Life: 1st Trimester {Weeks 1 through 12}

Baby, Life, OC Kaiser, Pregnancy, Weeks

Week 1-4

When I found out I was pregnant I was ecstatic and I couldn’t wait for our first prenatal visit. The hubby and I headed out to my first appointment at an Orange County Kaiser Hospital.  My first experience with OC Kaiser was not a very positive one especially since I was supposed to see a midwife and instead they sent in a student. The student was very polite but I didn’t feel comfortable having a Transvaginal ultrasound done by her.  After 15 minutes without seeing anything in my ultrasound the student finally called in the midwife to assist her.  At that point I was a tad irritated and very emotional because they couldn’t find anything. The midwife said I was probably too early in the pregnancy to detect anything so she ordered more blood work to be drawn and sent us on our way.   I was an emotional wreck when we left the office but I  have an amazing hubby that knew exactly how to cheer me up.  The results for my HCG were 2980, which meant that they had more than doubled in a week.  This meant that I was definitely pregnant and that the doctor’s estimates were about a week off.

Week 5

I still can’t believe we agreed to go back to that midwife once again for the following appointment. This time the midwife was annoyed with us because we told the receptionist we did not want to see the student again.  The midwife rushed our appointment but before she did that she said several things that made me upset. We left that appointment very upset and I decided never to go back to that specific Kaiser.

On the bright side here’s what I look like at 5 weeks:

Week 6:

I had another appointment at a Kaiser closer to our apartment and this time I had a great experience.  I saw a new OB/GYN and she was able to see our little cupcake right away unlike the midwife. The greatest thing at this appointment was seeing our little cupcake’s heartbeat. The worst thing that happened this week is the crazy nausea that I started developing.

Week 8:

We had an ultrasound this week to pin point how far along I really was.  The hubby got to see our little cupcake’s heartbeat.   We got a few printouts and I can’t believe how much I already love this little tiny thing growing inside me. I haven’t been able to keep anything down and I feel horrible. At least we finally know how far along I really am and I finally have a fabulous OB/GYN.

Week 9:

The hubby went on a business trip this week but before he left we went to tell my parents.  My mom reacted just the way I had pictured it in my head.  They are both extremely excited but they have been sworn to secrecy until we reach the second trimester.  We told my parents because my mom was going to spend the week with my while the hubby was away on business.  My mom didn’t realize how much I had been suffering until she saw how sick I really get.  My cousin graduated this week and I had to hide from everyone every time I felt like vomiting.  I spend my birthday being sick and the hubby said he’ll make it up to my next year.

Week 10:

I couldn’t handle the nausea anymore and I finally got a prescription for some medication.  Later on I’ll write a separate post on all the things I did before I got to this step.

Week 11:

I had another appointment this week and I got to hear our little cupcake’s heartbeat.  The heartbeat sounded like a little washing machine inside me.  The doctors said the baby cooperated very nicely and the heartbeat was measuring at 180 bpm. This week was extremely hard because it’s 4th of July week and I can’t leave the apartment without vomiting.  Since we haven’t told our family I had to tell them we couldn’t go to celebrate with them because I had a migraine.  We ended up celebrating at our apartment by ourselves and walking outside to see the fireworks the neighbors had purchased.  I couldn’t spend much time outside because after a few minutes I started feeling queasy. We finally told a few of our friends at a monthly dinner we had and they too have been sworn to secrecy.

Week 12:

My family left on vacation this week to Mexico but before they left I made sure my mom didn’t tell a soul.  I’m still feeling sick but it has slowly been getting better thanks to the medication. I finally saw one of my best friends in person and I told her I was pregnant.  The hubby and I went on a date this weekend but I had a pretty miserable time because I’m still feeling sick. Pregnancy hasn’t been very kind to me.

I wish I had a picture for every week of my pregnancy but it was the last thing on my mind when I was feeling horrible.

Giving Back: Raising Money for Steven Spencer

giving back, Steven Spencer

Last night I was contacted via Facebook by one of our friends who is trying to raise money to help his brother-in-law Steven Spencer.  Being the emotional pregnant person that I am right now I haven’t been able to shake his story out of my head. I can’t imagine the frustration this family feels not knowing what is exactly going on with Steven.  They are raising money to take Steven to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to see if they can diagnose what’s truly wrong with him.  He has seen several doctors in Southern California but they still haven’t pinned down what’s wrong with him.  Please read his story and put yourself in this families position. If you’re able to donate any money to this family please do so. If you’re able to pass this story on please do so.

If you would like to help out please do so HERE!!

Life: Things just got a tad more interesting around here

Baby, Life, Mother's Day, Motherhood, Pregnancy

I know I’ve been MIA for a while know but I seriously have a good excuse this time. I’m finally ready to share it with the world so here goes nothing….

This year Mother’s Day started off like any other one well at least that’s what I thought.  For a couple of days I wasn’t feeling myself and I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a pregnancy test.  After getting off work I headed out to CVS where I bought a Clearblue Easy Digital Pregnancy test which by the way I got on sale.  At home the hubby was sitting on the couch as I was in the restroom taking a pregnancy test.  As soon as I saw that it said PREGNANT I wanted to scream but decided not to say a word until I was really sure.  I headed out to a Mother’s Day party my family was having but not before making a quick stop to get another pregnancy test. This time I took two tests and as I impatiently waited for the lines to appear a lot of baby thoughts rushed my mind.  I arrived at the party having taken 3 test that all said I was pregnant and not being able to tell a soul until I was absolutely sure. That night I couldn’t believe that I was pregnant and I was in complete shock.

The next morning when my parents, who were visiting from out of town, and my hubby, were asleep I got up to take 3 more pregnancy tests.  I read somewhere that first morning urine is best to get a more accurate pregnancy test.  Yes, folks that’s a total of 6 tests I took.  I know that it might seem like a lot but I really wanted to make sure before I told the hubby.  By this point I realized I was definitely pregnant and decided to make a doctor appointment to confirm if it was really true.  At the doctors office I took a urine test that came out negative but doctor said those test are sometimes wrong.  After I confessed to my doctor how many I had taken at home she ordered a Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) blood test to be done.  My HCG test came out positive with a count of 43.3.  Now that I was really sure I was pregnant it was time to tell the hubby.



 I really wanted to tell the hubby about the pregnancy in a special way but at the end I decided to keep it simple. After we had dinner and we spent some time talking about his day at work I asked him to help me with something on the desktop computer.  As he walked into the office and was about to sit down he noticed a gift bag on his chair.  I told him the gift was for him and as he read the card he was dumbfounded.  Earlier in the day I went to Target and was lucky enough to find a Father’s Day card that I signed love the little peanut and I.  Along with the card I put some bibs and one of the pregnancy test in the gift bag.  After he was done jumping around with excitement I showed him the prenatal pills, the note from the doctor’s office, and the rest of the tests.  We are both extremely delighted and can’t wait to welcome our new addition to our little family. Holy Smokes people I’m really pregnant!

Please keep in mind that this blog will now be full of baby stuff galore especially since I’m feeling a lot better nowadays. 

{Date Night Friday} Olympic Fever

Date Night Fridays, Life, London, Olympics

Most of our date night consist of going somewhere new and exciting outside the apartment but not tonight.  Something that you might have not known about me is that I love watching the Olympics and I’m really looking forward to the opening ceremony this evening.  The hubby and I are planning to watch enough Olympic coverage as humanly possible.  I plan on popping some popcorn or perhaps ordering some yummy pizza and we plan on sitting in front of the couch this evening.  When we went to London last year I was excited to see that there was starting to be signs of the upcoming Olympics.  I have a lot of respect for all the men and woman who are representing the United States because they are doing something I could have never done.

My favorite sport to watch is the Woman’s gymnastic team I can’t believe how young they all are and the amount of dedication they have for the sport.  Here’s to team USA!!!

Here’s some Red, White, and Blue inspiration from my Pinterest board. 

What’s your favorite Olympic sport?

Life: My cousin is engaged!!

Engagement, Life, Love, Wedding
I’m so excited because I just found out that my little (okay not so little) cousin proposed to his girlfriend last night. They have been dating for a while now and we knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. We are all extremely happy for them since they are such a beautiful couple.  I can’t wait to hear all the details about their proposal and I can’t wait for their wedding.  

Have I told you guys lately how much I love weddings? I seriously can’t stop smiling since I found out.
Congrats to the newly engaged couple!!

I ❤ you guys!
If you haven’t read my proposal story please take a look at it here!

Life: Finding motivation

Life, Motivation

Looks like I finally found the motivation I needed to start a new career. Sometimes I’m a tad slow but I eventually get there. I’ll keep you guys posted as things continue to develop but as right now things are slowly rolling out.  We’re currently working on a new photo website, developing my portfolio, and setting up all the business aspects of it. The anal retentive person inside me loves working out all the small details this new venture is going to bring on. 

{via Pinterest}

Thanks to the hubby for pushing me to finally take the risk and pursue what I really love to do, photography.  I would also like to thank my outrageous BFF for continuously believing in my abilities.

Yep, that’s right as long as I could remember I’ve always had a camera in hand capturing life’s special moments and now it’s time for me to capture yours.  Please stay tuned as I release more details later on this year. 
Watch out world I’m about to start my own photography business!! I’m super excited about what the future will bring and can’t wait to begin my transformation as a business owner. 

Update: I’ve decided to take things slow to enjoy my baby and also to hone my skills before I take the leap.  

{Date Night Fridays} The Getty Villa

California, Date Night Fridays, Getty, Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades, Southern California

A perfect place to go on a date in Southern California if you love art and great architecture is the Getty. The hubby and I have gone to both the Getty Center and the Getty Villa but our favorite one is the Villa. Like I’ve previously stated we love going on cheap dates especially when you get to experience such a beautiful place.

We’ve been here a few times and we can’t believe how beautiful it is every time we come back.  To get tickets you need to make a reservation with them here.  Entrance is FREE but parking is $15.  Can I suggest you either carpool with a group of friends, take public transportation which gets you in for free, or get dropped off if you want to save on the parking fee. This place is good for older kids but keep in mind it’s a museum.  If you want to make it a super romantical date you can always have a picnic at the nearby beach and then drive up to the Villa.  They also serve wine and lunch if you would like to eat at the Villa or you can order a picnic lunch and eat it on the grounds.  We enjoy sitting on a bench overlooking the outer peristyle and people watching while having a great conversation.  
The Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Highway
Pacific Palisades, California 90272
(310) 440-7300

Sweets: Easy Peasy Banana Chocolate Chip Bread (Pinterest Inspiration)

Banana, Chocolate, Pinterest, Pinterest Inspiration, Recipes, Sweets

Like most of you guys out there I'm a tad obsessed with Pinterest. This week I've decided that it was time to stop pinning and start doing.  For my first project I choose this pin from Artsy Fartsy Mama since it seemed easy enough to do especially since I had overripe banana's on the counter.  The hubby is used to my from scratch banana nut bread so I wasn't sure how he was going to react to this bread.

More loveliness here »

Life: Our lovely trip to Maui

Costco, Hawaii, Life, Maui, Travel Packages, Travels, Vacation

Last year when we went to Paris it was my choice so when the hubby suggested we should take a vacation to Hawaii to celebrate our 11th dating anniversary  this year I was delighted.  I told him that I wanted to try a pre-packaged deal to see what they were like.  I decided that the first place I would get information would be from our local AAA office.  After spending an hour speaking with a travel agent I realized that the first thing we needed to do was figure out what Island we wanted to visit.  It never occurred to me how little we knew about Hawaii.  It probably would have been easier to ask our friends for their recommendations but since we don’t like telling anyone our plans before we actually book things it made it harder for us.

{Source}
One evening the hubby suggested that I take a look at Costco Travel to see what packages they were offering.  After spending some time looking over the brochures I received at AAA and comparing them to the Costco packages I realized that the Costco ones made more sense.  I looked up a few reviews online and people seem to like their Costco vacations.  We decided that Maui would be better suited to fit our needs especially since it was supposed to be super romantical.
I woke up at 6:00am to take a walk along the beach.
Here’s what we got in our Costco package:
  • Flight to Maui from LAX on Delta
  • 5 night stay at the Royal Lahaina in a Deluxe Ocean View Room
  • Free self serve parking at the hotel
  • $200 resort food credit
  • Free daily breakfast 
  • 5 day car rental 
  • 1 dinner Luau for 2 at the hotel
  • 1 dinner sunset cruise for 2 on the Teralani
We had a lovely time while in Maui and the Costco package was perfect for us.  We took full advantage of everything our package offered.  Every morning we woke up and ate a lovely buffet breakfast before heading out for the day.  In the afternoon we used our resort credit for snacks and to have dinner.  The car we got as our rental was essential when getting around Maui.  Our hotel was simply delightful and we had a breathtaking view of the beach.  The proximity to Black Rock was amazing especially when we decided to try snorkeling. (I crossed number 82 off my list.) Overall we would definitely recommend the Costco Travel package to Maui to all of our friends.  
I learned how to hula at the Lua.

One of the coolest thing we got to do while in Maui that wasn’t included in our Costco package was horseback riding. (I finally got to cross number 84 off my list of things to do in 1001 days.)  We decided to go horseback riding with Maui Stables and I’m really happy we experienced it with someone that really knows the land.  Our guides were very entertaining and the trip itself was worth every penny we paid for it.  To get from Lahaina to Hana we had to take the beautiful but very scary Road to Hana. After the ride ended we got a free voucher to get into Haleakala National Park.

The cool horses we got to ride. 

Haleakala National Park
I crossed number 82 off my list. We went snorkeling.
On the Road to Hana
Walking back from Black Rock to our hotel.
Our sunset dinner cruise ended up being a lovely whale watching experience and it was amazing!
The hubby on the Road to Hana
Our rental car
We woke up to this everyday. The view from our room.

Maui was beautiful and very romantic.  We had a ton of fun and the weather couldn’t have been better.  We ended up going in late March and early April so we caught the end of the whale migration.  Its incredible sitting down eating breakfast while looking into the ocean and seeing whales pass by.  Two things that we miss from Maui is P.O.G. juice and Hershey’s kisses with macadamia nuts.  We can’t wait to head back to Hawaii one of these days to visit a different island.

What’s your favorite Hawaiian Island?