25 weeks

Alright here we are a little over the 6 month mark! I can't believe it...only 3-4 months to go! We recently made our first purchase for the baby's nursery, which was the matching dresser to the crib my parents bought us. I'm sooooo excited to set them up but we decide to wait until after we (or should I say Jaime) paints the room. We finally picked out the nursery colors which I must admit is completely different than what we originally planned. I didn't realize how hard it would be to pick a color to compliment the crib set we like. There are sooo many different shades of pink & purple out there! I think there's about 10 different colors on the wall right now! hahaha! I had the hardest time picking only because I didn't want the pink or purple to overwhelm the room. The bedding already has a lot of color in it so I didn't want to add too much more on the walls. We decided to go with a nice mauve shade on the bottom half & a greyish/beige on the top. The colors compliment each other well and I think (or atleast I hope) it'll look even better with the furniture and bedding. I'll have to post pictures once it's complete. I'm hoping to have the room painted & furniture assembled within the next few weeks but it all depends on Jaime's work schedule so we'll see how that goes. I'll keep you posted.

As for baby girl...she seems to be doing great! She is now about 13 1/2 inches and weighs approx 1 1/2 lbs. We just had our 4th prenatal check up last wed. According to the doctor everything looks good. She was very happy with the baby's strong heartbeat & didn't mention anything about my weight. Phew! I was a little worried since we just came back from a mini-vacay in Tahoe and all I did was EAT ALL WEEKEND!!! =) I'm still trying to stay on track with my weight gain but it's definitely getting harder! Some weeks are good and some are bad. I guess we'll have to wait & see how things turn out. I had my glucose test as well as other blood work done the same day. Thankfully the glucose test came back normal but unfortunately we found out that I am slightly anemic. I was a little worried at first but according to my doctor it's very common in pregnancy and all she requires is that I take an iron supplement everyday. Well I think that's about it for now. I'm going to try and get another page or so done in the baby's scrapbook that I finally started last Friday. I'll make sure to post pictures of that as well once it's complete. For now here is a picture of the crib bedding Jaime and I really like (we decided to go with a jungle theme since we already had some things to match) as well as my weekly bump pic. Baby girl and I are definitely growing!!! =)

 Nursery Set

25 weeks

Daddy's first kick...

I just had to share some exciting news...Jaime finally felt the baby kick this evening!

For the last couple weeks I've been able to feel baby girl kicking/moving around. It took a little while since I wasn't sure if it was actually her or just gas. hahaha! Before then everyone was trying to explain to me what it felt like but they all seem to have different descriptions so I was all confused. For some reason none seem to fit what I was actually feeling...if I had to describe it I'd have to say it felt like popcorn popping in my belly. hahaha! Definitely not what I imagined but I treasure everyone moment it happens!

Now that the baby is getting bigger her kicks seem to be getting stronger. She is a little over 23 weeks now and I read that it's possible to even see her moving in my belly. I haven't noticed that yet but I figured if that is happening Jaime should be able to feel her too! I swear baby girl already had her daddy's humorous personality! Everytime she'd start kicking I'd put his hand on my stomach to feel & what does she do...she stops! OMG! It happened so many times Jaime started teasing me that it was my imagination! Oh this girl...if she's silly like her daddy I'm in trouble! j/k!

Anyway, after a long day of running errands Jaime & I decide to have a relaxing night in. Throughout the evening the baby kept kicking on & off but I didn't even bother to have Jaime feel since we were in the middle of a movie. As time went on I noticed her kicks seemed to get stronger & more frequent. There's no way he wouldn't be able to feel these ones so I had to interrupt the movie & tell him to try feeling again. Of course he has to make his little comments beforehand...you know him! After a minute or two of nothing I was afraid she was playing with us again. Right before I was going to give up and move Jaime's hand she FINALLY kicked hard enough for him to say "Woa! I felt that!" and smile! It was soooo cute!!! That little moment made my day & even brought tears to my eyes (I'm blaming that on the hormones! hahaha!). Although it was something so little it's definitely a memory I will never forget so I just had to share with everyone. Hopefully I'll have more to come. We hit the 6 month mark next Fri 3/12 (which is also our 11 year dating anniversary). I can't believe how time is flying! We can't wait to meet our little miracle!!!

Half way there!!!

Can you believe it!?! We're already at the half way point...20 weeks down and 20 to go! I can't believe how fast time is flying by! Next thing we know baby Antoque will be here!!! Since starting the second trimester everything has been going very well. The nausea and headaches subsided and I finally have some energy to cook again. I'm sure that made Jaime happy! hahaha! Just recently I noticed I've been having minor back aches but I found out that it's normal and it's from my uterus expanding and the baby growing. He/she is now the size of a banana & weighs about 10 1/2 ounces. That may not seem like much but I can definitely tell the difference in my stomach. I actually look pregnant now! Woohoo! No more beer belly! It still feels so surreal that this is even happening! I'm enjoying every minute of it and trying to soak it all in.

Today not only marks the half way point for us but we also found out the sex of the baby during our ultrasound appt. I felt so anxious waiting to be called in. After going back and forth for months I was so sure now that we were having a boy and just wanted confirmation. Before Laura, the radiology tech, could tell us anything she had to take 60 pics for my doctor to make sure everything was ok with the baby. It seemed to take forever especially since the baby kept moving, which by the way was sooo amazing to see. We definitely have a little wiggle worm on our hands! =) The tech took pics of the baby's brain, heart, spine, etc. While trying to get all the pictures she needed she would occasionally focus on the baby's lower body and that's when I realized I was wrong! Before I even said what I was thinking I asked Jaime his opinion and sure enough he thought the same thing. So by the time Laura got around to tell us what we were having Jaime & I already knew...It's a GIRL!!! I guess a mother's instinct isn't always right (atleast in this case). Although we're not having what I expected we are still soooo very happy! All we ever prayed for is a healthy baby and the fact that we've made it this far is such a blessing. Here are a few images that we were given of our little princess along with the latest bump pic.

18 weeks and counting...

So here we are...four and a half months along! According my weekly email update that the baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (the length of a bell pepper) and weighs almost 7 ounces. Not much has changed except the fact that my belly is definitely growing. Our little munchkin should be doubling in size so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised at the changes. I still feel like I just have a huge gut but thankfully everyone else thinks otherwise. I've been trying very hard to stay on track with my weight so I started a weekly weight gain journal. So far so good! I've been told I should only gain 1 lb a week from now until I deliver and I've been doing just that! We'll see how long it lasts! hahaha! I have my fingers crossed that I can stay this motivated. It's tough when all that sounds good are things that I shouldn't eat. Luckily it's not to the point where I HAVE to have it! I'd say I have more food aversions than anything else right now. Shockingly, I am not a fan of red meat, which is totally opposite of my pre-pregnancy appetite. I wonder if that will change after the baby is born? I guess we'll have to wait and see...

Speaking of seeing...Jaime & I have our next ultrasound appt in just 2 weeks. We get to find out what we're having and we're SOOOO excited! We can't wait!!! We were both a little torn on whether we wanted to know but considering how long we've waited for this moment we decided to find out. They say a mother's intuition on what she is having is usually right, but I still keep going back and forth. When I first found out I was pregnant I automatically assumed it would be a girl since that's all we seem to have in the family, but as time went on I noticed I would unconsciously say he or him and I started to think it was a boy. Now that I'm showing more majority say it's a girl which is starting to make me change my mind. hahaha! I guess we'll have a nice surprise in 2 weeks! I'll make sure to keep you posted! For now here is a shot of the "bump" at 18 weeks...there's definitely something growing in there! =)

It's been a bumpy road but we made it!!!

For those of you who don't already know Jaime and I are excited to announce...We're EXPECTING!!! After 2 years of trying and many obstacles along the way our prayers have FINALLY been answered...our little miracle is due July 2, 2010. We are 14 weeks pregnant and starting our 2nd trimester today. We are SOOOO excited to have made it this far! It's been a loooong time coming and we are so happy for this moment to finally happen! Since they say the chance of miscarriage drops drastically in the 2nd trimester Jaime & I feel like we can finally exhale and enjoy every second of this pregnancy. Because of our history we were a little hesitant to tell anyone. We first told our parents after our 1st prenatal appt & waited til we were about 8 weeks to tell the rest of our family and close friends. Now that we made it past the first trimester we're telling EVERYONE! heehee!!!

Sometimes I still catch myself thinking is this really happening? Am I really pregnant!? It seems so surreal. I've always dreamed of this moment and it's finally happening! I can't even express how truly grateful we are and we owe it all to God. He has definitely tested us in so many ways and to know we've made it this far is incredible! Without him none of this would be possible. I must admit my faith as well as Jaime's has definitely grown in the past 2 years and we feel so blessed to be where we are in our lives. Having this baby is just the icing on the cake. We can't wait to meet our little bambino or bambina! Hmmm...I wonder what we'll be having. I guess we'll find out in about 6 weeks! Either way Jaime and I will be happy. We're just praying for a healthy baby. Here are a few pics we've received along the way. Our little peanut is definitely growing and my stomach is proof of that one! hahaha!!!!

Our first glimpse of Baby Antoque...6 weeks 4 days

7 weeks

9 weeks 3 days

10 weeks 4 days


The "bump" at 14 weeks! =)

Snowboarding...my therapy!

With all that Jaime & I have been through the last month we felt it was time to take a break & enjoy some quality time together. What better way to do that than sharing in our favorite pastime...SNOWBOARDING!!!

I have to tell you I wasn't the biggest fan of the sport when I first started. I actually hated it! I had no idea how different it was from skiing. I figured I'd catch on without a problem considering I knew how to ski. Boy was I wrong! They are two totally different sports. I spent my first season boarding the wrong way! I guess that may have been the reason why I didn't seem to get it. I just couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong but I was determined. After a few trips into the 2nd season we finally decided to try switching my stance and viola...it worked! I'm not shredding the gnar =) or doing crazy stunts but I really enjoy it now. It's definitely therapeutic for me. I think the best part about it is that it's something Jaime and I both love & can do together.

So...our first trip of the season was to Northstar. We were hoping it would be a nice day considering how crazy the weather has been but we had no idea how lucky we'd be. The day was PERFECT! Not a cloud in the sky! We were enjoying ourselves so much we didn't realize the time. Before we knew it the day was over and we had to go back to reality! =(

I always enjoy our trips up the mountain & hope to we can get in a couple more. Here are a few pics I thought I'd share.

Life...

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change...

I swear that prayer is the story of my life right now! First off, I just want to thank our family & friends for all the support & prayers through this difficult/challenging time in our lives. Unfortunately, life just isn't fair sometimes. I feel like no matter how hard I try to think positive things NEVER seem to go our way. I know God has a plan for us and that our prayers will be answered eventually but my patience is starting to run really thin. Life just isn't turning out the way I imagine it would but I'm trying to keep the faith & stay strong. I know God would never give us more than we could handle but I tend to doubt that from time to time. He's definitely testing us right now and I know I just need to stop with all the why me/us questions. I can only hope & pray that things will turn around for us soon & that we can finally have our one wish...to be parents! Ugh! Just the thought makes me soooo emotional. Let me take a minute to breath before the tears start falling.

Ah...ok...sorry! Let's switch it up a bit shall we...I didn't mean to get all emotional but I just can't help it sometimes. I guess I should try to look at the upside of things...my marriage has changed a lot but for the better! I am sooo grateful to have such a wonderful husband going through this with me! Jaime has been very supportive and has been my rock to lean on. I don't know what I'd do without him! Whenever I'm down he's there to cheer me up & he always stays positive no matter what the outcome may be. I wish I could be more like him! One thing I know for sure is that this situation has definitely strengthened our marriage. I've heard people say when couples go through a trying time like this it can ruin their relationship. Lucky for us it's just the opposite! Even though we've been together for 10 years this is the closest we've ever been. Hopefully our prayers will be answered soon. I know it's all in God's hands and I need to leave it up to him!

We've been cleared for take off!

Hahaha!!! Sorry, I gotta make light of this situation some how! Anyway, just wanted to give you all a quick update. We saw the Dr. yesterday to see how my body was reacting to the menopur and we received good news & bad news. The good news is...my body is taking the medication well and we can continue with the treatment (hence the title of my blog). Some of the follicles have matured but not quite to what the Dr. would like to see which brings up the bad news...I had to have an extra injection last night. Ugh! All this before the BIG one! Literally!!! Tonight I have to have the HCG injection & because this med needs to be in the muscle the needle is MUCH longer than the others, 4 times longer to be precise. Yikes!!! I'm hoping it won't be too bad. I just keep telling myself it's ok...it'll all be worth it soon! I just need to stay positive and "stick" it out! hahaha!!! We have one last appt for this round of treatment on Wed and after that it'll be the part I hate the most...the waiting game! For 2 whole weeks I just have to sit back, try to relax, & pray that this is our lucky month. Hopefully the New Year will bring some great news! I have my fingers crossed!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your families!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

Here we go...

So for those of you who aren't already aware, I had to start the dreadful treatment of menopur which are the fertility INJECTIONS!!! Yes, I know...I'm sure the first thing that popped into your head is TWINS! Believe me it's come across my mind MANY times already. Though the more I think about it, the more comfortable I am with whatever happens. If that's what God has planned for us, we'll take it! We just want to be pregnant already! Sheesh!!!

So last night Jaime had to give me my first injection. Let me tell you...that was definitely an experience I won't forget! I think we were both freakin out about it! We were dreading the day it would come to this and unfortunately it has. It took us 20 minutes alone just to get everything prepared...sterilizing everything, prepping the needle, mixing the meds. I think we read the instructions 10 times just to make sure we were doing it right. Finally after all that it was time for the shot. I'm not sure who was more nervous me or Jaime. Since I HATE needles I had to turn away when he did it. The initial poke of the needle wasn't so bad but as he started to inject the med that's when my feelings changed! I couldn't wait for him to be done. It seemed like it was taking forever! I even kept asking him if he was done yet. The sensation I felt was nothing like I've experienced before. It's kinda hard to describe...I guess you can say it was more like a burning sensation than anything else. I thought it would go away as soon as he was done but unfortunately the feeling lasted for a little while. Ugh...the things you do to conceive! Hahaha! =) I know it'll all be worth it in the long run so I don't mind having to go through all of it.

We have 3 more nights to go then we see the Dr. on Sun for an ultrasound. He'll determine then whether we should proceed with the treatment or cancel and try again next month. It all depends on how my body reacts to the meds. I'm praying that it cooperates! I'll keep you all posted.

For now I thought I'd leave you with a picture of what my life will look like for the next 3 nights! =)

Happy Holidays!!!

From the newest reindeer of Santa's Sleigh...Molokai!!! Hahaha!!!

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

Love, The Antoque's