you could see my belly vibrate back and forth with each movement. Creepy but so neat! Then this morning (Baby is definitely more active in the morning), while I was working, I would look down and see movement again. I think I better lay off the sugar!
We saw the doctor today for our 24 week appointment and all is well. She said the ultrasound looked great and Baby's heart rate is a strong 138 bpm. I am measuring one week ahead of my scheduled due date (April 22) but she said that may all even itself out (babies grow at different rates and Baby Stop was measuring right on at the ultrasound).
I am feeling great and really starting to grow (photo coming next week to be an official 6 months - time flies when you're having fun!). This pregnancy has really been a breeze and I feel very fortunate to feel so good all the time. We have been very busy with family in town but after New Year's things should settle down and I can get back into a work out and healthy eating routine. Christmas was hard on the baby diet and I think I said too many times to myself - "ah, I'm pregnant, I can eat that too!"
Our Family
Our Family
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Our First View
We saw our baby for the first time this week - what an experience! He/She was tossing and turning a lot - it was a surprise to me that I wasn't feeling more of the kicks. It was funny because he/she was trying to get his/her thumb in her mouth and found success after a few minutes. They took photos of each part of Baby Stop's body and even turned the monitor briefly so the gender could be kept a surprise. After about 45 minutes, we got some great photos to share with our family and friends.
I think this makes it all the more real for both Pete and me. There is a living, breathing human being inside me - completely dependent on me. And, for the most part, it's pretty developed, with bones, organs and everything in the right place. It's quite an eye-opener! Pete did say to me while at dinner with the Snyder family that since we became pregnant, "kids seem all the more cuter"! Ha! We will hope our little Baby Stop is cooperative and calm!!
I think this makes it all the more real for both Pete and me. There is a living, breathing human being inside me - completely dependent on me. And, for the most part, it's pretty developed, with bones, organs and everything in the right place. It's quite an eye-opener! Pete did say to me while at dinner with the Snyder family that since we became pregnant, "kids seem all the more cuter"! Ha! We will hope our little Baby Stop is cooperative and calm!!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Girl or Boy? Or to be determined???
So since we have decided not to find out the gender of our blossoming baby, both Pete and I have been having dreams. My gut is telling me boy, but in the only dream where the gender has been revealed it was a girl. All the other baby dreams, I can never tell - no pink, no blue and no gender specific clothing either.
Pete had a dream he actually remembered. He woke up frantic that it was indeed a boy - a boy with freckles! Well, after he calmed down when we decided that was near impossible, I asked if the baby boy had dark hair or if we had a ginger on our hands. And he said dark hair. We shall see!
Time is flying by! Our next doctor's appointment is a little over two weeks away and the ultra sound is about 2 1/2 weeks away. And we have Thanksgiving in between. I think the 2nd trimester is going to be a blur!
Pete had a dream he actually remembered. He woke up frantic that it was indeed a boy - a boy with freckles! Well, after he calmed down when we decided that was near impossible, I asked if the baby boy had dark hair or if we had a ginger on our hands. And he said dark hair. We shall see!
Time is flying by! Our next doctor's appointment is a little over two weeks away and the ultra sound is about 2 1/2 weeks away. And we have Thanksgiving in between. I think the 2nd trimester is going to be a blur!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Bulking Up
We had our 16 week appointment last week and I am definitely starting to bulk up. The doctor reports that I have gained 5 pounds, but my count is closer to 3.5 (I really think we are splitting hairs at this point). I have been getting my energy back and have been able to start working out again. Although it's nothing close to what I was doing before, I still feel much better when I am able to do the EFX or walk for 30 minutes or so.
The doctor said I was measuring well and we were able to schedule our ultrasound. Pete chose the date to have it on his birthday and we are very excited to see photos. We tried to have it put in our file that we didn't want to find out and the nurse doing the scheduling said they would "see what they could do." We were surprised at that response and questioned them further. And she just said it depended on the position of the baby and how well we could read the photos. Hopefully our little one is a tad bit sneeky at this point!
The doctor said I was measuring well and we were able to schedule our ultrasound. Pete chose the date to have it on his birthday and we are very excited to see photos. We tried to have it put in our file that we didn't want to find out and the nurse doing the scheduling said they would "see what they could do." We were surprised at that response and questioned them further. And she just said it depended on the position of the baby and how well we could read the photos. Hopefully our little one is a tad bit sneeky at this point!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Heartbeat
We finally got to hear the heartbeat!
At our 12 week appointment they brought out the doppler and rolled it around my belly. It felt like an eternity before we heard the quick thumping sound of that little person growing inside of me! Pete said it really was only a few seconds - I definitely was holding my breath : ) It was fun watching his face as it lit up with amazement as we heard it - I think we were both a little nervous about it. He said it sounded like a train (and with our home across the street from the train tracks, I think we have heard plenty of those).
The doctor said we would get to hear it at each appointment, so I will look forward to hearing that sweet sound each month.
I have gained 0.3 pounds as of my 12 week appointment and my shape hasn't changed all that much, even without working out for the last 2 months or so.
This week though (almost 14 weeks!) I have been more bloated and have started moving into my bigger work pants. Thank god I saved the "fat" pants! I refuse to start wearing maternity at this point but feel that's it's on the horizon soon!
At our 12 week appointment they brought out the doppler and rolled it around my belly. It felt like an eternity before we heard the quick thumping sound of that little person growing inside of me! Pete said it really was only a few seconds - I definitely was holding my breath : ) It was fun watching his face as it lit up with amazement as we heard it - I think we were both a little nervous about it. He said it sounded like a train (and with our home across the street from the train tracks, I think we have heard plenty of those).
The doctor said we would get to hear it at each appointment, so I will look forward to hearing that sweet sound each month.
I have gained 0.3 pounds as of my 12 week appointment and my shape hasn't changed all that much, even without working out for the last 2 months or so.
This week though (almost 14 weeks!) I have been more bloated and have started moving into my bigger work pants. Thank god I saved the "fat" pants! I refuse to start wearing maternity at this point but feel that's it's on the horizon soon!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Getting Used to Being Pregnant
So it's so weird to think about what's going on in my body when nothing really feels or looks that different. I had about 3 weeks of pretty bad nausea - where I would come home from work and go directly to bed. The good thing is it was mostly at night (so I would get through the entire work day no problem but then crash when I got home) and I never threw up. I can say that it's much better than what I thought it would be, especially with some of the stories and experiences my friends have had.
So at 5 weeks Pete's entire family was in town (except for Tim). So we decided we would go ahead and share. We got through dinner and Pete announced to the family and both sets of grandparents that Cole was going to have a cousin. All the girls started jumping up and down and screaming, which seemed to go on for more than five minutes. Their reaction was amazing, fun and heart warming. Joe and Kristin missed it as they were not in town yet and so we got to tell them when they got there. Pete had called Tim on our way to dinner, so he was the first person to know!
Then we called my parents on speaker from Pete's car. It was hard to tell but I believe my Mom started crying (as expected). And then we called my sister and shared that Sophia was going to have a cousin as well. It was a very surreal experience to share that news.
Now it was on to keep it a secret from everyone else until we were ready. I can't tell you how many sprite with limes I drank (aka vodka tonics) - from family gatherings to weddings. We just wanted to tell our closest friends before everyone else knew.
At one wedding, Pete showed his excitement a little much. After over-indulging, he proceeded to tell most of the people at the wedding. Which I guess was good, because then I could just drink water the rest of the night!
At one of our Chicago weddings in the summer of 2011, I was able to tell Susie. Who responded to my news with her own great news - she was pregnant too! And our estimated due dates were the same! It's going to be so much fun to go through this with a great friend!
And we got to share with Mark & Sarah and Caroline & Chad just one day apart. Both were thrilled. We were over at they Snyders and I pulled Elizabeth aside and told her I had a secret - there was a baby in my belly. When the time was right, she shared the news with her parents. At first I don't think they believed her! We got together with them last week and she asked on the way to meet us, "Does Megan still have that baby in her belly?" Too funny!
Finally at another wedding, I was able to tell my high school friends, who were overjoyed with the news. Sarah wasn't able to make it but I was able to share with her that I was also pregnant too. It will be fun to watch her go through it all just a few weeks ahead of me!
So many people left to share the news with but there is lots of time!
So at 5 weeks Pete's entire family was in town (except for Tim). So we decided we would go ahead and share. We got through dinner and Pete announced to the family and both sets of grandparents that Cole was going to have a cousin. All the girls started jumping up and down and screaming, which seemed to go on for more than five minutes. Their reaction was amazing, fun and heart warming. Joe and Kristin missed it as they were not in town yet and so we got to tell them when they got there. Pete had called Tim on our way to dinner, so he was the first person to know!
Then we called my parents on speaker from Pete's car. It was hard to tell but I believe my Mom started crying (as expected). And then we called my sister and shared that Sophia was going to have a cousin as well. It was a very surreal experience to share that news.
Now it was on to keep it a secret from everyone else until we were ready. I can't tell you how many sprite with limes I drank (aka vodka tonics) - from family gatherings to weddings. We just wanted to tell our closest friends before everyone else knew.
At one wedding, Pete showed his excitement a little much. After over-indulging, he proceeded to tell most of the people at the wedding. Which I guess was good, because then I could just drink water the rest of the night!
At one of our Chicago weddings in the summer of 2011, I was able to tell Susie. Who responded to my news with her own great news - she was pregnant too! And our estimated due dates were the same! It's going to be so much fun to go through this with a great friend!
And we got to share with Mark & Sarah and Caroline & Chad just one day apart. Both were thrilled. We were over at they Snyders and I pulled Elizabeth aside and told her I had a secret - there was a baby in my belly. When the time was right, she shared the news with her parents. At first I don't think they believed her! We got together with them last week and she asked on the way to meet us, "Does Megan still have that baby in her belly?" Too funny!
Finally at another wedding, I was able to tell my high school friends, who were overjoyed with the news. Sarah wasn't able to make it but I was able to share with her that I was also pregnant too. It will be fun to watch her go through it all just a few weeks ahead of me!
So many people left to share the news with but there is lots of time!
Monday, September 26, 2011
I'm PREGNANT!
It's true! I am really pregnant! It was hard for me to believe at first as well. After only a few months, it happened! And I was starting to get discouraged...
I had been feeling...off, is really the best way to describe it. Maybe a little tired and an upset stomach here and there (which really isn't out of the ordinary for me) but nothing else really. I really wanted to take a pregnancy test but Pete kept encouraging me to wait. He didn't want me to be disappointed yet again and waste more money taking a test when I hadn't even missed my period. (Plus, I did get a little depressed about it because I thought it would happen right away. When it didn't I tried taking my temperature and charting my most fertile times. After 3 months though I had enought. Finally, we decided not to talk about it, no taking temperature and just relax. And then BOOM, it happened!)
I came home on Friday, August 12. Pete wasn't home yet, as he had spent the afternoon golfing with his Dad and Tim. I thought that this was my chance to take a test. (My period was due the next day but I just couldn't wait any longer.) I took the test and it felt like an eternity until the 2 red lines showed up! I was overcome with emotion - wow, this is really happening! To, damn, Pete is not here to share this with me. I literally jumped up and down in the bathroom and tried to take a good photo of the pee stick.
I didn't have to wait long to share the news with Pete, he was home within the next 20 minutes. He came into our bedroom and gave me a hug and kiss. I told him that I had something to share with him. He had a questioning grin and I said, "you are going to be a dad." He had this bewildered look in his face and was like no way, you are joking. I pulled out the test and we celebrated our new growing family.
It was one of the neatest moments that we shared.
I had been feeling...off, is really the best way to describe it. Maybe a little tired and an upset stomach here and there (which really isn't out of the ordinary for me) but nothing else really. I really wanted to take a pregnancy test but Pete kept encouraging me to wait. He didn't want me to be disappointed yet again and waste more money taking a test when I hadn't even missed my period. (Plus, I did get a little depressed about it because I thought it would happen right away. When it didn't I tried taking my temperature and charting my most fertile times. After 3 months though I had enought. Finally, we decided not to talk about it, no taking temperature and just relax. And then BOOM, it happened!)
I came home on Friday, August 12. Pete wasn't home yet, as he had spent the afternoon golfing with his Dad and Tim. I thought that this was my chance to take a test. (My period was due the next day but I just couldn't wait any longer.) I took the test and it felt like an eternity until the 2 red lines showed up! I was overcome with emotion - wow, this is really happening! To, damn, Pete is not here to share this with me. I literally jumped up and down in the bathroom and tried to take a good photo of the pee stick.
I didn't have to wait long to share the news with Pete, he was home within the next 20 minutes. He came into our bedroom and gave me a hug and kiss. I told him that I had something to share with him. He had a questioning grin and I said, "you are going to be a dad." He had this bewildered look in his face and was like no way, you are joking. I pulled out the test and we celebrated our new growing family.
It was one of the neatest moments that we shared.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
My First Blog Post
This is my very first blog post ever! I am very excited and will probably end up writing about lots of different topics. But first - why Growing Greeks?
My husband is Greek, or a least a portion Greek...okay only about 20% Greek, but it is our last name and we gain our identity from it. As soon as I say Stopulos - people immediately know that I am married to a Greek (because with freckles and light brown-sometimes blond hair, I definitely don't look the part). But it's something that we protect and celebrate, sometimes more than we should = )
Now to the "Growing" part...We recently decided that after almost 4 years of marriage, we should stop preventing a baby and instead be ready to embrace one. I see that as the centerpiece of this blog - mainly talking about the trials and tribulations of growing our "Greek" family. My husband and I already have that solid foundation that the Greek's are so proud of, now it's time to let the growing begin!
I will tell you, it's not the easiest thing to come to terms with. I am excited, nervous, scared, happy, and probably a half dozen other emotions that I can't even begin to describe. A big one that I am feeling though is stress. What if it doesn't happen...ever?? I told myself when we began this process 2 months ago that I would not let myself get crazy. TOO LATE! I had my first breakdown 2 days ago - spending several hours between tears and trying to be as rational as I could be. Hormones are literally a bitch. Bascially it was a situation that Aunt Flo hadn't reared her ugly head and so I decided, well, I would take a test, just to see. I had been feeling tired, headaches, some wierd cramps and I felt "pregnant."
But... I wasn't. It was like getting punched in the stomach. And what wasn't any easier, was my ultra rational husband didn't get why I was so upset. It was as if he was looking at a statistical equation that he didn't even know where to start to solve. My voice of reason was no match for my hormones.
Hormones: 1 Greeks: 0
There is a part of you that thinks now that you are emotionally ready, your body should just hurry up and be ready to produce a baby too. I read that 60% of couples get pregnant within 4 months and 90% get pregnant within 6 months - why did I believe that I would be in the minority and get pregnant within 2 months??
So now my husband and I decided I need to take a chill pill and let it happen when my body is good and ready. I am keeping positive - especially knowing there are so many fun things coming up that I will be able to celebrate and party at. I still worry about running out of time. You can't snap your fingers and produce a baby but patience is a virtue that unfortunately I don't always have a lot of. I guess it's good practice while I wait for a bun in the oven. I will keep you posted as we wage this hormonal battle. I am sure there will be much more to tell...
My husband is Greek, or a least a portion Greek...okay only about 20% Greek, but it is our last name and we gain our identity from it. As soon as I say Stopulos - people immediately know that I am married to a Greek (because with freckles and light brown-sometimes blond hair, I definitely don't look the part). But it's something that we protect and celebrate, sometimes more than we should = )
Now to the "Growing" part...We recently decided that after almost 4 years of marriage, we should stop preventing a baby and instead be ready to embrace one. I see that as the centerpiece of this blog - mainly talking about the trials and tribulations of growing our "Greek" family. My husband and I already have that solid foundation that the Greek's are so proud of, now it's time to let the growing begin!
I will tell you, it's not the easiest thing to come to terms with. I am excited, nervous, scared, happy, and probably a half dozen other emotions that I can't even begin to describe. A big one that I am feeling though is stress. What if it doesn't happen...ever?? I told myself when we began this process 2 months ago that I would not let myself get crazy. TOO LATE! I had my first breakdown 2 days ago - spending several hours between tears and trying to be as rational as I could be. Hormones are literally a bitch. Bascially it was a situation that Aunt Flo hadn't reared her ugly head and so I decided, well, I would take a test, just to see. I had been feeling tired, headaches, some wierd cramps and I felt "pregnant."
But... I wasn't. It was like getting punched in the stomach. And what wasn't any easier, was my ultra rational husband didn't get why I was so upset. It was as if he was looking at a statistical equation that he didn't even know where to start to solve. My voice of reason was no match for my hormones.
Hormones: 1 Greeks: 0
There is a part of you that thinks now that you are emotionally ready, your body should just hurry up and be ready to produce a baby too. I read that 60% of couples get pregnant within 4 months and 90% get pregnant within 6 months - why did I believe that I would be in the minority and get pregnant within 2 months??
So now my husband and I decided I need to take a chill pill and let it happen when my body is good and ready. I am keeping positive - especially knowing there are so many fun things coming up that I will be able to celebrate and party at. I still worry about running out of time. You can't snap your fingers and produce a baby but patience is a virtue that unfortunately I don't always have a lot of. I guess it's good practice while I wait for a bun in the oven. I will keep you posted as we wage this hormonal battle. I am sure there will be much more to tell...
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