We're ready for Sophia!

I think Niko says it all....we're ready for you Sophia! Lol I couldn't help but snap this photo. Every time I go into the nursery to do something, Niko trails in behind me and just lays down until I leave the room. Niko definitely knows that I'm pregnant as he has become more protective but also he is curious about absolutely everything in that room! He looks quite chubby in this photo though, haha but he really is not. Well Sophia and I both have our bags packed , extra packing list attached to suitcase just in case now counting down the days...

18 days to go.....

* Babies & Graduations! *

 

This is what our current "nursery" looks like...not exactly what I had planned. This used to be our movie room and then we got surprised with a soon to be little girl. But since our lease is up less than a month before the baby is due, the baby furniture you see there still in the boxes weights over 90 lbs each, and the fact that we are wanting to move, we haven't decided what to do yet with this room. I have been reassure by Dan though, IF Sophia comes early...this room will be set up while I am in the hospital and before I come home. But those of you know really know me, I am a perfectionist....I love to organize, clean, and keep items in their rightful places....this room? It's KILLING me!!! LOL. I'd honestly feel better if the room was just empty so I am now in the process of carefully storing things away in orderly fashion and throwing away stuff at the same time. Good bye movie room with all of my Twilight memorabilia until we get an extra room...but.....

My graduation is in 13 days!!!! I am STOKED, HAPPY, EXCITED, and READY FOR THIS!!! I have been imaging this moment for years and it's so close I can taste it! Every moment of my life up until in 13 days, I have always had to plan my life around school, work for free, work for less so that I could go to school at the same time, and just my life revolved around school. I do plan on getting my masters but for now I just want my degree and to concentrate on being a new mommy :) I don't know how this summer will be...jobs I or Dan will have...we have things in the works right now so if you ask me two days in a row what my plan is you will probably get 5 different answers, I'm not worried though, I know things will work out one way or another, I just have to sit back and watch how they will work out.

And here is part of my happy family....we all like naps :) I didn't realize I had passed out nor that someone was spying on me ;) But this is our typical family naps...Niko lays beside me or Dan on the ground and Lola is somewhere cuddled on top of one of us. I almost don't even look pregnant in this photo...unless you look super close and see a little bump peeking up.


Well well....I am 32 weeks along....8 more weeks to go! I am doing good...craving sweets every bit of the way and even though I passed my dreaded 3 hour glucose test I got a lecture from my ob that I still have really high sugar. Have you ever been pregnant and tried NOT eating the few things you were craving?!?! It is SO difficult and when I'm not eating sweets I'm thinking about eating sweets. For the past week, every person I've seen that knows me has just glowed with joy about how big I "suddenly" am...really? Hmmm I feel like the weight has been coming on pretty steadily but apparently others view me differently. Oh well, it totally does not offend me when people say how big I look..although I've heard your not supposed to say that to a pregnant woman because it's rude? I don't know...it doesn't offend me at all but that's just me. Dan has been amazing throughout the pregnant...completely sweet and amazing! He tries to shop for me and choose low sugar items, he's fixed me breakfast before I go into work, and when he comes home from work or leaves for work, he always kisses Sophia and says "Hello little girl" or "Goodbye little girl". She has already acquired more nicknames then I could imagine before she is even in this world. Haha I've given up already as well on wanting people to call her Sophia and only Sophia.

2 Days Is Not Long Enough....

I felt compelled to share this story and I hope my dear friend doesn't mind that I'm actually sharing "her" story. I just read a blog post from a good friend however, I won't share her name or her exact post because it is very personal to her family but I wanted her to know how much her story affected me. Reading her blog post broke my heart, made me cry, but also made me more thankful than ever for the blessings I have. Here a just a few things going through my head:

The average time it takes a for a couple to get pregnant is approximately 8 months.

I got pregnant in about 6 weeks.

I'm almost 22 weeks along and many women by this time have swelling, pain, back aches, nausea still, or may have other health problems going on such as high blood pressure.

I was nauseated for 6 weeks in my first trimester and that was all. I'm feeling great, every so often I may have a LITTLE gas or a spurt of tummy pain from my ligaments/muscles stretching but that's all. No swelling no nothing.

Baby? Oh yea, she (Sophia Rae) is healthy so far! 1 more ultrasound to go to double check the heart but all 4 valves were seen in the last ultrasound and looked good. She has no birth defects. All tests and bloodwork done on mommy and baby have come back normal.

BUT.....

For a dear friend of mine, she got to her 20 week mark with her second baby......her world was then turned upside down.

Her sweet baby boy was diagnosed with a heart defect. 

Why is it this things have been easy for me? I've had minor stuff here and there and a little pain here and there but that's nothing. Why has Heavenly Father decided to bless me so greatly? But for my friend, her and her son's fate were so extremely different?

Why did she have it so hard? She's one of the most genuine, amazing, sweet, beautiful, good-hearted people I've ever met. Why her? She deserves the world.

In January, he was born. Surprisingly he was doing great. Then....something went wrong. No one knows what failed him, but it wasn't his heart. It heart kept fighting. But ultimately Heavenly Father felt the boy deserved to be with him and so....

Quietly, Heavenly Father took him.  

I don't know the answers to my own questions but I know in some way some how this will all work out in the end. When we all meet again, we will finally know the reasons for these things. I know, have faith, love, and trust my Heavenly Father that he knows what he is doing.

Not a day or a minute goes by that I don't thank Heavenly Father for my blessings, that I don't think of how incredibly lucky and grateful I am for the amazing experience I am going through.

And all I can do is hope and pray for my friend and her family that their healing comes quick, Heavenly Father will take away their pain, and that they will meet their beautiful boy again.

I want people to know to not take what they have for granted and just because your going through struggles, there will always be someone else to have it worse. Be thankful for the times you do and don't have...live in the moment and don't dwell on the past or future.

With all my love,
Cari

4 DaYS TiLL We FiNd OuT!

Friday is a BIG BIG day! We find out if we're having a boy or girl! SOOOO excited that the only thing that is keeping my mind off of it is because I have the first 10 pgs of a 35-50 pg paper of my Capstone ( my final graduation paper- kinda like a thesis that English majors have to do) due on Thursday. At least I have something else to concentrate on! My pregnancy is going well and I'm very thankful for that. I am feeling great....I still get sick here and there but who doesn't? It is harder to sit straight up because I feel like I'm going to pop my stomach open so I'm starting to have to lean back more when sitting down or popping my stomach out when I'm walking, lol. Time is still going by SLOWWWWWW for me...I'm ready to get this show on the road and start being able to be active with baby, I've only felt it kick strongly once and the other times I can't tell if it's gas, twitching, the baby kicking, or whatever it may be! Welp I'm sure I'll write again! P.S. I FINALLY finished the scrapbook for my hubby and I's wedding and honeymoon, I'll post pictures soon because it's my first true scrapbook and I'm so proud of it! :)

 

CraFTs AnD PrEgGo UpDaTe

 

The glass jar above is something I made for a friend. I had an empty pickle jar and couldn't figure out what to do with it and then I thought of this! Next time I would use Mod Podge so the jar could get wet if need be but I didn't have so I used a hot glue gun, scrapbook paper, ribbon, and a button there we go! It took 5 mins...it's easy, cute, and can be used for anything! I love the jars that can be used to store pencils, pens, candy, add some stones and put a candle in the middle, seashells, etc. you name it you can do it! :)

The wreath is a project from my other blog entry http://carianddanmarino.blogspot.com/2011/08/fabric-wreath.html  . But I have a different camera now and I thought these photos looked better so I retook the pictures :)

 Pregnancy Update!

First and foremost, I have to say how incredibly blessed I am for my pregnancy and my family. Over the past few months I've learned of several friends that have miscarried, had difficult pregnancies, lost their newborns, or have not been able to get pregnant at all. I am so extremely blessed because I have my pregnancy has started and is going by with ease. Yes I was very sick for about 6 weeks in my first trimester but it is nothing compared to the pain some of my other friends are feeling and I know that I owe my blessings to Heavenly Father. I haven't gained any weight yet but that's okay, my last dr appt the heartbeat was 156, all of my lab work and everything has been normal so far. January 27th, I find out if it is a boy or girl and that's when they do the entire fetal check of heart, lungs, etc.  I feel the "butterflies" often now and I have been able to tell 2X where my baby is in my stomach. Once the baby was crammed into my left rib and the other it was crammed into my right rib. Dan and I are very excited and we can't wait till we can find out what it is and feel the full blown kicks :) My moods are still pretty normal, my friend told me she noticed me "waddling" a little bit, I refuse for that to be the case so early in the pregnancy. I got maternity clothes to fit me now and I love them! Slip on maternity jeans are the best!! I am still LOVING potato chips but I am also loving tuna fish but I have to limit my amount (DARN!). Limiting one of the few things that I am loving stinks tho! Well that's all for now, see ya'll later!

Preggo Update!

Notice the bump??? YeaaAAAHHHH! Haha okay well it's barely there but for me...it's there! Especially when I sit down and my stomach is hanging over my jeans! So here is a list of updates about the pregnancy!

Baby Update: The baby is healthy and doing well! Heartbeat of 161. My OB thinks it's a girl :) But we will see...I'm 13 weeks and at 20 weeks I'll know for sure but fingers crossed!!

Cravings: Pickles, Potato Chips, Mexican Food 

Gross Outs: Nasty cuts, Chinese Food, Dirty Mop Water, Dog Poop

Difficulties: Getting out of bed in the mornings! UGH!, bending forward...already, getting off the floor when I'm laying flat, finding clothes that fit me (haven't bought new ones yet)

Moods: Depends on the minute, haha! My best moods are usually during the afternoon, mornings and nights I'm usually tired or cranky. I get aggravated easily but the hubby has been very nice in dealing with me :)

I'm definitely working on getting a larger coat too as I'm not going to be fitting in mine too much longer! I'm always eating...most of time I have food in my hand snacking on something :) The 65 lb brute husky I have...haha...is starting to be "sweeter" to me....aka he is better about not jumping on me! I hope this continues and he will calm down enough in time for the baby. So that's about all...hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season!! XOXO

I'M PREGNANT!!

Dan and I are officially having a baby! Eeeekkkk! We are truly excited to be first time parents! It is going to be a busy 9 months for us. I am currently a senior in college and 6 weeks pregnant which means I graduate college on May 5th, 2012 and our baby is due June 17th, 2012! Too amazing life events 1 month apart!

But let's back up a little bit first. Dan and I knew I would be getting out of school in less than a year and after much thought and many prayers, we felt it was right for us to put it in Heavenly Father's hands to know when the right time was to bless us with a child then....2 weeks later.....the stork visited us! We were laying in bed and I just couldn't get my mind off wanting to take a test after I was already "late". So I got up while Dan was still half asleep in bed, took the test, waited 2 minutes.....couldn't believe what I saw...waited an additional 5 minutes JUST to make sure. Nope...still positive. I open the door of the bathroom and yell "DAN!" and he grudgingly looked at me "Whatttt?" I'm sure my face was priceless. I had both hands cupped over my mouth and just stood there silently...I was speechless. After a few seconds, I finally spoke and said "I'm pregnant". He rolled over to go back to sleep and said no your not... do what? He just rolled over??? BUT then he rolled back over "Really?"..."YES REALLY!!" The next moments were special and we were realizing that our lives were officially going to change. Though we had disagreements about the color differentiations of the blue lines, I took a 2nd test in the morning...yep...still positive. Okay well I REALLY need to make sure, lol. So I went to the doctor to get an official test and WAHLA!! I'm 4.5 weeks pregnant!!

Needless to say, we're ecstatic! I am really hoping for a girl and Dan really wants a boy. But of course, we will be greatly thankful for whatever Heavenly Father blesses us with :)