Me & the little twerp.

Well, after re-reading my last entry, I have to admit that I AM feeling a little better than I did then. I'm definitely not throwing up as much, which is awesome. I've grown accustomed to eating super small portions and as long as I do that, I'll only maybe gag afterwards. Usually I throw up mostly water after breakfast, and get random feelings of nausea throughout the day. It's not so bad, but it's strange not being able to eat really. I've lost 11 lbs so far. Who knew that my pregnancy would be the best diet ever? I hope that I only gain what I've lost for the remainder of my pregnancy; that would be perfect. Portion control is key. Fruit is always a safe bet, but I even have to eat that in small amounts or I will indeed throw some of it up. Lately, as long as I eat like a bird, I'm alright. I can't eat anything super greasy in the morning or I'll be in trouble. It's all one big learning process for me.

As for the little one, he/she is in tip top shape according to our first visit with the OB. We got to see the super fast heartbeat and our silly little baby swimming around in my belly. Here's a pic:



That was back when I was 8 weeks 6 days. Today I'm 10 weeks 2 days, and I've read that already the baby looks a lot different. Now they have noticeable fingers and toes, arms and legs, and their little ears are just about done forming. My baby is just a tad bigger than a quarter at this point. Our next appt. will be the day we get back from Hawaii (October 11th) and by that time the baby will have grown a lot. I'll be 12 weeks 5 days. I'm so excited! A friend of mine just had her 12 week ultrasound and I couldn't believe how different her baby looked! It's completely a little human by then! It's all so amazing and surreal. I still can't believe a little person is in there. I think once I feel the baby move and my belly starts showing a little more, it'll process for me. Right now I'm still in disbelief. I do know that I already love this silly little baby so much. I couldn't be happier.

The First Trimester & the Joy it brings...

Nausea, fatigue, constant puking, feeling completely dead... yes this is the first trimester, folks. Every day I repeat the process of throwing up straight liquid (since I eat dinner very early for fear of being nauseous at night), eating breakfast just to throw up about a good 1/2 of it 15 minutes later, and an early dinner that, if I'm lucky, doesn't make me hurl but more often than not does. I take my prenatal vitamin at night, pray to be able to sleep, and always wake up before 7. That's about when my nausea kicks in. For the past hour I've been gagging and puking. I am now feeling decent, but this will only last until I eat breakfast. It's definitely not my idea of a good time, but the only thing that makes me feel better is knowing that if I'm feeling this miserable, the kid must be healthy. People always say that symptoms are a great indicator that the baby is ok, so with how completely awful I've been feeling, this child must be on cloud 9 in there. I'll be 9 weeks this coming week and our first OB appt is this coming Wednesday the 14th. We are SO anxious. I just want this trimester to end already! I have another month to go. Lord, give me strength.

Common Misconceptions.

Let me preface this entry by saying that I love the Hispanic culture from the music to the food that simply melts in your mouth--it is something that I am very proud to be a part of. But it also comes with certain stereotypes. Most people assume several things about me, being that I'm Hispanic or 'Mexican' as they like to call me. Here's a little list I've come up with:

1) That I'm Catholic. While I have nothing against any religion of any kind, I am not nor have I ever been Catholic. I actually am pretty clueless as to what exactly to do or say at Catholic services; it's all very methodical and the thought of responding in the wrong way or kneeling at the wrong time terrifies me. I'm actually a non-denominational Christian. Some people have no idea what this means, so my best way to describe it is that I have faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, but I don't practice any particular religion. I am simply a Christian. Jesus is all I need. For this reason, I am not opposed to visiting any church belonging to any denomination because I believe that He is in my heart, and will be with me wherever I go. I like to think of it the way Dolly Parton puts it in Steel Magnolias--"God don't care which church you go to as long as you show up."

2) That I speak Spanish. This is something I wish I could say were true, but unfortunately I can only understand it a little. My Spanish is at a pretty elementary level. Anytime I go to the valley or even San Antonio people assume I know Spanish. It was hilarious when Bobby and I went by ourselves to Cozumel and everyone assumed we were fluent. Well, they thought he was white and that I was fluent. So they'd be rambling away and I'd just nod and smile. Bobby isn't white for those of you thinking he is, he's just extremely guero (light skinned). He has that Spanish blood. Both of my parents are bilingual, but never really spoke Spanish around me unless they were talking about something they didn't want me to know about. I think because my parents were discouraged from speaking Spanish when they were growing up, they didn't emphasize it for us (me and my sister). So, I pretty much know what I've learned in school and bits and pieces from what I hear in conversation.

3) That I'm a Democrat. No sir. I don't like political labels, but if I had to choose a 'side' it would be with the Republican party simply based on my conservative beliefs.

4) That my parents are uneducated. On the contrary, both of my parents are UT Alumni. My mother has a master's degree in education. This completely impresses me because college was definitely not something that my parents' parents encouraged them to pursue. My mother went to college despite both of her parents passing away, and despite not having any support what so ever. My mom is my hero for this reason. She is the strongest person I know, and knows what it is to persevere despite any circumstances.

5) That I love Mexican food. I love Tex Mex, and this is COMPLETELY different than authentic Mexican cuisine. Menudo, tripas, chicharrones, barbacoa, capirotada, molé, empanadas...all things I find completely revolting. These are authentic Mexican dishes. I'm a Taco Cabana kind of gal. I like bean and cheese nachos, chips and salsa, queso (if you're not from Texas please don't try to serve this because you'll always get it wrong), breakfast tacos...these are things I like.

6) That I'm gung-ho Mexican. I'm from America, folks. I'm the most patriotic person you'll ever meet. I love July 4th celebrations, I love the American flag, I love singing the Star Spangled Banner with tears running down my face; I am proud to be from this country. My grandparents weren't even born in Mexico; they were all born here. This is my home. I love margaritas and singing with mariachis just as much as the next person, but I am and will always be an American.

So, those are the most common misconceptions that I could think of off the top of my head. I hope I didn't offend anyone, but after years of people assuming such things about me, it's good to get the truth out there. I hope everyone's having a lovely Sunday with their friends and family. Adios, amigos!