Day 6 of bedrest. Today Mom is coming over to help me get some stuff done. I think that labor may be nearing, but really do I have any freaking idea? I would say that in my opinion the baby has dropped, which has cause some wonderful dark red stretch marks to form on both sides of my belly button! Lovely! I think I've had a couple of contractions, but still nothing that is becoming progressive. I'm due back at the doctor tomorrow evening. We are hoping for an induction. The car seat has been installed, my bag is packed and in the car. Please come soon, baby boy!

Day 4 of bedrest. Really getting bored. Highlight of my day was going outside to get the mail. Rudy almost killed me when he realized I had gone outside. What weird weather today! I woke up in the middle of the night last night because of thunder and lightning! And then today there is a tornado watch in Will County until 4pm. Very strange Armageddon type weather. At least there is a Flip This House marathon on A&E today, so that has helped pass the time. Still having NO signs of labor whatsoever. This baby is just not ready to be born. But that is ok. Tomorrow I will be 38 weeks which puts me at full term, which was the goal from the beginning, no one wants to be early. I go back to Dr. Ambrose on Tuesday. Hopefully she will give me some good news (like I am dialated and its time!) Keep your fingers crossed for us! And thanks for everyone's well wishes and thoughts!

This was a boring Christmas eve! I sat at home all day with the exception of going to get my blood pressure checked. It is about the same as yesterday...so that is not bad news. Rudy went to his Mom's for a couple of hours for presents and to spend some time with his kids. I watched some Christmas movies on ABC Family Channel. My doctor is out of town Friday to Saturday, so I am not taking any chances doing anything besides laying around!

Had a Dr. appointment tonight and she definetly threw a monkey wrench in our Christmas.....BEDREST! I was shocked! Although I have been feeling like total crap lately, I pretty much thought that was par for the course when it came to being 9 months pregnant! Well, my blood pressure is elevated and I'm swelling. So the only 2 ways to cure that are 1. bedrest or 2. delivery. So we are going to try bedrest first. The baby is not ready to be born yet according to the doctor I'm not dialated at all. SO....I'm going to keep my blood pressure monitored and if it stays the same or goes down all's good. If it goes up, I may have to be induced. But the worst part is that she wants me at home doing NOTHING! So I'm done with work (can't really complain about that!) and Christmas is going to be spent in bed or laying on the couch this year. A little depressing, but better to be careful and listen to the doctor. I don't really care to be driving all over in this weather anyways. And I am to avoid any stressful situations. haha! So I will keep everyone updated on this blog. Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Tonight I babysat for Becky and Mike's 18 month old, Roman. Good practice for having my own right? He was an angel, just as expected! Tomorrow after work is Christmas Eve with the Januszewski's (my parents, Lyndy and Phil, my grandparents, and me, Rudy and the kids). Our traditional fish dinner is one of my favorites of the year, and you know this year I am indulging guilt free! Eating for baby! So SICK of hearing that one! So Merry Christmas to everyone!!!!

Well, some weird things are happening! I have a good amount of pressure in my lower stomach, and I have been peeing WAY more that even the usual amount of peeing during pregnancy. I think I went like 12 or 13 times at work today! I think that means the baby is "dropping" into postition.Speaking of work, my last day will be Dec 29. I was going to try and make it until I had the baby, but these last few weeks have been WAY tougher than I expected. So as long as I'm not in labor before then or unless the doc says I have to stop working, I am at work until Dec 30. I am really excited for the time off (12 weeks, until about March 28!!!!) So everyone please don't hesitate to call and come over and visit! I will be wanting the company! (Just don't check my house for cleanliness...I can't guarantee I'll be up on that like I should!) I'm going out tonight to hopefully finish my Xmas shopping.

Here are some pics from the baby's room. All painting is finished and all furniture has been delivered. Can't wait to get this baby OUT! Be careful out there in this crazy weather!!!!! Why isn't there any salt trucks or plows out?????

Hello everyone! The baby's room is FINALLY starting to come together. I have almost completed the wall mural. Just a few touches til it's done. With Christmas shopping and wrapping, it took me a while to get to it, but it was worth it. I also have a wall decal from Uppercase Living that will go on the angled ceiling. Really cute. I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions on and off. And it's ridiculous getting around. I'm ready to get this show on the road!!!!!

Well, the Mary Kay Holiday Party was a success! Congrats to Diane E., Rachael A., Donna W., and Linda B., my raffle prize winners! And thanks to all who came out. I worked myself like a dog getting the house ready with all the Christmas decorations and even my tree is up. So this weekend I'm getting a little much needed hibernation time. Only 4 weeks to go!!!!!!! I gotta get all the rest I can now.

Put the Christmas tree up last night, after some mild "tree drama" it turned out beautiful! We also ordered our last piece of furniture for the baby's room. That should be in next week and then we will have all the major stuff and can have the baby's room all ready. I need to get going with the paintings on the walls. I haven't really been in the mood plus I've been busy with holiday stuff as well. I'll get it done! Off the next 2 days YES!!!! (Thursday and Friday) Tonight I have dinner plans with my friend Rachael and then we are going to a Tastefully Simple/Uppercase Living party. I'm excited because I heard they have great quotes to buy for baby's room that are peel and stick. That was I don't have to break my back painting letters perfectly! Well, gotta get back to work. Hope you see you all Friday anytime between 3-9 pm for my Holiday Party!!!!

Had some contractions after work today. That kind of freaked me out...but after I had some water and laid down, they went away. Can't believe all this snow!!! Wasn't ready for that yet. We got majority of our Xmas decorations up, except the tree. Think we are going to put that up tonight. We also have to get to Babies R Us to order the last piece of furniture for the babies room - coupon is good only from today until Sat.

Yesterday was ultasound #2. We found out he is DEFINITELY a boy! We are so glad because we really bought a lot of boy stuff. So we will not have to be returning everything. The doctor said everything looked good, heart is strong and he is "practicing" breathing (no air to breathe in there but exercising his lungs in preparation for birth). Head is down pointed in the right direction. We got some cute pics of his face in 4D. I will try to get them scanned and put up on this blog.
Then I went downtown with my high school friends and our Mom's to see Dirty Dancing. It was a great show. I was having some issues in the very small seat and feeling restless legs. But still it was a great time.
This week is going to be very busy getting the house ready for my Mary Kay Holiday Party. I have to finish the baby's room, get everything cleaned, and get the Christmas decorations up. Ho Ho Ho the holidays are coming!!!!

Today is the day after Thanksgiving. We had a great holiday. We went to my parent's house at 1pm yesterday, and then the Fabian's at 6pm. We are lucky we get to see both sets of parents on Thanksgiving. My Mom kicked off the holiday season by giving my brother and I both our Christmas ornaments. Rudy and I pulled all the Xmas decoration boxes inside from the garage, but haven't put anything up yet, I want to clean the house really well first.
I wanted to go to Best Buy this morning for the doorbuster laptop but the people that worked there took one look at my stomach and told me definetly NOT to do the doorbusters. They said that people totally push and get knocked down! That is just ridiculous. So we went shopping this evening and it was actually pleasant. We got some good deals still.
Christmas shopping is definetly going to be a challenge this year! I walk funny and my back is really starting to hurt from the weight of the baby. We went to see Dr. A. this past week. She said that the baby is still getting larger. I lost one pound this week, but my stomach grew 4 cm! So he is growing very quickly. The doctor estimates that the baby will weigh over 9 lbs at birth! I may have to be induced at the end of December.
Tomorrow morning is our 2nd ultrasound. VERY excited to get some good pics! I'll post them on the site. Also going to see Dirty Dancing with the girls and our moms tomorrow. So better get to bed.

Rudy put together the big stroller with the carrier that clicks in. It is awesome. We took turns wheeling it around the house. The dogs don't hate it, so that's good. Tonight Phil and Phil are coming over to help Rudy move the huge armoire my parents got us up to the baby's room. Then I can really get some stuff done, like wash all the new clothes and blankets and have a place to put them. Rudy also promised me to put together the bassinet/playyard tonight. I'm off the next two days so I am going to try to get as much stuff organized up there as possible. Mom is coming over Friday to help, too. I'm feeling ok besides the heartburn and just feeling big. My back is starting to hurt. And I'm fighting the stretch mark battles fiercely with cocoa butter and stretch mark cream, but I think I'm losing! My skin is pulled so tight there is no way as I get bigger it can give anymore! I had to take off my wedding ring this week too : ( It was just too damn tight. I might get a large fake diamond just to be cool. Well, I'm going to enjoy my 2 days off and I'll keep everyone posted as more occurs on the pregnancy front!

Today is my off day. I went early to Carson's community day and got some great deals on baby clothes! People in public are staring at me at this point. My stomach is HUGE! Got his first pair of Levi's and a cute Levi's long sleeve T, an Adidas velour jumpsuit, a brown teddy bear "pram" (translation: snow suit/winter coat thing) complete with ears on hood, and a Calvin Klein set of 4 sleepers/onesies. He is going to be such a well-dressed little person! Rudy got kicked out of his closet in the baby's room. He is going to get set up in the downstairs guest bedroom. If you've seen our house, you know that we have zero closet space! Our closets are all half the size of a normal closet, but that's old houses for you. So even the baby's closet is pretty much full. Mine is like an avalanche every time I open it. Well, the plan is to get some of this baby stuff out of the boxes today and put together! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Last night Rudy and I went to Babies R Us to return a double gift we got. We were looking at the crib bedding set, debating if it was actually worth the $200. We really didn't think so since we already have 2 of 4 pieces and the crib bumper can't even be used because of the risk of SIDS. So really, the only piece we wanted was the quilt. I contacted the company in New Jersey, to see if they would sell us the quilt only, and they said no and that it was only available in the 4 piece set in the U.S. So we are talking about this with a lady at Babies R Us, and she sympathized, but said there is really nothing they can do. Then, when we were walking out of the store, she stopped us and had the quilt in her hand. She said that it had a spot on it and she couldn't sell it. Unless, of course, someone ASKED to buy it. So of course, we took it! After washing it with some Oxy Clean, the spot came out and end of story, we got the quilt for only $30! We were sworn to secrecy by her, so I can't say WHICH Babies R Us we were at, but isn't that awesome!? That lady rocks.
We are busy getting the room ready. Tonight is Mom Fabian's birthday. We are always on the go!

Sunday was my baby shower. It was beautiful! So many great people came and gave us some awesome presents. Baby stuff has officially taken over the house!!!!!!!! We are so psyched we have almost everything we need! Thanks to my Mom for putting it all together. It couldn't have turned out better. See the pic on the side.

Today was a tough day. Simple tasks at work that I never thought were strenuous are becoming challenging. I move like a turtle and people like to tease me about it. I'm hoping it's the weather, but my ankle is KILLING me. It's swollen and feels like I injured it. It made it very hard to go up and down the stairs at work today and even to drive. (It's my right ankle that I broke really bad when I was a Freshman in H.S.) Then the rain started so I'm thinking that, in combination with the extra weight I'm carrying is probably the culprit. Plus, at the baby class we went to, the instructor said all joints and ligaments loosen and are more prone to injury during pregnancy. So I am going to go ice and elevate and hope it gets better. I still need to paint in the nursery, so I can't give up now! Phil F. came over and put the crib together last night. It looks beautiful in the room, so it motivated me to get the painting done. Then, after the shower, we can move all our fun new stuff right in!

Last night was appointment with Dr. Ambrose. Gained 6 lbs this month and got reemed for it. I think it was all that Halloween candy! I vowed to lay off the sweets for the rest of the pregnancy because it makes my blood sugar hard to regulate and I had a sweaty, shaking, dizzy episode at work the other day because of my cappucino and 3 mini Kit Kat breakfast. Oops. Heartbeat was loud and easy to find, 139 bpm. We were given the golden prescription to get a second ultrasound between 34-36 wks. I hope to go on Nov 29, I have to call for an appointment today. I go back to Ambrose in 3 weeks.

I got a shower present shipped to me today! From Crystal F. It's the JJCole Bundle Me cover that goes on the car seat instead of needing to put the baby in a snow suit. I am VERY excited about it!!!! It was only available online so I didn't think we would get it. Sweet!

Last night Phil and Lyndy surprised us at home with the crib we registered for!!!!!!!!! They just showed up with it! I can't believe what a generous gift they gave us. I am so excited to see it put together and in the baby's room! My parent's came out on Saturday and we went to order the tall armoire from our registry. I haven't even had my shower yet and already we have 2 pieces out of 3 for the baby's room! I am so grateful to have such a supportive family. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Well, I'm headed off to have dinner with my friend Julie H. Tomorrow is my doctor appointment and then I'm going to look for a shower outfit in Orland. Hope everyone is enjoying this 75 degree day in November!

Got my hair cut yesterday (5 inches!) I like how it turned out. I got some bangs, too. Along with some new maternity jeans and a couple of tops, I feel pretty good despite the huge stomach! It really popped out again over the weekend. I hope everything continues to go this well for the rest of the pregnancy, but that is probably being naive. I go back to the doctor on Nov 4 for a check-up. I started painting clouds on the ceiling in the nursery. Not easy with a weird center of gravity. My arm was getting so tired, I will only be able to work on it in spurts. My shower is in a little over a week. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone. I've been a little out of the social circuit, so it will be great! Well, I've gotta go run some errands and figure out what I'm making for dinner.

Well Rudy and I are official graduates of Palos Hospital's "Birth, Babies, and Beyond" weekend crash course! And we've got the certificate to prove it. Although parts of the weekend were tedious, gross and/or scary, and at times downright difficult to stay awake, I thought it was very informative and learned a LOT of stuff about labor/delivery and having a newborn that I had no idea about! (Putting vaseline inside the diaper???) Rudy fell asleep a bunch of times and was snoring, and then I had a hysterical fit of laughter during one of the videos involving a nice Chinese lady in active labor and had to leave the room....but we did it! My favorite part was touring the maternity unit and meeting the nursing staff that will help deliver my baby. I think it will ease my anxiety knowing where to go and what it looks like. So now I'm pretty much ready to get on with the show! 10 weeks to go. The baby's room is all painted minus my artistic touches. So I am going to get started on that this week while I can still climb a step ladder. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Today at work I was having stomach cramps and didn't feel too well. I think the cramps are Braxton-Hicks contractions (for those of you that don't know - they are small contractions that prepare the uterus for labor). They are pretty uncomfortable but normal. But when I came home and layed down for a while I felt better. 28th week this week. This upcoming weekend Rudy and I have our baby classes at Palos Hospital. Over the weekend we watched Baby Mama and Juno. Highly recommend them both! Really cute. Rudy got me a dozen white roses for Sweetest Day. AWWW...

Ceiling of baby's room is painted one coat of blue! It looks so good! After a 2nd coat I am going to paint some clouds on it to look like the sky. Made an appointment today to get my hair cut and (SHHHH Don't tell the doctor.....) highlighted. It is totally too long and looks like a rat's nest. No joke! Off to Oktoberfest at Becky's house and dying for a Hard Core Cider. Maybe I can find a non-alcoholic version??? Peace out.

Today was a Schwan's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE SCHWANS. Don't know if anyone else is familiar with Toastwiches???? If you know what I'm talking about let me know! I am obsessed with them. I could eat them everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The color is up on the baby's room walls. Looks great! Can't wait to post pics when it's all done. Gotta go eat my Toastwich! Bye!

This past week, Rudy and I put up our Halloween decorations. They look really great. I had bought some stuff 50% off after Halloween last year that I totally forgot about until we pulled it out. We also have a fall scene with hay bales, scarecrows, and a cornstalk. Very festive! Yesterday was my 10 year high school reunion. Wow, can't believe 10 years have gone by that quick! I instead opted to go to a local bar/restaurant in Joliet for a co-workers bachelorette party. It was a nice time, I went for dinner. I'm glad we were in a back room, because just going to the bathroom, I found myself getting strange looks from younger skinny girls, like,
"What the hell is this fat pregnant lady doing at a bar?" Besides my paranoia about what people think, it was fun and I'm glad I went. 3 diet pepsis later, I called it a night at 9pm...Definetely a different experience from the other bachelorette parties I've been to in the past (pre-pregnancy)!
Tomorrow work continues on the baby's room. We are having issues with the ceiling. Lovely 1940's plaster walls have issues you guys don't ever want to have to deal with. Oh, and we had a mouse in our house!!!!!!!!!!! YUCK! Rudy took care of decontamination, but now I am paranoid to go into the basement or garage by myself! I feel like the elephants in Dumbo standing on the little stool! And our dogs were scared of it too! So, if anyone has a cat that they wouldn't mind coming over for a visit, let me know. We may need you!

I am so glad it's fall. This is officially my favorite season and it NEVER lasts long enough. Winter and the freezing cold always comes too quick. I'm really enjoying the brisk sweatshirt weather. (And I'm glad I don't have to squeeze into my capris anymore!) Had a doctor's appointment last night. My stomach grew 3 cm to 27. And I gained 10 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know how this happened. The WHOLE pregnancy before this month I only gained 9 and NOW I have more than doubled it in one month. My doctor was surprisingly cool about it, I think because she saw I was really upset. I am going to get out and enjoy this brisk weather that I write about and start walking. I love to walk around the historic district out here in Joliet and look at the awesome old houses. But besides the weight gain thing, my blood pressure and everything else looked good. I just need to be a bit more active and eat a little less McDonalds!
I'm at 27 weeks. Officially 3rd trimester is next week. I was wrong, I thought I'd been in the last trimester for a couple of weeks. Then I'm going to have to go to the doctor every 2 weeks and after 34 weeks I have to go every week! Hope everyone is enjoying the weather! Bye.

Hi Everyone! It's been a while since I've written anything. My stomach is growing by the day! The baby must have hit another growth spurt because I've been ravenously hungry the past couple of days. I also can feel movement OUTSIDE my stomach with my hands. Very cool! I just can't time it for anyone else to feel because it's so spuratic and hard to pin-point. I will grab Rudy's hand and put it on my stomach but by the time he gets there, it's gone. My in-laws are coming over tomorrow to work on the baby's room with Rudy. I can't wait for it to get started! I decided to have the ceiling painted blue and I'm going to paint some clouds on it. I will post pictures when it's up! Well, not much else to report except it's after 9pm....I need to get my pajamas on! Goodnight!

Had to stay home from work today. I was up all night last night with stomach issues (I won't gross you out with the details). After a trip to Walgreens at 2:30am for Milk of Magnesia, I finally fell asleep around 4:00am. Being in the 3rd trimester can be hell. But after taking it easy today and resting I feel better. I was scared to eat, but did eat a light dinner and feel ok. Nothing much else to report right now. Going to the dentist tomorrow because I think a filling fell out of one of my molars a few weeks ago. I have had a toothache lately. So that is my exciting plan for my days off. I ordered a cute winter coat from Old Navy online today. Thought I better get one now instead of running around crazy looking for a maternity coat when it gets super cold out. Because needless to say, I don't think last years coat will fit this time around!

Got Lyndy's BEAUTIFUL shower invitation in the mail! LOVE THEM. Thank you Lyndy, I don't know if you read this blog but I know those were so much work. I really appreciate it! Can't believe it's already getting to that time. I am for sure showing big time now. For a while it was just my lower stomach that was really jutting out, and know my whole stomach got huge. The baby continues to kick and punch me, especially after I eat. Which is then followed by horrendous heartburn! YUCK. I guess that is supposed to mean a lot of hair. A guy at work actually said after he saw me down 1/2 a bottle of Rolaids, "that means he's going to be a hairy little critter." Do you know what kind of picture that put in my head??? (Think Teen Wolf in a diaper). People say the funniest things to pregnant people! Another one of my favorites is, "Did you guys plan this or was it an accident??" Am I a prude?? I must be. It's cool if someone really close to me asks this question, but an acquaintance??? That's just weird. Well, I started a baby quilt for the little critter. It's going to be cute! It has some Sesame Street characters, Simpsons, and of course, Chicago Bears! Oh and I got the cutest gift from my sister in law, Klara today. It's a black t-shirt that has an arrow pointing to my belly and says "Mom's Little Sox Fan" as well as a little White Sox cap that will go perfect with the Sox sleeper Grandma J has already bought! Well, I'm tired now so I will be signing off. Thanks for reading.

Survived the ALS Walk4Life! Almost drowned in the rain! We were so soaked that our shoes were filled with water and had to sit on towels on the way home. Yuck! But it was such a great cause and I'm so glad we toughed it out (even though 2 miles was harder than I expected!) Then we had a tailgate in the pouring rain afterwards! Wet chicken, anyone??? haha. I can't BELIEVE this weather. I thought Chicagoans don't have to worry about hurricanes and/or tropical storms! WTF?! Our basement is flooded and Rudy spent his Sunday getting anything of value up off the floor so that it wouldn't get ruined. The dogs feel displaced and depressed, the basement is their turf. The baby is moving like CRAZY! I feel him kicking and somersaulting around all the time. Maybe he'll be at the 2016 Summer Games??? I guess that would be a little too early...maybe 2020! My baby shower plans have been set by my Mom and Lyndy! Can't wait to see the secret invitations Lyndy has been working on!!!!!!!! Also, I signed Rudy and I up for a weekend crash course at Palos Hospital...Birth, Babies, and Beyond. They said to bring 2 pillows, a blanket, and wear comfy clothes....We're going to be learning everything from how to breathe during labor to how to change a diaper to how to breastfeed (well, I guess that part is more for me than Rude.) That's on Oct 25-26 and we get a tour of the maternity department at the hospital. More later!

Went to the doctor today. Everything is good. Finally found out the results from my ultrasound are all A-oK! Gained 3-1/2 lbs this past month. Doctor said "nothing to brag about" but I was proud and think that shows pretty good restraint and almost 6 months pregnant. Even though I only gained 3-1/2 lbs., my stomach grew 6cm (from 18 last month to 23.5 this month). She said the baby is on the large side. Considering the size of mom and dad, I can't say I'm surprised! Heart rate was 141 bpm. She said perfectly in normal range and will continue to slow down as he gets bigger.
Very excited about the ALS Walk4Life this weekend. My family is walking 2 miles and has collected over $1200 in donations in memory of my late grandfather, Steve Toth. I'm going to wear comfy shoes and pants and drink a lot of water. I know I will be able to do it. Thanks to everyone who donated so generously!

Due to the many comments I have been getting about some of the name choices in the poll, I have to let you know that some of them were made as filler (to be funny, I guess). But those names are actually getting votes! So the joke is back on me! haHA I love it! Seriously, Rudy and I are not married to any name at this point. Naming a boy is very difficult! Da Bears are on so I am committing a major Fabian household sin by being on the computer right now....have to go. (Rudy is letting me wear his William "The Refridgerator" Perry throwback jersey....I'm pretty sure that's a punn on my size right now! Haha. Nothing new on the pregnancy front. Just lots of movement and feeling good. Doctor on Thursday, 2 mile ALS Walk4Life next Saturday. More later....

Well, a lot has happened since last time I wrote! I FINALLY am feeling the baby move. At first it was just a tingling or fluttering, but today it was bumps or kicks. It's so funny and weird. Sunday night I felt really sick. I was dizzy, nauseas, and having trouble breathing plus a headache and seeing spots. Rudy and I were scared that my blood pressure had gotten too high. We went to the ER to have it checked out. Turns out my blood pressure was just fine. But I'm glad we went, the doctor totally eased our minds. He said since I am nearing the 3rd trimester I am going to have all of those symptoms because the baby is growing rapidly and taking all that it needs, and I basically get the leftovers (including oxygen!) He also thinks I am borderline anemic. So I am going to discuss that with Dr. Ambrose when I see her on 9/11. And we got to hear the baby's heart when we were there...154 bpm. Which is perfect. So, I'm looking forward to my next doctor's appointment to discuss the results of the ultrasound we had in Aug. 4 weeks is a really long time to wait between doctor's appointments. I think in the 3rd trimester I'm going to go more often.
I suddenly feel totally pregnant. It hit me all at once. For so long, nothing was happening, now I walk up the stairs and I feel like I ran a marathon. I think the combination of working, visiting with my family then Rudy's, and then coming home and doing housework on Sunday was just too much for me now. It's hard to accept that I have some limitations, but its in the best interest of me and the baby to take it easy.
My house is looking beautiful by the way! As I mentioned earlier, my in-laws and Rudy have been painting. The first floor and hallways are almost done and look great! We got some new curtains to go in the living room too. They haven't started on the baby's room yet, but I can't wait to see the color up on the walls! And I can't wait to start moving in all the baby stuff I've been accumulating. Gifts people have given us, clothes I've bought, and a cute little silver airplane bank. Well, think this is enough of an update for now!!!!!!!! Thanks for reading.

Had a beautiful weekend with my girlfriends in Michigan! Got some sun and did some relaxing! Meanwhile, Rudy and his family were painting at my house. It's still a work in progress, but it's going to be beautiful by the time baby gets here. Rudy and I thought of a couple of more names lately. It's WAY harder than I thought. Can't wait until the baby's room is painted and ready to go so I can start hanging the little outfits in the closet and doing my nesting thing. Still not feeling any moving...but books say it's ok.

I'm off to Michigan today to get together with my high school girlfriends for the weekend (14 of us are going out there!). Hopefully the weather will hold out. Should be interesting to not be drinking with a drinking crowd! Been looking forward to this FOREVER and even got a maternity bathing suit for the occassion! Meanwhile, at the homefront, Rudy and his parents are having a painting party while I'm gone. They are definetly painting the baby's room then they are going to go on and paint as much of the rest of the house that time allows. Very excited to come home and see the transformation on Sunday (or maybe Monday if they are still working - because I'm not supposed to be around all the fumes.) Check out our completed baby registry at Babies R Us, please don't think we are greedy! It's pretty big. My favorite is the adorable bedding and room theme we registered for called Hug Me.

Talking to my friend Rachael today made me feel better about my apparent lack of maternal instinct. As you know if you have been reading along, I was SURE the baby was a girl. Since I knew I was pregnant! Then Saturday at the ultrasound I found out otherwise. Today at work, I expressed my concern to Rachael (mother of twin boys -2 years old). She said the same thing happened to her. She didn't believe the ultrasound because she was SURE that at least one of the twins, and probably both were girls. And she is a great mom. So that has made me feel a lot better. This weekend is Michigan with my girlfriends. Really looking forward to it! I'm going to try and get some of the ultrasound pics posted on the blog...have to get out my scanner first. Look for them in the near future.

Ninja IS A BOY! After ultrasound, somewhat iffy results...doctor says "if he had to guess, I see something dangling there." (????WHAT IS THAT?????) We will most likely be getting majority neutral baby stuff j.i.c. Ultrasound was a really cool experience! Baby was very active, doing somersaults and a handstand. He was covering his head with his arms and making it difficult to get measurements. He also wouldn't stay still to get a great shot of his privates, which is also why I hesistate to wholeheartedly believe its a boy. And I was SO SURE all along it was a girl. How could I be so wrong about it? I mean, I would've bet a million dollars (granted I don't actually have the money to lose) that is was a girl. So I guess we will not know for sure until the birth but for now, I will be referring to the baby "him/he." Rudy is ecstatic! And I am excited too. Grandma J already got a Chicago Bears outfit for him! SO CUTE. I am just worried to commit to blue everything if we are not 100%.

Tonight Rudy and I went to begin registering at Babies R Us. It was fun! They let us loose in the store with the scanner. Rudy went a little crazy just scanning everything! And of course he had to register for his insanely expensive LCD TV baby monitor! But pretty much everything else he let me pick out so I guess I will compromise. I was totally wore out after 2 1/2 hours and we had to call it quits. When we know what we are having I will go back for the gender specific stuff. Rudy gave me an early birthday present...a prenatal heart listener. Its a microphone with headphones that you put on your stomach and can hear the baby's heartbeat! Very cool.

Doctor's appointment was last night. The heartbeat came in loud and clear as soon as Dr. put the microphone on my stomach! 150 bpm. She said its a good strong heartbeat. It is 10 bpm slower than last month and she said that's because the baby is larger. She measured my belly at 20. (inches? i think?) I gained 4 lbs. in the past month, which she says isn't too bad, but to try and slow down so that I'm not miserable. So I will try to eat out less, because I know it's the fast food and junk!!! My blood pressure was also a little high, so we have to watch that too. 3 Days until the ultrasound!

Yesterday I participated in a training at work to prevent getting stabbed or attacked. Fun stuff for a pregnant person. It wasn't that bad, they had me sit out during the really strenuous parts of rolling around on a mat. I tried a couple of moves on Rudy when I got home and it seems to work! Today I woke up so sore! I couldn't even get out of bed. So I am at home today. Trying to get some stuff around the house organized but my back is hurting hurting hurting!
Not much to report on the pregnancy front. I got some maternity clothes from a neighbor and a co-worker. So that is a bonus. I need to buy myself a maternity bathing suit for a girls weekend in Michigan with my high school friends. Anyone going that is reading this....Are we going to be swimming/laying out? Do I need a bathing suit? Let me know!
Also, Rudy and I finally agreed on a boys name. We've had a girls name picked out all along. Although we are not really disclosing the names we have picked out. We are keeping them a secret. The whole world gets to know if we are having a boy or a girl, so we can keep the name quiet! haha

Doctor Update:
11 days until next OB/GYN visit (Aug 12)
15 days until Ultrasound (to find out if it's a boy or girl!)

And check out the "Are you ready to be a mother?" quiz at the bottom of this page!

Closing in on week 17 here....still not feeling any movement inside. Which freaks me out. I wish I could be like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and have an ultrasound machine at home to check on Baby Fabian (aka "Ninja") everyday. You may ask, Why is it aka Ninja??? Well, although I cannot feel baby moving, when I was SOOOOO sick everyday, I told Rudy that it must be moving around like a Ninja, and that is what was making me so sick. So it stuck. And when you say Ninja, there is this automatic response to do a judo chop or kick and make a kung fu sound (WaaaaaaAAaaaaaaa!!!!). *I am aware this is strange.* Sometime this weekend, I hope to go and begin registering for the non-gender specific type of stuff like crib, monitor, and bottles and stuff. Well, time for me to eat some banana split ice cream. Thanks for stopping by! Don't be shy to leave some comments either!

I'm in week 16. Today is my day off. Lots of laundry and cleaning to catch up on. I don't ever feel sick anymore which I LOVE! I can't believe the nausea just stopped completely. People told me it would but I have to say I did not believe them. I actually forget that I'm pregnant sometimes because except for being more tired than usual, I feel completely normal. I'm not feeling any movements yet so I'm just kind of in this waiting period.
Yesterday I went out with my Mom, Grandparents, and brother. I had a talk about the delivery with my mom. She thinks I will be fine...I still don't like to think about that part. We devised a plan of action should I go into labor when Rudy is at work.

Not too much to report...got my FMLA and disability paperwork from work today - A mess of papers to fill out so I can take my time off work when the baby comes. I am planning on taking off 12 weeks hopefully all of it after the birth. I plan on working until I go into labor, I just pray it doesn't happen AT work! I think everyone prays that doesn't happen! Well, I'm going to go have some Reese's ice cream and watch What Not To Wear. Talk to you later!

Rudy and I went to the doctor last night. I was ecstatic to see I only gained 2 lbs. Let me tell you, it looks and feels like closer to 20 lbs! The best part of the visit was hearing the baby's heartbeat. The doctor put this jelly stuff on my stomach and then moved a microphone over my skin until she could pick up the heartbeat. It sounded so fast! The doctor said it was normal, 160 bpm. Rudy thought it was so cool he asked her to find it two times. That definitely made it more real to me. I actually have a living thing growing inside of me! Doctor says it probably weighs about 2 oz. and is 4 inches long. I go back in 4 weeks and am shooting for only gaining another 2 lbs (or less).

15 weeks and counting...Tomorrow is 2nd doctor's appointment. Hopefully we will be able to hear the heartbeat! Had a very busy and fun weekend. We had Kathleena and Rudy Jr. Luau with the Januszewski family on Saturday and hung out with Rudy's friend Chris's family on Sunday (he just got back from a year in Yugoslavia with the Army). Also worked both days, so I am off the next 2 and plan on relaxing!!!!

Already getting gifts for the baby! We are so greatful to have such an awesome (and generous)support system!!!
Mom (aka Grandma J) had already gotten "I Love Mommy" and "I Love Daddy" bibs and White Sox sleeper.
The Matocha's got us an adorable ceramic hanging sign for the baby's room that says, "SHHHHH...If I'm not sleeping, Nobody's sleeping"
Auntie Lyndy and Uncle Phil got us a baby tattoo gun (JUST KIDDING). They got baby a really cute duckie sleeper with matching booties and hat. Totally up my alley! LOVE baby hats!
And The Wickline family got me some very cool vanilla scented pacifiers that are a new trend. Really neat, didn't even know about them!

4-2-08: Alleged conception date (found out later that it's supposed to be called "Estimated Conception Date" can you tell I work in a jail?)

5-17-08: 1st positive pregnancy test (and 2nd, 3rd, and 4th just to be sure!!!)

5-30-08: Really tired of working overtime....

6-5-08: McDonald's is the only thing I can stomach at this point. Thank God for the McDonald's on my corner!

May and Most of June: Hangover feeling everyday without the fun night before. Short temper with kids at work. My boobs are ballooning and hurt super bad!

6-12-08: 1st doctor appointment. Confirmed I am, in fact, pregnant. Took lots of blood (yuck!). Got some horsepill vitamins. Need to take a nap now everyday after work. Can't use Clean Cotton smelling Bath and Body Works soap. Makes me sick. Really, everything at this point makes me gag. Please don't make me do the dishes!!!!!! Going to buy a dishwasher if that damn stimulus check would ever come!

6-20-08: Love chicken nuggets! Can't get enough.

6-28-08: Last day of 1st trimester. Figured out it was milk that was making me way sick, avoiding it now and feeling better. Stomach is feeling hard, definitely NOT my six-pack abs.

7-1-08: Went to lunch with my Mom and got some maternity clothes. Little depressed that it's already come to maternity clothes time. My stomach was itching today and I think that means the skin is stretching...better get some more cocoa butter!

7-4-08: Fourth of July - had to park far away from fireworks and hike. Everyday tasks such as walking and esp. walking on incline proving to be more difficult that usual. Also, needed help getting off chair very low to the ground. *SIGH* Also almost got hit with some bottle rockets on the walk back to the car, ha ha right Julie?

7-7-08: 14 weeks in...

Work officially has been notified so now the friends that I've told at work aren't sworn to secrecy anymore. But still, how do I tell people? Esp. those I'm not too close with. Or do I not tell them? I mean eventually they will find out when I start majorly showing, but am I supposed to be like, "Hey, guess what??? I'm pregnant." That's weird to tell people you don't normally talk to about personal stuff. They would probably be like, "So?"

I read Jenny McCarthy's pregnancy book "Belly Laughs." Would def. recommend this to any pregnant women! It's not scary like the others. It's very funny. New found admiration for Jenny McCarthy!

Made appointment for 20 week ultrasound. That's when you get to find out if it's a boy or a girl! We go August 16th.

7-8-08: Found out it's no longer safe to sleep on my stomach. The blood flow to the baby could be cut off. SCARY! And it's also no longer comfortable to sleep on my stomach, feels like I can't breathe and probably even worse for the baby! So tonight I must sleep on my side, the pregnancy books say the left side is better. Better for WHOM??

Having anxiety about weigh in at doctor's appointment in 1 week. Scared I may have gained too much and will get yelled at.

Nausea is pretty much gone now! YIPPEEE!!!!! But I still could sleep 12-20 hours a day. Hopefully that will be done with soon so I could get some laundry and cleaning done.