My Baby Story: 33 Weeks.

This week was another fast one. It is already Saturday. This week we finally got in the custom-made closet we ordered for you. The closet is big & beautiful, we love it. You shall have it for a real long time. I cannot wait till I get it all dusted out, lined and organized and put all your stuff in there, and there will still be plenty of room, left. Also, as I was decorating the house, more, this Christmas, I couldn't help but think about HOW SPECIAL next Christmas will be since it will be your very first one. I might even get you your own tree and decorate it JUST FOR YOU, Baby Girl. In general it has been a good week, though I feel tired & beat.

To My Baby Girl:
You will be coming into this world in 6-8 weeks give or take and I could not be happier. Not only you have changed my body and will probably leave little marks along my belly for as long as I shall live, more than anything you have changed my mind and my soul - for the better, of course. You have opened my heart even more. You have gone inside my heart and grabbed a big chunk of it, even-though you are still so tiny, and not even born. You will have this chunk and probably an even bigger chunk for as long as I live. I am already falling in love with you. I fall in love with your kicks and moves and your tiny noises & hiccups. While sleeping last night, I felt what I think was your foot, towards the right side of my belly, on the top. I really wanted to wake up, turn on the lights and see that in the mirror - I should have done that. I love you so very much with every fiber of my being and you will completely change my world, once you are born. I cannot wait for it, including all the challenges along the way. You are worth all of it!

I love you little peanut! Keep on growing inside Mamma's Belly! 

P.S. I am doing things a little different this week. I don't want to bore you with the same pregnancy meme every week. So I am asking this detailed questionaire, today, instead. To see how it all started click here.

Finding Out & Reactions:
How did you find out you were pregnant? I suspected it for a couple of weeks or so. I felt like I was experiencing small changes, plus my period was taking way too long. But of course everything was confirmed through a Home Pregnancy Test (the second one I took, to be exact).
What kind of Pregnancy test did you take? I have no idea, I did not pay attention to the boxes. No-brand ones, particularly.
How many? I took 2 of them. The first one was a more expensive test, but it came out invalid. I took the second one (a less cheaper, generic brand) very early and bright in the morning - the next day, when I peed for the first time that day. This one was definitely a positive. Two very bright red lines that filled out immediately.
What were your 1st symptoms? Well, I felt like I had some syptoms the very first few weeks of pregnancy, before I even knew. I had to go pee a lot - that was one. And I felt dizzy often - that was another one.
Who did you tell first? My husband who was definitely sleeping and enjoying his sleep at the time. When I was 100% certain (after the second test) I woke him up, teary-eyed and emotional as I was and we both hugged & smiled together.
Who was with you when you found out? My husband was at home with me both times I took the test, but I found out by myself first, when I saw the results in the bathroom.
My 1st reaction: I looked in the mirror for a good 30 seconds or so and started smiling but at the same time I told myself "WOW I am going to be a mom!!". That thought excited and scared me a little. Then I tilted my head down and I am sure a bunch of emotions and shivers covered my body. A couple of minutes later I went to our bedroom crying happy tears and with those tears is how I told my husband the happy news. =) 
Was your baby planned? Yes, very much so. What wasn't planned, was the fact that it took us so quickly to conceive. That was a little shocking, but pleasant about the result anyway.
When was the baby conceived? My husband thinks (he has a date but I won't share) it was the last night we spent in our old apartment, sometime in late April. I think it was the eve of his Birthday which is the first week of May. I think I am right. But either way it doesn't really matter.
How far were you when you found out?  Even-though they can not tell you 100% exactly how far along you are, since they start counting from your last period, they told me I was 7 weeks and 3 days (when I went to the doctor, 3 days after the test confirmed it). Later on, I was told I was a little farther behind. So giving us two different possible birth-dates for the baby, also made my husband and I wonder the exact date we conceived.
How did your parents react? Unfortunately I live very far away from my parents but I called them. Luck was on my side that day because I found both my parents and brother at home - which doesn't happen often. As usual my mom answered the phone but even if she hadn't, I would have asked to talk to her first. So she is the first I shared the good news with. She was very happy & excited but not 100% shocked. I then told my dad & my brother through speaker-phone and a first cousin (who was over there at the time), also found out that very same day, too. They were all happy and excited. They loved this happy news. My husband's parents reacted very positively, too. They and my Sister-in-Law were all super-happy.

My baby:
Due Date:  January 29th 2013. But again this is just an estimated date. I shall be ready anytime after Jan 20th and the baby may even make it past January and come out in early February. Babies have their own time and as long as my girl is happy in there and healthy and ready to come out by herself - that's all I care about.
Do you know the sex? We knew the sex (though not 100% confirmed) at 15 weeks.
Any names?  It took us a while, but we have had and known her name for at least 2 months, now.
Any Ultrasounds? My first one was around 7 weeks when I saw her for the first time. She was super-tiny of course but still had a pretty strong heartbeat. I have had about 7 ultra-sounds or so to this point, every 4-5 weeks give or take. I also had a 3D Ultra-Sound at 24-25 weeks. I should go for my next one sometime next week or before Christmas. And I am sure there will be a final ultra-sound sometime in January, maybe a week or so before I am due to give birth.
Have you heard the heart beat? I have heard the heart-beat from the very first ultra-sound and that is the most exciting noise for a mom-to-be!
Who do you think it will look like? I have no idea. I think as a baby and toddler she will look more like her dad. I have a feeling her hair will be lighter, more like her dad's than my dark, brunette hair. Either way, I am convinced she will be gorgeous!
Will the baby have siblings?  We want to give her at least one sibling, sometime in the near future. =)
Have you felt the baby move?  I didn't start hearing her moves till I was 4 and a half months pregnant or so. But then after those first 2-3 weeks (from the first time), her moves & kicks became stronger. For the past month or so, I hear and feel her several times a day, especially at night or before & after meals.

Miscellaneous:
Did you have morning sickness? Very little. I got lucky in this aspect. She has truly been a good baby and hasn't tired or made me sick, that much.
Did you have any cravings? Actually in the beginning my appetite changed a lot and I lost most of my appetite, including for some foods I used to love. It was like that for about 4 months. Once my appetite came back I craved more meats, lots of salads, lots of fruits, lots of pasta dishes and every now and then a dessert or chocolate, nothing crazy. Every now and then I would crave Mexican food. I have never loved or eaten Mexican food that much, but pregnancies tend to change you. I also craved a lot of French Fries and usually had to eat them with ketchup - another thing I usually loathe and almost never used. 
Did you have any mood swings? Yes. I am sure I have. Some of them I have felt too, meaning I saw changes in my attitude, my likes and dislikes. But I am sure even the ones I haven't really seen, others have, especially my husband, and perhaps a co-worker or two. After all, most of my time is spent with husband or co-worker I share an office with.
Are you a high risk pregnancy? No. So far so good. I feel very blessed.
Any complications? No. None.
Formula or Breastfeeding? I will definitely breast-feed. It's the best, healthiest and cheapest way to go. Since my breasts are changing and my milk glands are forming, I have a feeling I will have lots of milk - I hope I do. Plus I will be staying home with the baby so I will breast-feed her every chance I get. If I need to use a breast pump for when I leave her with someone else, I will do so. I may need formula every now and then, we will see.
Have you bought anything for the baby yet?  I haven't bought a lot of things myself, because my mom in USA has done most of the shopping. Prices are way better there for the quality you get. She has sent me some of her stuff (mostly clothes), but I am expecting a lot more next week. Once we get everything shipped to us, we will see what else we need for her. However we have purchased the bed, we built her a custom-made closet and purchased a bunch of stuffed toys for her. 
When did you start to show? I started to show a little towards the end of 3rd month, beggining of 4th month. I felt like my belly got rounder. My husband didn't think so. It was almost invisible through clothes though. Proably at 16-18 weeks is when you could tell I was pregnant.
How long could you wear your regular clothes? I still wear regular clothes. Of course not all of them, but there are still many tops that fit and even a pair of skinny pants. I have been wearing pregnancy clothes since Late September though, at 5 and a half months.
Will you keep the baby’s clothes?  A part of me wants to keep everything but space is very limited in our apartment, and in Europe in general. I will definitely keep most of the nice things. I will probably give some stuff away. You never know, our second baby may be a girl. I still have to think about this.
Home or Hospital? Hospital for sure. Giving birth at home scares me. A maternity hospital is where a child should be born. They are made for pregnant women and other birth-related issues a woman may have.
Natural or Medicated birth? I will try my best for Natural. Though knowing myself I am very weak when it comes to pain. Depends on how long my labor will last and how strong my contractions will be, I will probably go for medication, an epidural, for sure.
Who will be in the delivery room with you? I am not sure they allow that in hospitals in Albania. I discussed it with my husband and he will be waiting next door in the hallway, for sure, but he has no desire to see the whole birthing process. Not that I can blame it much because it is long, painful, bloddy and not pretty at all.
Do you think you will need a C-section? As of right now I know I won't. It is still to early to tell but I hope not. I hope and pray I get the natural labor pains and not have to be induced. .
Will you cry when you hold the baby for the 1st time?  Probably yes. But I will smile and/or laugh at the same time. They will be happy tears of joy, for sure. Actually that is a moment I want to be captured by the video-camera, or at least a camera.
What’s the 1st thing you might say to the baby? Probably a term of endearment like sweetheart, my sweet baby, perhaps her name or a sweet name followed by her name. And I will probably say how beautiful she is. One can never answer this question truly, because this is so-in-the-moment.
Will you let anyone video tape the birth? I would love to have the parts of when she is out of me and when they cut her umbical cord, as well as when they place her in my arms - taped. At least these happy and not so gory parts. But we will see if that will happen.
Are you excited? Well YES. Very excited. But at 33 weeks I am also getting more scared and more nervous by the day, because it is getting close, real close. But I am definitely super excited to have a new beautiful addition to our family and to be a mom!!
Who will help you with the baby after the birth? My mother-in-law and sister-in-law will probably help as much as they can for the first few months. It is a huge help & relief that they live next door to us. Also, in summer I plan on going to USA to visit my family and plan on staying for at least 3 months. I am sure my mom and cousin (whom I consider my young sister) will help while I am there, too. Of course hubby will do his best to help too - I hope so.
What is your favorite thing about being pregnant? My body changing, my tummy getting firm & round (it is the perfect circle ball right now) because of her. But the best thing of all is hearing her moves and kicks and knowing I have a little human being inside me who depends on me and gets fed through me.
What is the worst thing about being pregnant?  Having to pee so often, moving a lot while sleeping and not sleeping well in general, getting tired easily, not being able to bend down easily if at all, also probably more body hair, my boobs getting less attractive, mood swings and every now and then pregnancy brain. I also feel like I am a lot more dependent on my hubby and his family now, when I am around them because they attend to me differently then when I wasn't pregnant. Which is understandable, of course.
What’s one thing you miss doing since being pregnant?  My life has still been pretty normal and had the same activities since pregnant. Of course not as much intimacy with husband. But we have connected and bonded in different ways now that we expect a baby. I do miss my energy and my full-on appetite, though.
Any days you wish you were not pregnant?  Nope. This is where I am supposed to be RIGHT NOW in my life. I am supposed to be pregnant and become a mom soon! It was meant to be! =)
Are you ready for a baby? I think I am ready though I know I am not 100% ready and I don't think any first-time parents ever are truly ready. It is all so natural, though. Ready will come with time. Once she is born, I will become 100% ready whether we'd like to, or not.
Do you have insurance? Health insurance, yes, I do. Because of that, I will get to enjoy a Long Maternity Leave, too.
How many kids do you want?  Ideally one of each, like most couples nowadays. I am open to the idea of having 3 children. Of course if we had 3, I would like at least one boy in the mix. God-willingly everything will happen how it is meant to be. Let's have number one, first. =)
Do you talk to the baby? Eh, not really talk - talk. I rather call her by her name, I call her sweetie, peanut, little munchkin, etc. And almost daily I talk to the belly telling my girl how much I love her. But it is not like I have full, long conversations with her.
Do you still feel attractive?  Actually yes. The fact that I have not gained a lot of weight helps me feel attractive. I have gone makeup-free almost daily since being pregnant and I have had no problem with that at all. In general I am someone who doesn't wear a lot of makeup and very rarely use foundation or powder. Plus, the pregnancy has sort of given me a different glow. I feel cute in general. It helps that my husband still tells me I am pretty and that my body hasn't changed much except the belly.
Have you had your baby shower yet? Unfortunately no baby showers in Albania. But I haven't felt left out because the main women in my life, have already gotten me a lot of stuff and gifts for her.
Do you like kids?  Yes, in general yes. Let's be honest, some kids are annoying. This 6-year old boy today in the bus was saying Mommy, Mommy out loud for 5 minutes straight. He thought it was funny. If I was his mommy I would have told him to shut up LOL. But in general I love kids, especially nowadays when they are so darn smart. I also think kids are so positive. They are lovable and usually make one very happy. 
How far along are you now? 33 weeks.

Thank You for Reading. This was 50 questions, after all. =)
Have a Great Weekend, All!!