Friday, September 9, 2011

Baby's First Gifts

We still don't know the sex of the baby but that's not stopping certain family members from buying our mini me it's first baby gifts. 


My mom has been trying to hide her excitement but every once in a while, she'll make silly little comments about finally having a grand-baby. One evening, Johnny came over and my mom brought in these two little stuffed animals in clear cellophane packaging. I was completely surprised even though I know my mom has always been a very thoughtful person. No joke, salty liquid came out of my eye!  


Can you see the baby names we've picked out? More on that later...


Last Friday, I took Johnny out on Date Night. I thought it would be fun to go and paint at The Mad Potter. I wanted to paint a Texas jewelry box and Johnny had high hopes of painting a cookie jar... but since it was his first time, I suggested he start small. He decided to paint a rubber duckie and place it in the baby's room when the time comes. How sweet! 

These are the unglazed pieces we painted. I'll update once I get them back! 


And finally, my Tia Maria gave the baby it's first piggy bank... I forgot to take a photo of it but I found on the internets! Since the weather was AMAZING on Labor Day, my family decided to have a cook out and play Lotería outside. Every time, Johnny and I won, we put our winnings in the bank! There has to be a good $15 bucks in there!


I have a feeling this baby is going to spoiled rotten! ;)







Thursday, September 8, 2011

Our First Doctor's Visit

So after our initial verification of my pregnancy via peeing on a stick, I was advised by Jackie and Liz to promptly make an appointment to see a doctor. I haven't been to a doctor since 2009 if I remember correctly. And it hasn't been because I dislike doctor visits but because I have not had an official full-time job with benefits since then. I was lucky enough to get free flu shots though employers at the time but that's about it.


I decided to call my general practioner, Dr. Knafo, since I'd been going to her as long as I've been taking care of my own health. They were able to fit me in the following Tuesday and understood I currently did not have insurance. Johnny was adamant about going with me which was nice. For some reason, the thought never occurred to me that he might want to be there.


So we show up, I sign in and paid up front... $139 for being uninsured. We were called in quickly and I was asked to pee in a cup. This time I did not pee on my hand but rather all over the toilet seat. How embarrassing! The doctor saw us almost immediately (She's always been very prompt!) and confirmed what we already knew. She reassured me that my blood pressure was under control and that I've been maintaining my weight so there was no need for concern. She also put my due date at April 4th, 2012! (Although I'm secretly hoping for an April Fool's baby!)


My main concern was that I wouldn't be insured until Mid-October at the earliest  Dr. Knafo was very confident in telling us there was no need to go to an OB/GYN this early. She said everything seems to be fine and that if I can wait until then, I should. She also offered that if anything came up to call her directly that way I wouldn't have to worry about out-of-pocket costs. That was very nice of her. Along with her prescription of prenatal vitamins slash suggestion of which OTC prenatals she approves of, she also gave us a list of OBs she normally refers her patients to. 


Basically, I paid $139 to pee in cup and find out what I already knew. Oh well. You live and you learn.


On the topic of being uninsured... it's so sad to know that there are so many Americans struggling to make ends meet and still not be able to afford basic health care for their families. It's something that should be a priority and not a privilege. Unfortunately, that also something that is left up to our government to change... 



As soon as we have an official OB visit, I'll blog about that experience! :)




Next post... Baby's first gifts!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

How We Found Out We're Expecting



My period is like clockwork... well was like clockwork. On August 3rd, Johnny and I went over to his brother David and sister-in-law Jackie's house to hang out. Johnny's other SIL, Liz came over and we were just catching up. Somehow or another, Johnny asked me if I'd had my period yet. I thought about it and realized I hadn't. I brushed it off mainly because in the past few weeks I had been extremely stressed. Moving back home, living with my parents, never really unpacking, starting a new job, and recent arguments with Johnny had my mind clouded. 


We eventually decided to ask Jackie and Liz what they thought... And the questions where being spit out quicker than I could answer... here's the few I do remember...


-Have you been more tired than usual? Yeah, but I love naps...
-Do your boobs hurt? Sure, but their itchy, too. 
-Have you been peeing a lot? Oh yeah, but I've been drinking a lot of water so it evens out, right?
-Oh, no... when was your last period? I dunno... end of June?


That's when my head starting to spin. They encouraged us to make a drug store run, which we did at 10pm. I think my brain blacked out from all the commotion because I can't remember the ride to the drugstore, looking at the different kinds of tests you can take, the ride back or making my way to the bathroom. I do, however, the girls telling me how to pee on the stick and thinking, "No way it can be that fucking complicated." Sure enough, I ended up peeing on my hand. 


Johnny and I waited in another room while the stick foretold our future. I was ridiculously scared... I felt hot, cold, dizzy, pukey, along with a hundred other emotions and bodily functions at the same time. Johnny sat down next to me and told me no matter what happens, the important thing is we'll work through this together and we'll always love each other. At that very moment, I knew no matter what was thrown our way, we would be fine because we had each other. 


After what seemed an eternity of waiting, it was time. We walked into the bathroom and I made Johnny look. He nodded and I knew exactly what he meant. He walked me to the living room where Jackie and Liz were waiting. I vaguely remember what was going on but got some flashes of laughter, happiness and still some shock.


Those two pesky lines
Over the next few days, Johnny and I discussed our upcoming doctor visit and telling our folks. More on both later...


So here we are... week 9 of 40... and with each day that passes, we are more thrilled and excited about our little mini me. We talk about what sex the baby might be, what he or she will look like, baby names (already picked out!) and our new plans in hopes God will work with us this time. :)


-Mónica


Up next... the First Doctor's Visit!

They say if you want to make God laugh...

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." 




I can't exactly remember where I read this quote by Woody Allen but now more than ever it makes sense. A little over three weeks ago, my boyfriend Johnny and I found out we were expecting. Needless to say, we were surprised as I'd been taking a generic Ortho Tri-Cyclen birth control pill for over a year and a half. So, I guess this was a "happy accident."


Let me fill you in on me and Johnny's plans before God thought it would be funny to through a baby in the mix. Our plans were to:


-move back to Houston
-find full-time jobs
-have Johnny finish his doctorate
-get engaged
-have Johnny graduate in December 2011 or June 2012
-get married
-get a house
-have a baby


Of course, God found out we had our plans set and decided to have us do things ass-backwards. As soon as we moved back to Houston from Kentucky, we conceived. One thing in our plan did work out... my former employer found out I moved back and offered me a full-time job. Thank goodness! More on Kentucky and jobs later on...


Sooooo... idea behind the blog? My very dear and best-est friend Jessica started a blog not too long ago which inspired me to start my own about my adventures in being an unwed, 27 year old, Hispanic first time mom. Just because my situation is not ideal, it shouldn't mean I can't take joy in knowing I'm going to be a mom soon! I want to share my excitement and naturally, nervousness in this amazing journey!


Over the next 7 months and hopefully beyond, I would like to write about my experiences as well as general maternity/pregnancy/baby stuff. I hope you get a kick out of this as much as I do! :)


-Mónica aka First Time Mamacita


On the next post... how we found out were expecting!