Christmas Vacation

Christmas is just around the corner and for me that means...going home to South Carolina to be with family and friends!  It will be the first time I've been home for Christmas since 2007, and this time I get to bring the love of my life with me!!

I don't know about everyone else, but I have been catching up on holiday movies and music since Thanksgiving day.  It just puts me in such a good mood when I'm feeling a little homesick.  Not only have I been catching up on holiday movies and music, I've also been catching up on yummy holiday foods! Side note - baking a cake for no reason at all is one of the WORST possible things a pregnant woman can do. Ha ha.

Anyway, here's my belly picture update for 26 weeks and 1 day.

Side View

 From the Front

My belly is growing and growing and... it kind of freaks me out.  It is crazy to think that it's getting bigger and bigger everyday.

Here an update:

How far along: 26 Weeks and 1 Day

Size of Baby: Eggplant 

Movement: Kosta is still kicking and karate chopping in there.  He kicks the most right when I lie down to go to sleep.  Now I can feel him kick and punch at two ends of my stomach at the same time - it's crazy!

Sleep: OK - sleep is starting to gradually fade away.  I guess this is God's way of getting me prepared for the sleepless nights with baby Kosta.  I just cannot seem to get comfortable anymore - as soon as I lie down for bed my back starts killing me.

Cravings: I'm still craving sweets.  After eating lunch or dinner I always feel like I have room for dessert.  I try very very hard not to give in to those cravings, but sometimes I just can't help it.  

Sick?:  Today I woke up feeling awful.  I'm not sure what it was, but I was in so much pain.  My stomach as well as my chest and back were killing me.  I could hardly breathe because it hurt so badly.  I ended up taking a bath, which seemed to ease the pain.  I am feeling better now, thank God.

Showing yet?:  Absolutely...Rudy keeps having to tell me that I'm not getting fat, and that I am just pregnant.  Sometimes it's hard to look in the mirror and not get down about the fact that I am gaining weight.  It is unbelievable how much your body changes during pregnancy.

Maternity Clothes:  Same as last week...I can still wear my baggy summer clothes, but I have to wear maternity pants and stuff for winter time.

Belly Button In or Out?:  Still in...but I think it's gradually starting to poke out.

Weight gain: I'm not sure the exact number because I haven't been back to the doctor since the beginning of November.  I am somewhat "boycotting" the doctor here in Costa Rica because he keeps trying to prescribe me medicines for no reason and I don't like it.  I've talked to my doctor in the US and she says I'll be fine to wait until I get home to get check out there.

Missing anything?:  Being comfortable.  Sleep.  Surfing. Having a drink with friends - I didn't drink much anyway before I got pregnant, but now I miss having a drink when we're at social gatherings.  

High of the Week:  Watching Christmas movies and specials on TV! (Update to last week's update - WE SOLD THE CAR!)

24 Weeks 5 Days and GROWING!

Well, I am currently 24 weeks and 5 days pregnant..and the belly is still growing! Ha ha.  Anyway, I thought I'd post a belly update as well as some pregnancy highlights so far.

How far along: 24 Weeks 5 Days

Size of Baby: Papaya

Movement:  Most definitely.  He kicks me all the time.  However, I can't seem to figure out what exactly is hitting me - hands, head, or feet? Most of the time it feels like he's karate chopping me and then other times it feels like he's stretching his little body out as much as he can.

Sleep: I do sleep, but I am not quite sure if it is good sleep.  I wake up a lot throughout the night to pee or move around.  My back bothers me a lot as well - my lower back aches all night, which tends to get uncomfortable.  I sleep on my left side like the doctors say to do, and that's the side that hurts the most...oh well.

Cravings: Well, my appetite has really started to pick up these last two weeks.  However, I don't really have any strange cravings.  I do love my sweets and cheeses.  I have been making a lot of casseroles lately - I guess I'm missing Southern foods...I take that back, I do have cravings - I want to eat deli sandwiches all the time, but pregnant woman aren't supposed to eat deli meat...I'm not sure if I am really craving them or if it's because I'm not allowed to eat them..haha.

Sick?: Not anymore, thank God. (And knock on wood...)  I had some trouble while we were traveling in Peru.  I got food poisoning from a hamburger here in Costa Rica and it lasted for almost two weeks. Stupid bacteria...ugh.  I felt TERRIBLE, which ended up dehydrating me and baby Kosta so I had to go to the hospital to get an IV for fluids.

Showing yet?: Yep!  Just kind of popped these last two weeks.

Maternity Clothes: Kind of...I can still wear most of my summer clothes, which is good because it's hot as heck here in Costa Rica.  On the other hand, all of my winter clothes are maternity clothes.

Belly Button In or Out?:  As of right now, in!  But it looks like it's starting to become an outy!  I officially took out my belly button ring last night - haven't seen the inside of my belly button since I had it pierced in the 8th grade...ha ha.  It looks so strange to me!

Wedding ring On or Off?: Most definitely on :)

Missing anything?: Surfing...I miss it so so much!  It's hard to go to the beach and not want to take my surfboard with me.  I miss exercising everyday - ever since I was on bed rest in the beginning I have no motivation to do anything - super frustrating. Oh well - in a few more months I'll be dying to shed the pounds.

High of the Week:  Possibly selling our car - just waiting for the $ to hit my account and sign some papers!!  That means we're one step closer to moving to the US, which makes me really really happy :)

Anyway, those are the highlights for this week!

And the winner is....

Rudy and I have officially decided the name of our Little Surfer Baby...I think - LOL.  We've thought long and hard about his name because we want the name to have meaning to us.  We both decided we want his name to be somewhat unique, but something we hope he won't hate when he grows up (Sorry baby!).

And the winner is... Kosta Andrés Diaz Leventis.

I know I know...you're probably thinking "What the heck...4 names?" or "What do the names mean?" or "Why is he taking Stephanie's last name?" or "What the heck are they thinking with those names?"

Well, here is our explanation.

Kosta is a common male Greek name (the name can also be spelled Kostas, Costa, Costas).  The name is short for Konstantine or Constantine, which comes from the name of Constantine the Great (the Roman Emperor and Greek Saint).  We decided Kosta was perfect for our baby boy's name because we both felt something when we talked about the name.  

Not only does the name Kosta have a literal meaning, it also has a different kind of meaning to us.  Kosta or Costa will always have a special meaning to both of us because Costa Rica is where our life together began.  Everything about our relationship was made possible in Costa Rica - this is where we met, where we fell in love, and where we started our family.   

Andrés is one of the first names we thought of before we even knew we were expecting. Andrés is the Spanish form of Andrew, which is my Daddy and brother's first name.  We decided we wanted a Greek and Spanish name for our baby boy, so that's why we're using the Spanish version of Andrew.

Now onto the more complicated explanation of Kosta's full name.  You may be wondering why his name will be Kosta Andrés Diaz Leventis.  Although my last name will be part of his full name, his last name really is Diaz.

Most Latinos have two last names - a first last name and a second last name.  The first last name is the Father's last name.  The second last name is the Mother's maiden name.    The child always takes both last names, however, the Father's last name is still the main last name.  In the US, Kosta will go by Kosta Diaz.

Anyway, so that's it...his name will be Kosta Andrés Diaz Leventis!  Hopefully he won't hate us later in life for having a unique name - ha ha.

Also, I thought I'd do a quick belly picture update.  I am a little over 23 weeks pregnant, which means I am at the start of my 6th month! Woo hoo! (Excuse the background of the first picture...I didn't realize how messy our un-made bed looked)

22 Weeks and Counting!

I am officially 22 weeks pregnant today!  Here's proof of the baby bump: 

Yesterday was our anatomy scan appointment.  We didn't see as much as we hoped, but I am not sure if the technology here is different than the US.  We were able to see our sweet baby boy, however, he was a little camera shy!  

We got a sweet video from the appointment and some great ultrasound pictures.  I will try to upload the video later - it's another long one so it will take a while to upload.

Here are two pictures from the ultrasound:

Sweet boy kept covering his face with his hands - guess he didn't want us to see his face just yet.  It was amazing to watch him move all around in there - he's getting so big!  He weighs almost a pound (435 grams)

Last night Rudy and I were watching my stomach bounce all around because our little ninja baby was kicking and punching so much.  It was way more than just twitching - it was like he was trying to kick his way out of there.  He's pretty active throughout the day and some at night, but luckily he does let me get some sleep.

Well, Rudy and I have been discussing names for our baby boy for a while now, but we can't seem to come up with his full name just yet.  We've decided on his first name, but cannot seem to think of a good middle name.  Once we figure out the middle name, I will post his full name! 

Anyway, here is some information from TheBump.com regarding the 22nd week of pregnancy!

your baby's the size of a papaya!

During month five, the average fetus measures about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces.

your baby at 22 weeks

• Now that he's got more developed eyes and lips, he's looking even more like a newborn.
• He's sleeping in cycles -- about 12 to 14 hours per day (hint: they're probably those times you're not feeling any kicks!).

Peru, Here We Come!

So...I just realized I have not posted in a while so I thought this would be the perfect time - while waiting for our plane to Peru.  We've been in the San Jose airport since 7:30 a.m., and it is now 2:45 p.m.  Our flight was supposed to leave at 10:30 a.m., but it has been delayed until 4:00 p.m.

It has been a long day in the airport to say the least.  However, Taca Airlines did feed us and gave each passenger $200 compensation for our long wait.  We're going to try to use the $200 toward other flights within Peru.  We're hoping to visit Northern Peru because they have some deals right now.

Anyway, our little surfer/ninja baby has been behaving very well, except for a few punches and kicks every now and then.  He starts kicking a lot when Papi talks to him - we were listening to his heart beat the other day and when Rudy would talk to him, his heart rate would speed up!

He also starts kicking when it's time to eat or if we're listening to music - I can't decide if he starts kicking because he doesn't like the song or if he's dancing in there! Ha ha.

Well, I am a little over 19 weeks pregnant and I have finally started showing!  I will post pictures when I get a chance, which will most likely be when we get back from our trip - I will definitely be showing a lot by then because we'll be eating plenty of yummy Peruvian food on our trip.  I keep having to tell myself that I'm not just getting fat, there's a baby in there! Ha ha.

According to TheBump.com our little boy is the size of a mango.  It definitely feels like I swallowed a mango!  Here's some more information from the site:

your baby's the size of a mango!

At about 6.0 inches long and weighing in at about 8.5 ounces, he's getting there!

Share this with family and friends

your baby at 19 weeks

• Developing a protective coating over his skin, called vernix caseosa. It's greasy and white and you may see some of it at his birth.
• Working on his five senses. Nerve cells for his sense of taste, hearing, sight and smell are developing in her brain.

Well, it looks like our plane has arrived so I will have to finish my post later!

15 Week Gender and 17 Week Ultrasound Videos

Ok I totally forgot to upload the 15 Week Gender Ultrasound so here it is!  It's almost 13 minutes long so you may not want to watch the whole thing..

Below is the 17 Week Ultrasound from today - The video isn't the best quality because the camera kept trying to focus...but you get the gist! Enjoy!

Silly Boy

So today we had another check up with the doctor here in Costa Rica.  Our little boy is looking quite healthy - he's already showing off his manly parts... HA HA! (You'll see it in the video I will post)

He's moving like crazy in there.  I may need to change the name of my blog to "Little Ninja Baby" because it's like he's doing karate or something in there.

All of the books and websites say you may be able to start feeling movement, but that you may mistake that movement for gas; however, I absolutely know that is him moving in there - the sensation is way different than gas or bloating.

You may be wondering, "well what does it feel like?"  Well, it's quite difficult to explain...some compare it to popcorn popping or butterfly flutters.  The only way I can explain it is as something tapping me from the inside, which is hardly an explanation because that is in fact what is happening.

All I can say is that it's an AMAZING feeling - the movements are making me feel like this pregnancy is real because I haven't started showing much yet (see pictures below).  However, I do have my pre-pregnancy weight back, which clearly pleased the doctor (not me so much..ha ha).

I am starting to actually like eating again, but it does hit me every once in a while when I'm like "yuck, I don't want to eat anything."  I'm dreading the "you just look fat phase" of pregnancy - I hope it goes straight to a "for real bump"... ha ha ha.

Anyway, I am 17 weeks and 2-4 days pregnant (the doctor in the US says I am 17 weeks 2 days and the doctor here says 17 weeks 4 days...not a big difference).  

According to TheBump.com the baby is the size of an onion, which seems strange to me because he was the size of an avocado last week - seems like it should be the other way around, but I guess it depends on the size of the onion.

Here is some information from TheBump.com about week 17.

your baby's the size of an onion!

Baby's continues to beef up. Now he's about 5.1 inches long and weighs about 5.9 ounces.

your baby at 17 weeks

• His rubbery cartilage is now turning to bone.
• And he's growing some meat on those bones -- putting on some fat.
• He's growing a stronger, thicker umbilical cord, too.

I am having trouble uploading the video so I will have to try later!

Finally settled...well, sort of.

Well, me and our baby boy are finally home with Papi.  We've spent the past few days relaxing and getting back into the Costa Rica routine.  We are settled for now, but we will be moving into our new condo on Saturday.  Looks like it will be a busy week of packing and unpacking.  Being busy will be a good thing because it will bring us closer to our trip to Peru!

We leave for our Peru trip next month!  I cannot wait - it is going to be amazing.  We're finally going to Cusco and Machu Picchu, which is going to be AWESOME!  We'll be staying in Cusco for like 4 days and then spending the rest of our time in Lima.  Hopefully we'll be able to do a little more travelling than last time.

The trip was supposed to be our "honeymoon" since we were unable to go anywhere right after our wedding, but now it is turning into our "baby-moon".  Has anyone else ever heard of a Baby-Moon?  I just read about it recently and it's basically a trip taken by expecting parents before their baby is born - it's like one last hoorah before all the sleepless nights begin. Ha ha - sounds depressing!  It will definitely be nice to spend some quality time together before our lives change even more drastically.

Well, I must say our baby boy was definitely missing Papi while we were gone (I was too).  I am finally sleeping well, which I believe is because we're all together again.  I know I am only 16 weeks, but I have definitely been feeling some flutters especially when Rudy is around - it is a crazy/amazing feeling.

Anyway, here is some information from TheBump.com about pregnancy at 16 weeks - it seems pretty spot on to the feelings I've been having lately.

16 weeks pregnant

Stay on the lookout for some fluttering sensations in your abdomen. It might not be right at 16 weeks, but pretty soon you’ll start feeling baby moving around in there. At first those moves might feel like gas or a muscle twitch, but over time, as baby gets bigger and stronger, they’ll be unmistakable. Of course, feeling those movements comes with other issues, like having your lungs crowded by your growing babe. That could make it seem tough to catch your breath from time to time.

your baby's the size of an avocado!

   Now, he's about 4.6 inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces.

your baby at 16 weeks

• He's listening to your voice, thanks to tiny bones forming in his ears.
• He's growing hair, lashes and eyebrows.
• And he's forming taste buds.

And the baby is.....

A BOY!  It's official...our little surfer baby is a boy!  I am so excited to finally know so I can really start planning for our little one.  We're going to have a mini-Rudy running around next year! Ha ha - that is crazy to think about.

So last night I didn't sleep at all.  I kept having weird dreams, which kept me tossing and turning all night.  The strange thing is I had a dream that we found out we were having a girl - I guess I was secretly hoping the baby would be a girl because everyone else kept saying the baby would be a boy.

I was so nervous/excited/anxious this morning for the appointment - luckily I had my Mama, Elizabeth, and Amy with me to calm my nerves.  It was so much fun having them at the appointment with me, but I definitely missed having Rudy here.  We all were super emotional watching the video, which made me miss Rudy even more.  Luckily I will be seeing him tomorrow!!!

Anyway, our little surfer baby was a trip today.  He was doing headstands in my belly this morning.  He also kept having his hands up in like a driving position - I wonder if he's already thinking he's a rally car driver like his Papi (Rudy thinks he's a rally car driver, but he's definitely not...ha ha).

Here are some of the ultrasound pictures from today's appointment:

He's definitely a boy!

 This is his rally car driving picture.

 Doing headstands in Mami's belly!

Doing headstands while "driving".

Waving Bye-Bye before the appointment was over.

  
Hope you all enjoyed our little surfer baby/rally car baby pictures! I will try to find a way to upload the video later!

Healthy Baby

OK - so today we had tests done to make sure the baby is healthy and not at risk for down syndrome.  Everything checked out great!  (Thank God)  The doctor said the baby is in a great position and is looking very healthy - luckily I only needed to do an ultrasound test, which showed our sweet little surfer baby moving around.

The doctor gave me a CD with a bunch of ultrasound pictures so I'll be posting a few in this blog.  Our little munchkin looked so sweet in there - he/she was waving one hand and the other was resting on his/her chin.

Here are some of the ultrasound pictures from today - Enjoy!

The picture below shows the back of the baby - this is where they were checking the back of the baby's neck, which helps the doctors determine the risk of down syndrome.

Missing Papi

Well, it has only been 12 days since we left Costa Rica, and I am pretty sure our little surfer baby is missing his/her Papi (Daddy) - I know I sure am.

Me and baby haven't been sleeping or eating well since we left Costa Rica - I think the little one may be mad at me for taking him/her away from Papi for a month.

Well, we're almost half way through our trip, which brings us closer to seeing Papi/Hubby.  I absolutely love being home and around my family, but our trip is missing someone - Rudy.  If he could be here, everything would be 100% perfect.  I am not ready to go back to Costa Rica, but I am ready to be with my hubby again.

Anyway, we have four doctor's appointment's coming up.  The first one is tomorrow - I have to go get some tests done (i.e. tests for diseases, down syndrome, etc.) to make sure our little surfer baby is all healthy and comfy inside.

The second appointment is Thursday with the OB coordinator at Upstate OBGYN - we're going to discuss the lab results from the blood tests I had done last week, and get everything set up for my physical exam.

The third appointment is on the 13th of this month - that's when I'll have my physical exam and hopefully another ultrasound.  I'm also hoping my OBGYN will be able to tell the baby's gender, but if not, that's OK because we have ANOTHER appointment just for that!

The fourth and final appointment we have before we leave is on the 21st at Baby Impressions - they do 3d/4d ultrasounds to see the baby and try to determine the baby's gender - hopefully by this appointment we will finally know whether our little surfer baby is a boy or girl!

Well, that's basically our schedule for the rest of our time here in the US - we will check back in later to update everyone on our doctor's appointments.

Home Sweet Home

Well, we're here!  Our little munchkin did really well helping Mama through a long day of travel.  Luckily the pilots decided on a different route home so we didn't pass through Hurricane Irene; we had a few bumps here and there, but nothing major.

Home Sweet Home.  I can't even begin to explain how happy I am to be back in South Carolina around my friends and family - I wish Rudy could be here and then everything would be PERFECT.  Costa Rica is great, but they're right when they say "home is where the heart is."

My Mom and my brother, Drew, just moved into a new house.  It's our "home base" for whenever my Dad and I get to come back home from overseas.  It's HUGE - definitely the biggest house we've ever been in.  The house has what seems like an endless number of bedrooms, a giant front and backyard, drive-way basketball court, and more.  The perfect thing about this place is that the previous owners baby-proofed the house already.

I'm super excited because Rudy and I have our own bedroom and another room to make a nursery for our baby!  I can't wait to find out the baby's sex so we can start decorating the nursery.  Hopefully by this time next year we'll be living here in South Carolina.

Well, yesterday officially marked 11 weeks.  I was so excited to get back here because I ordered one of those fetal heartbeat monitors and have been very successful finding our baby's heartbeat.  It was so awesome to call Rudy on Skype today so he could hear his little one's heart beat - he's such a proud Papi-to-be.

Anyway, before I left Costa Rica yesterday Rudy and I decided to take a few belly pictures so we can see how much bigger I get while I'm here in the States.  I don't have much of a baby bump just yet, but I can already feel it getting bigger just by being here - ha ha.  I can't wait to see the difference when I go back in a month - however, I am a little afraid that difference will be major because of all the good foods I have access to now.

Surfer Baby's First Trip

So Thursday (August 25th) is my first trip with a bun in the oven - ha ha.  Me and the little one are flying to SC for a month without Papi - this is going to be super tough.  This is the longest I have been away from Rudy since we first met.  Talk about an emotional roller coaster - I am SO excited to see my friends and family, but I hate being away from Rudy.  

I told Rudy today that I don't want to fly alone, but he reassured me I wouldn't be flying alone...I'll be flying with our little surfer baby.  I'm not the best flyer in the world so Thursday should be very interesting.  

Luckily and unfortunately I have 2 hour and 45 minute layover in Atlanta - I say luckily because it gives me enough time to get my muscle-less body through customs and immigration, and I say unfortunately because that means it's going to be an extra long day of traveling.

Anyway, I can't believe it will be 11 weeks on Thursday!  The doctor still wants me to take it easy for the next week and half, but he did clear me to fly so that's good.  Hopefully I won't have too much trouble with my bags - I'll be taking two big luggage bags home so I can bring stuff back.

Well, since I didn't upload the pictures from the ultrasound yesterday, I will upload them today.

Here's our little munchkin at 10 weeks 4 days:

(PS - For those of you who are wondering what that thing is coming out from the baby's belly, it's the umbilical cord...it's way too early to tell the sex of the baby - ha ha.)