...and Baby Ricci will make THREE!

Your name?  Lauren Nicole Ricci

Baby's fathers name?  Michael Vincent Ricci

Are you still with him?  Yup, going on 8 years, married for 5.

Were you trying to get pregnant?  Absolutely.  It took three years, two surgeries, two IUI’s, three rounds of IVF and one miscarriage to get Baby Ricci cooking but they have been 100% worth the pain and wait.

When did you find out?  Saturday June 9^th at 4 am; 4 days earlier than I was supposed to.  I wasn't planning to test but I woke up at 4 am needing to go to the bathroom and felt compelled to take one.  I am glad I did! 

Where did you find out?  In my bathroom.  I took the test half asleep and put it on the countertop while I washed my hands and let my eyes adjust and almost immediately there were two strong pink lines.\

How far along were you?  Almost 4 weeks.

What was your reaction?  Shocked, excited, blessed, overwhelmed, ecstatic, thankful, overjoyed. Too many emotions to comprehend!

Who was the first person you told?  Mike was the first one I told and then we called my parents and Mike’s parents as soon as it was late enough.  After getting a blood test confirmation that afternoon I called Annie and then sharedthe news with Danielle at dinner that night.  Other than that, we tried to keep the news a secret, but I have a big mouth J.  Our goal was to wait and tell everyone else after we heard/saw a heartbeat but I let it slip more than a few times. 

How did you tell the father?  He was asleep so I crawled back into bed with him and woke him up by saying “Hi Daddy”. 

What was his reaction?  He said, "Shut-up!  Why didn’t you tell me when you were going to take one?!?"  He was very excited though (even in his sleepy state).

When is your due date?  February 16, 2013

Did you have any morning sickness?  Mine has been more nighttime sickness, especially after taking my prenatal (damn fish oil) or if I wait too long in between meals. I have had a difficult time eating at night or large meals and have thrown up quite a few times, although luckily it has always been at home or in the car.  My Dr. recommended B6 and half a unisom during the day and wrote me a prescription for a prenatal, which has been helping.  The nausea seems to have dissipated but has been replaced with severe multi-day migraines, which are also inducing vomiting.  All of the pain and sickness is nothing in comparrison to the physical and emotional toll of IVF. 

What are your fears? That something will go wrong through my pregnancy or during delivery, that the baby will have something wrong with them, the pain that will come with labor and delivery and that I won't be able to breast feed.

What are you most happy about? That in a short 7 months we will be a family of three, that my parents will have their first grandbaby and that our life will now be surrounded around our little nugget and every day and night we will get to experience the incredible gift of parenthood.

Did you want a boy or girl? I DEFINITELY want a girl for our first just because little girl stuff is so cute and I want a relationship with my baby like I had with my mom but I will be thrilled with either!  I am just looking forward to finding out so I am able to start buying stuff for this little one. 

What did the father want boy or girl?  He wants a boy first because he wants an older brother for a daughter so he can protect them.  Although, I know he will adore a llittle girl and she will have him wrapped around her baby finger.

Do you know what you’re having?  Not yet but Mike and I both have a feeling it’s a baby girl.  We will be able to find out in about 6 weeks though and I can’t wait!

Do you have a name picked out?  We have had names picked out for years.  If it’s a boy it will be Parker Vincent Ricci and if it’s a girl it with either be Avella (uh-vella) Sien Ricci or Siena Nicole Ricci.  Parker came from a stay in Park City and has been a favorite of mine since I was 14, Avella is a small town in the Campagna region in Italy where Mike’s family is from, means “Beautiful one who is hailed” and their town coat of arms colors are the same as Sigma Chi, gold and blue.  Siena is after the town of Siena in Italy, which we visited the year after we were married and has also been a favorite of mine since I was 14.  I have some other names we like such as Hudson Joseph, Audrey or Audra and Emrie but I am 98% sure we will use one of top three, although you never know 100% until you meet them.  :)

How much weight have you gained?  I actually have lost about 8 pounds due to being sick but am on the gaining path again and have gained two pounds so far.

Have you felt the baby move?  The baby is about the size of a kumquat so I haven’t yet but I look forward to feeling he or she move around!

Do you plan on a natural or medicated birth?  It’s not even a question, definitely medicated.  I have major respect for those who have can undergo a natural labor and delivery but I am happy to not feel a thing!   

Are you scared about labor?  I think every woman who has never given birth is afraid of the unknown so I am definitely scared, but I also know the experience will be magical and the most fulfilling and brave thing I will ever do and that the moment Baby Ricci is put into my arms, every bit of pain, fear and anxiety will melt away.

What do you think will be the worst part of labor?  Being checked for dilation, being given the epidural (have you seen that needle?!?) , ripping, tearing or having to undergo a cesarean.

Who will be in the delivery room?  Mike and my mom.   

Are you having the birth videotaped?  I haven’t really thought about it. 

Do you think you will cry when you see the baby for the first time?  Without question.  I cried when I saw/heard the heartbeat for the first time so I can’t even imagine what a mess I will be when they place my child in my arms and all the emotion that has encompassed this journey hits all at once.

What do you think the father’s reaction to the baby will be?  I think he will be overwhelmed with a vast array of emotions.  He will be full of love, excitement and amazement, will feel extremely blessed, will be proud of me and will have a bit of sheer fear knowing that we are actually parents and are responsible for this child for the rest of our lives.

How do you think family and friends will feel?  If it’s anything like how people reacted when we announced we were pregnant, this little one will be surrounded by complete love and their arrival into this world will be an incredibly joyous occasion. 

and at week 10...

How far along? 10 weeks, 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: In total 8 pounds lost and 2 pounds gained but I starting to put on weight
Maternity clothes? Not yet although I used the Belly Band for the first time last night and ordered some maternity jeans, a shirt and a skirt today to accommodate my growing bump! 
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: My sleep has been ok but I have had some horrible migraines which has made sleeping difficult the past few nights.
Best moment this week: No more shots!!!!  After 14 weeks of daily shots I am finally done! I am finally starting to see my tummy pop out a little bit, even though I just look like I have eaten one too many cheeseburgers.
Miss Anything? My IB Proufin, massages, Starbucks/my daily caffeine, a glass of red wine, bleu cheese, being headache free.
Movement: No movement yet!
Food cravings:  Candy, chocolate (which I don't even like), rootbeer floats, Olive Garden, pasta, milk, turkey sandwiches, fruit snacks, ice-cream, popsicles...
Anything making you queasy or sick: Too much time in between meals, my old prenatal, anything fishy or Mexican smelling.                         
Have you started to show yet: Just started to pop out a little bit, although t's more chub looking than baby bump looking :)
Gender Prediction: Girl
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been pretty moody this past week, partially thanks to hormones, partially thanks to stress and partially because of the migraines I have been experiencing. 
Looking forward to: Hitting the 12 week mark and being in the second trimester!

9 Weeks!

As I mentioned in my last post, I am a little crazy and talked the Dr. into another ultrasound.  About a week ago I stopped feeling sick and the only thing I was feeling was a bit more tired than usual and starving in the mornings.  Well because my mind automatically jumps to bad things, I got nervous that something might be wrong.  When I miscarried my first pregnancy, I knew in my heart that I was going to miscarry so when the sickness once again stopped, I needed to get confirmation that everything was still ok and ease my nervous mind. 

Well this morning we had another ultrasound and found that Baby Ricci is not only doing amazing, but she (because that's what I believe Baby Ricci is) is starting to look like a baby!  I am still in such awe that this little nugget is growing inside of me and that I am really going to be a mama. It's such an amazing feeling and everyday I feel so blessed that we are getting this opportunity.  We were able to once again hear the heartbeat, which is good and strong, and she is measuring measuring about 9 1/2 weeks.  We are ecstatic that everything looks great and it's beginning to feel real! 

February can't come soon enough!  I just can't wait to meet my little gummy bear!

2 months down, 8 to go!

As of today I am amazingly 8 and a half weeks and I can't bellieve how incredible this experience has been. While I have been sick at night thanks to my prenatal and have experienced intense hunger and fatigue, every symptom I have experienced has been mild in comparrison to the emotional and physical toll of IVF and I feel so blessed and honored to be pregnant and to be growing our little one. I look back on this journey and while every minute of those three years was heartbreaking, I am in awe of the friends and family members who have stood behind us, at the lessons we have learned and at the growth our relationship has experienced because of this trial. I can't believe I am finally going to be a mama to Baby Ricci and I cannot wait for all of the lessons, joy, love, strength and humility I know motherhood will entail. I really can't put into words the elatement both Mike and I have and we are truly humbled by the fact that in a short 8 months we will be a family of three. Our hearts couldn't be more full of love for our child and we can't wait to share our lives with them and be able to teach them and learn from them for the rest of our lives. It truly is an honor and a privilege and I am cherishing every moment of this pregnancy, vomitting and all...

When Mike and I first embarked on this baby journey, I couldn't help but buy baby stuff from places like Baby Steals and Costco because I would tell myself, "Baby Ricci is coming and it will be nice to be so prepared.  Plus, it's SUCH a good deal!"  Initially I went a little crazy and we wound up with an entire closet of baby gear. 

After my first round of IVF in which I hyperstimulated, I stopped buying things and after my miscarriage I decided to start giving things away and selling the items I had acquired on KSL.com just to get them out of my house.  Them being there, even if they were in an upstairs closet, was still a reminder of the pain that encompassed my heart and the hole the loss of baby Ricci had put in my soul.

Well now that I am 2 months along and the end of progesterone shots and the first trimester are in sight, I decided I needed to celebrate with an official Baby Ricci gift.  Not a gift that I bought in anticipation of WHEN I would become pregnant but a baby gift for the actual baby that is growing inside of me.  The other day I got the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale catalogue and immediately fell in love with a Nordstom Exclusive Petunia Picklebottom bag.  Not only did I love what it looked like, but it was on major sale.  Luckily my mom has a Nordstrom card so I was able to shop early and order my Baby Ricci bag(s). 

I wasn't sure which bag I would like better, so I actually ordererd two different styles knowing I will return one of them.  I like the purse looking one better but the reviews were better for the boxy backpack.  I can't wait to see them in person and start really planning for Baby Ricci!

UPDATE: I chose to keep the satchel and absolutely love it!  Can't wait to have actual baby stuff to put in it :)

Also, I am a little crazy so I talked my Dr. into doing another ultrasound tomorrow and hopefully I will have an update and a new picture to share tomorrow :)

Happy Thursday everyone!