7-8 Months! 8 more weeks to go!!!

Sorry it took me so long to blog. I was waiting so I could post pictures/video of the room and too much time passed by. I can't believe we only have 8 more weeks to go. So much has happened in the past 2 months. Christmas and New Years came and went in the blink of an eye. We spent Christmas at our house with family and friends. It was very relaxing. Nick and I brought in the New Year putting the crib together and at midnight we toasted with grapefruit juice. It was so romantic. :)

We are very excited about how the room is coming along. The room is chocolate brown and olive green. It turned out so beautiful. The colors really make the neutral colors in his bedding really stand out. We only have wall hangings to add to the decor. The walls are painted, the furniture is up and little knick knacks are in place. We are going to put Stefanos name right above his crib in big, white, bubbly letters. One of Nick's many projects left to go. :) Even though his room is safari themed with all different animals, the monkey is front and center. We call Stevie our little monkey, because he loves to monkey around in mama's belly. His restroom is all monkeyed out. It also follows the color scheme of the room along with swinging monkeys everywhere. It's a jungle in there. :)

The beginning of January was very relaxing and I still had a lot of energy left. It was around the middle and the end of the month that I started getting side pains and contractions. I went to the doctor one day for a pulsating feeling that I never felt before in my belly. It just concerned me and when I didn't feel him moving around once it was gone then I really let my imagination get the best of me. It turned out to be a sign from Stevie to get me to go see the doctor. When I went in to get monitored to make sure everything was okay, they found out I was having back to back contractions. I had to get a shot to stop them and I stayed awhile to get monitored. The doctor said it was a lack of fluids. I know, I know I need to drink a lot of yucky water. The next day the contractions kept coming, so my doctor prescribed me medication to slow them down. I still get them but not as often. They are not painful, just uncomfortable. I take the medication only when necessary. I will stay on it until I am 36 weeks and after that if Stevie decides to make his big debut it's up to him. ;) He is so ready to come into the world and we are so ready for him.

Stevie is definitely a mover and a shaker. He is 100% going to be an active little boy. Yes, he is going to keep us on our toes. I will get in shape just chasing him around. I can already see it. He will be an athlete just like his daddy! All of my pregnancy websites say he is running out of room to move around but he has no problem rocking my belly. :) He practices boxing by punching Mommy in the bladder. Then I end up in the restroom every 5 minutes. He dances by high-kicking me when he's sleeping or moving and grooving when I am. He even does yoga while wedging his feet under my ribs. Ouch!!! His favorite side is the right side. At times it is funny to see my belly because it looks lopsided. I can feel his little bum nudging me and I can't help but give his little tushy a love pat or a squeeze. I have to at times nudge him back when he keeps nudging me in the same spot. Stevie is already getting little spankings. ;) He's my little munchkinhead! I can't wait to love on him and shower him with hugs and kisses.

Stevie has a lot of playmates awaiting his arrival. His cousin Jacob, his god brother Thomas and his newest friend Daniel can't wait for him to get here so they can all play together and just be boys. He is also ready for revenge. Jacob and Thomas have farted on him so many times that Stevie is ready for payback. He does not like it when mommy holds other little ones and he is not shy to let me know by continuously kicking me until I put them down. It's funny, but I do think they feel and sense each other. The other day my nephew came over for a visit and I hadn't seen him for three weeks. As soon as I held him, he would cry hysterically with those big alligator tears that my little Jacob produces. Nick would hold him and nothing, but the minute I held him he broke out into tears again. I wonder if Stevie was telling him to get off his mommy or else and Jacob got his feelings hurt. My little pumkinhead is already being a bully. :) LOL

We have been showered with unconditional love from our family and friends. On January 18th we had My Big Fat Greek Shower! :) We had so much fun. It was given by my sister-in-laws, my mother-in-law and our really good friend/neighbor Sigrid. It took place at Sigrid's house and was Dr. Seuss themed. Everything came out so precious. I will let the pictures speak for themselves. The last gift given to me was from my mother-in-law. It was labeled Daddy's treasures. In it was everything that belonged to Nick when he was a baby. There were blankets, outfits, his piggy bank with money still in it, even his silver spoon and cup. Yes, his little silver spoon. It was too cute. He even had a Greek outfit that was worn. I am going to definitely keep it in a treasure chest to share with Stevie when he gets older. On January 31st we had a sophisticated and gorgeous shower given by my close friends Summer and Sara. This was hosted at another good friend's house. Suzanne was kind enough to open her beautiful home to us. It truly set the tone for the delicate blue themed shower. It was so wonderful to see old/new friends. Stevie and I had a great time. Nick felt sorry for Stevie having to hang out with all the girls, but he liked being the center of attention. Just like Daddy! :) Nick's work also showered us with love. There are so many people who love us so much and are just as excited about little Stevie coming into this world as we are. It was very nice of his coworkers to give us such an awesome shower. It was so much fun and it was wonderful sharing this one with Nick, even though he stayed hidden in the background. We received so many wonderful gifts. Stevie is one lucky little boy. He is already getting spoiled and he hasn't even made it here yet. He definitely will be one spoiled little pumpkinhead! ;)

My mother-in-law and great YiaYia have been by taking care of me and doing little things around the house. Ever since I have had contractions Dr. Moshou wants me off my feet. :) She comes and does things for me so I don't stay on my feet too long. The other day she came by and washed all of our little pumpkinhead's clothes for the first month or so, blankets, towels, hats, socks and sheets. We tried to take care of basically all the necessities needed at the beginning. His clothes are just so little. They're all too cute. I can't wait to play dress up with him. We might even have a fashion show. LOL We are finalizing last minute things that need to be done before our little one comes. I'm already getting my hospital bag ready to go just in case.

We took our CPR class already and this weekend we are taking our breastfeeding class and part 1 of our birthing class. Nick is so excited about the breastfeeding class. :) He thinks he will be the only guy there, but he won't. We are also getting a 3D ultrasound done on Friday so that will be posted soon. I promise I will not wait as long.

Everything has been going great so far and hopefully it will be a continuously smooth ride. I am growing at a rapid pace and my belly has even dropped a little. I will keep everyone updated. :)

OMG I'm 6 Months Already!

Can you believe that I am already 6 months along? The time has been flying by. Before you know it, Stevie will be making his big debut. Nick and I can not wait. We still have a lot to do to get ready, but are very anxious. We just want to hug, kiss and smother him with love. As Auntie Caro calls Chris and I, Pepe Lepus. We just love to give out those hugs and kisses. Even if they are not wanted, they are still given. :)

This month has been a whirlwind. Once we found out what we were having, we wasted no time buying little cute outfits and tons of blue items. Okay I wasted no time. Nick is warning me to slow down before I have an entire store in our house. I just can't help myself. Nick has had moments too. He found the jackpot at Babies R Us. We were just browsing and he ran into a rack full of Texas Tech outfits. He just couldn't resist buying one of each. Don't think that we wouldn't welcome more Red Raider gear. According to us, you could never have to much double T gear. ;) Go future Lil Red Raider!

Right before Thanksgiving, Nick and I went on a little get away. We went to Las Vegas! Yes sin city. We decided to start Lil Stevie early. Nick wanted to take us away for a little bit and he found this fantastic deal that included hotel and airfare. Oh and what a hotel it was. We lived it up in luxury in a suite at the Venetian. It was the most gorgeous hotel ever. I could have stayed in the hotel the entire time and been happy. We did tour the strip, but we made sure to have Stevie in at a reasonable time. It was so funny to see people looking at me with my big ole belly wondering what the heck was I doing there. I wasn't the only prego though. There were many expecting mothers gallivanting around town. I made sure to stay far away from smoky areas as much as possible. We mainly just hit the buffets and shopped. Yes FOOD! My main happiness right now. I have a funny story to share that has to do with MY food. We were at the Paris hotel and I spotted a woman with this exquisite looking fruit tart. I told Nick right away, "I have to have one of those before we leave." We searched and found just the place. It was straight out of heaven's bakery. It had every piece of fruit imaginable on it. My mouth was just watering anticipating the moment I would be able to devour it. Mmm Mmm! Well I decided to take it with us to go so I could enjoy it back at the hotel in my comfortable, fluffy bed. Well it was quite a walk back to the hotel so the anticipation just kept growing. We finally made it close to the hotel when this lady comes out of nowhere asking for, what I thought, spare change. Well right away Nick told her we did not have any money. She automatically said, "I didn't ask for money, I asked for any spare food." As she is clearly eyeing down my tart, Nick once again told her no. You would have thought that she would have given up but she did not. Once again she said more forcefully, "You don't have ANY (still eyeing my tart) spare food?" I looked at her as if to say, "Girl if you think I am giving you this tart after wanting it all this time and spending $6 on this thing you are CRAZY!" You know she had to have seen my big ole belly, but she obviously didn't care. She was angry. I was ready to protect what was mine and Nick was trying to protect his two pumpkinheads and the tart. :) It was too funny. We held on to the tart and hightailed it out of there. Oh if she only knew not to mess with a pregnant lady and her fruit tart. LOL! We definitely got our share of food while staying in Vegas.

On the first night we were there, Nick booked us tickets to see the Blue Man Show. It was an awesome show, but I was a little concerned. I didn't think it was going to be so loud. They have a band playing throughout the show and it was so loud my whole body was vibrating. I felt so sorry for Stevie. He was going crazy in my belly. Everyone said he was jamming to the music, but all I could think of was that it was harming his hearing. I know it sounds crazy, but I was very concerned. I put my jacket and Nick's sweater over my belly and held on to him tight every time the music went on. Later that night (3:00AM to be exact) I woke Nick up to hand me his blackberry so I could google loud music and being pregnant. Poor Nick I had him up and worried as well. I know, already an overprotective mom. What can I say? We didn't just eat while we were there. We did gamble a little. I worked on the penny, nickel and occasionally the quarter slot machines, while Nick was the big gambler on the Blackjack table. I always broke even or doubled my money. Nick lost it all. I was so happy when I gambled $15 on the nickel machine and doubled it in 10 minutes. I quickly cashed out and went to Nick to show him my winnings. LOL! He on the other hand was down at least $100. I can gamble, but I could never gamble big. I get too stressed out. One time I put a $10 bill in the dollar blackjack slot machine and accidentally pushed the maximum bet. OMG! You would have thought I was betting hundreds or even thousands. I was mortified at the thought of losing a measly $10 on one play, but I ended up doubling my money. What luck. Everyone was telling me to bet bigger, but I just couldn't do it. I'll leave the big bets to Nick! :) All in all we had a great time in Sin City.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. My dad, sister, Aunt Elsa, Uncle Alex, Cousin Victoria, and Grandpa came down from Lubbock. We spent it together with my brother Chris, Carol, Baby Jacob, my mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-laws, YiaYia, friends and Ollie (one of my best friends puppy). I was dog sitting for the week. He fell right in with the Greeksicans. :) We had tons of food, so Stevie was very well fed. I ate so much that week I thought I gained 15 pounds. I'm only supposed to gain a pound a week so when I went back to the doctor I was expecting a high number, but I only gained 6lbs instead of 4lbs like I was supposed to. Not too shabby. I have officially gained 20lbs total. The doctor says I am on the right track and everything is going great.

The newest thing with Stevie is that I can finally feel him moving around. Before it felt like little thumps. I couldn't decipher if it was him or just gas bubbles. LOL! Now I can absolutely tell that it is him. Nick has felt him a few times. It was hard for him to feel at first, but Stevie made sure to give him a good kick so he could feel him. Nick was so shocked to see his hand move that he thought it was me that did it. It is so amazing to feel him inside, but even more amazing to see Nick feel him. I love to see Nick's face light up whenever we learn something new about our lil' one. He is such a proud and protective papa. I think my favorite moments with Nick is when he puts his hand on my belly and holds on tight. It is such a feeling of security and love that it is overwhelming at times. Yes my hormones are on overdrive and I get overly emotional, but I have always been an emotional person. Everyone that knows me can agree! :)

This weekend we are having the baby room painted. I am so excited! We even have our baby furniture here and ready to assemble. Once the nursery is painted, we will put up the furniture. I will be taking pictures of the whole process and post them for everyone to see. It is getting close and we are enjoying every moment. I can not wait until the finished product. I will be having a shower in January. My sister-in-laws and mother-in-law are throwing me a shower. Invitations will go out soon, so be looking out for them. The shower will take place the weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr. day. We hope to see everyone soon. Until next time. xoxo

IT'S A BOY!!!

Oh my goodness! It's a boy! Can you believe it? Another boy in the family. All of the soon to be or already dads are excited about having all boys so they can start their basketball team. Our guys are soooo crazy, but you have to love them. :) Nick and I are so excited. I know I was rooting for a girl, but it was all worth having a boy to see the look on Nick's face. He was so full of pride and excitement. It just melted my heart to see the soon-to-be dad so proud.

I went into the doctor's office first and Nick had to wait in the waiting area. I know, I didn't like being there without Nick, but the nurse has to take all the measurements of the baby before she can let any family member into the room. It is very important that the nurse can focus on evaluating the baby without being interrupted with questions. We completely understood. Whatever needed to be done to check our little pumpkinhead was okay with us. It was a sign of relief to see our baby on that screen and know that he was okay. I was so amazed and in awe to see him on the screen. The nurse made a comment on how she was having trouble getting his measurements, because he was so active. She called him a wiggle worm. :) I told her I had been contemplating on drinking a cup of coffee that morning to make sure he was alert and moving around. Can you imagine if I had that cup of coffee? He would have been out of control. :) Nick was finally brought in to view the baby and I couldn't wait until he set his eyes on him. He was just as amazed as I was. He couldn't take his eyes off the screen. As the nurse was explaining the different parts of our baby, we were both looking at the frontal view thinking, "I don't see anything between his legs." We were both sure it was a girl, until she asked us if we were ready to find out the sex. When we both said yes, she gave us an under view and there was no mistaking what we saw. Nick right away was thinking yes it's a boy. The nurse confirmed by saying, "There is no mistaking that. It is definitely a boy!" He was not shy. As you can see in the picture above, his legs were wide open showing off his goods. Nick was too cute. In his favorite Borat voice he said, "YES! High five!" He could not contain his excitement. We were both overjoyed and soon-to-be proud parents of a baby boy just a little over a pound.

The ultrasound video (down below) may look a little weird, but it is still so cute to watch. This is one of many. All of the dark areas are fluid. You can clearly see his spine and his beating heart. Isn't it amazing how much he is moving? I wish I could feel his every move, but the position of my placenta is acting as a thick cushion between me and the baby. The doctor is certain that I will start to feel him in my 20-23rd week of pregnancy. I can't wait until that day comes! :) He was continuously putting his hands in his face. It was too cute. He was also kicking like crazy. There were a few 3-D ultrasounds that she was able to get. One was a clear view of his legs and the other two were a side profile of his face and his hand balled up next to his mouth. He might be a thumb sucker. :) He is too precious. Nick says he saw my forehead. Look carefully and see what you think.

We were so excited we went to celebrate at Fogo De Chao (a Brazilian Restaurant). This is Nick's favorite place to eat. Then we went straight to Babies-R-Us and registered. Talk about eager beavers. :) We couldn't help ourselves. Nick was adorable when we arrived there. It was early in the day so there were hardly any people there, but Nick was ecstatic to find a parking spot in the front for Expectant Mothers Only. He was so proud to be able to take advantage of this privilege. Mind you, the parking lot was empty. :) You gotta love him! It was such an exhausting and exciting day all rolled into one. We finally made it home to collapse on our sofa and watch our videos of our little boy once again. This whole experience has been surreal. I can't even explain how full my heart feels at this moment. We are so lucky to be able to experience the miracle of having a baby together.

Almost Half Way There!

I am almost five months prego! Can you believe it? Time is flying by so fast. Nick and I are trying to enjoy everyday to the fullest. We don't want to miss a minute of our little pumkinhead's life in Mommy's belly.

Our little one loves story time before bed. Nick and I take turns reading the baby a story each night. His/Her favorite part is when Mommy and Daddy use their animated voices to bring the story to life. The best story read thus far was a Halloween story called Pumpkin Heads! What a perfect story for our little one. Don't you think?

We have also been feeding the baby a variety of foods. We don't want to have a picky eater. So far, he/she has had Indian food, Greek food, Mexican food, Vietnamese food, Thai food, Chinese food, and Italian food. What an awesome experience it has been. I think the baby likes Mexican food the best. ;) Well he/she is part Mexican, so what do you expect. The baby is still not fond of big portions of meat, but things may change later on down the line. Who knows maybe he/she will be a vegan like Aunties Sapana and Naomi. ;) You never know.

We are so exited about our next doctor visit which is just around the corner. Nick is still hesitant about finding out the sex, but I am more than ready. I have been waiting on pins and needles for this moment. We definitely want a healthy baby first and foremost, but if we had a choice I would want a girl and Nick would want a boy. One of the main reasons I want a girl is to be able to give her my Mom's name. :) She would be so happy. I absolutely miss her so much, especially now that I am becoming a mother myself, but Nick's mom has been so wonderful to us. She treats me as one of her own daughters and has been here for me from the very beginning. I couldn't have asked for a better mother-in-law. Nick and I are truly blessed to have her in our lives. Everyone has been so wonderful and excited for us. This being the first grand baby for the Moshou family, everybody is so excited they can't contain themselves. This will be the fifth grand baby for my Dad. I know he is very excited to be a grandpa again. Even though I am not giving him the first grand baby, it is still special because I am his first daughter to give him a grand baby. :) I wish he was here to share this experience with us, but I know he will be here when our little pumpkin comes into the world.

Stay tuned for the best news ever next week! ;)

Four Months and Counting

Today I am exactly four months! Yeah!!! I had my monthly appointment with my doctor last week and everything seems to be right on track. We were able to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was strong and the baby was very active at that time. At least thats what the nurse says. We could hear the heartbeat, but how could she tell that the baby was moving around? We get to find out the sex of the baby at our next appointment in November. I'll be sure to post my ultrasound pic for everyone to see.

I did feel the baby for the first time. :) It felt like little bubbles popping in my belly, but definitely knew that was our little pumpkinhead moving around. It was an amazing feeling. I tried to get Nick to feel it, but sadly he could not feel anything. :( My nausea has stopped, thank goodness. I'm feeling more energetic and trying to get the house organized/ready for our little one. I'm eating often, but trying to stick to healthy foods. I must admit that I do indulge from time to time, but I'm doing my best to be careful. I've only gained 9 pounds so far, but my belly has expanded and I'm definitely showing.

We are in the process of registering, looking for furniture, and getting the baby room painted. In the process means we haven't started yet :) LOL Our goal is to get everything ready by the end of December. Everybody says that the last trimester I should be relaxing, because I will be exhausted and having a hard time moving around. Hopefully we can meet that goal. Nick needs to GET TO WORK already. Just kidding :)

Newest Cousin

Our Little PumpkinHead has a new baby cousin. Jacob Zacharay just joined our family today, September 25, 2008. Most of you know my brother Chris and sister-in-law Carol. They just welcomed their new baby boy into the world. He is so precious and awaiting the arrival of our little one soon, so they can have play dates together. Welcome cuzzie Jacob!

3 Months and Counting

Hey Family and Friends,
We've traveled to many wonderful places, experienced a lot together, but now we're ready for the one journey that will change our lives forever. That's right we're finally Pregnant!!! It seemed like we'd never get here but it's been well worth the wait. Nick and I are so ready to be parents and extend our little family by one. I am enjoying every single moment of this pregnancy through the good times and the bad.

We wanted to keep you updated on everything that is going on during our pregnancy. I am a little over three months now. Definitely sporting a pooch and already wearing maternity clothes. :) I will be posting pictures of myself monthly and include ultrasounds that I have thus far.

My sleeping habits were horrible, until I bought this wonderful pillow. Everyone should have a back n belly pillow. It is the most wonderful thing ever invented for pregnant women. This thing is almost as big as me. It is "u" shaped and very comfy. You can wrap yourself around it from the left or the right. I will definitely take a picture of it so you can get a better idea of what it looks like. I sometimes have to fight Nick for it. He likes to cuddle with it and loves it just as much as I do, but he does get a little jealous. He calls it my new boyfriend! :) Pregnant or not, everyone should have one.

I have had morning sickness throughout the past three months. I don't know why they call it "Morning Sickness" because I get it anytime of the day. It is getting a lot better though. I have become the pickiest eater, lost my appetite for a lot of my favorite foods and don't drink coffee anymore. Anyone who knows me knows I love my coffee, but the smell just makes me nauseous. Meat in general just grosses me out. The thought of a slab of meat with sides is just not appealing to me anymore. I try to eat VERY small amounts.

My biggest things to eat are fruits, veggies, salads, yogurt, cereal, granola bars, and soups...very light stuff. My first craving ever was for enchiladas. I knew it was a craving because I don't eat Mexican food that often. I grew up eating it throughout my childhood, so I can be kind of a snob when it comes to Mexican food. It has to be homemade from my Aunties in Lubbock. :) I sure wish they were here right now. ;) When I told my dad what I was craving, he told me that was not good news. LOL! Mexican Food is not the healthiest to be craving on a daily basis. However, I am eating unhealthy foods at times but in moderation. I don't really crave hamburgers, pizza or fried foods. I have to be in the mood for it. I did however let the baby have its very first hot dog ever from Weinersnitzel. (Not sure if I spelled that right.) That is my favorite place in the world. And yes the baby LOVED it! You have to have grown up around this place to really appreciate it. It is not just a hotdog like Nick seems to think it is. My peeps know what I am talking about! :) However, Nick knows how much I love their hotdogs and he will do anything to get me one. I also have a sour taste for lemons, pickles, you name it. If it is sour, I am all over it. :)

I'm starting to make a list of things I want to put on my registry. There is so much to think about. It can be very overwhelming at times, but very exciting as well. I can't really get into the details of decorating the room because I want to find out what we are having first. I do have ideas though. Nick doesn't want to find out, but I do. Don't worry I will win in the end. ;)

This is it for now, but I will keep you all informed of all the juicy details of "Our Pregnancy". Love you all!