20 weeks aka 5 months! Halfway there!!!!!

How far along? 20 weeks 3 days! Can you believe we are halfway there!!!

Total weight gain: Right on track, gaining 1/2-1lb a week.So up about a pound.

Maternity clothes? No but I probably should be. I think I have about 1 more week in my regular jeans. Bella band is definitely needed at this point.

Stretch marks? Negative, but am stocked up on enough Mustella to last me a lifetime.

Sleep:? Sleeping okayish. Body pillow is helping, dog is not. Still up about 5 times a night to potty.

Best moment this week: So many good moments this week!! Our 20 week appointment went AMAZING! It was literally terrifying having them examine all of little baby C's organs, brain and body measurements.I just kept waiting for them to tell me "uh oh, this is a little big/small/alien-like etc. But they didn't!The doctor told us we have a perfect little baby and that everything is line with how it should be!

He weighs in at 11 ounces (can you believe he is almost a full pound??) and he is in the 54% percentile for size so he is perfectly sized for where we are in the pregnancy. We were in the appointment for about 2 1/2 hours and I was pretty darn nervous the whole time.  But the nurse was a doll and even took some 3-D shots for us. This was definitely a big moment for Joey and I , and we both just keep looking at each other during the appointment in amazement that our little guy is growing so perfectly.  It was definitely one of those "WOW this is really happening and we are SO blessed" moments.

Second most amazing this moment this week happened this morning when we woke up. The baby was kicking up a storm and Joey decided to see if he could feel it- AND HE COULD!!! At first I told him when the baby was kicking and then he told me to not tell him and see if he could tell when it happened and he did!! He felt him kick at least 10 times. We were both pretty much laughing and crying at the same time we were so excited! Things are happening folks.

Lastly, we had a fun weekend,  it was SO beautiful out and spent Friday at Pelican Hill for dinner and Saturday some time on the water in newport for my girlfreind Nicoles bday, which was awesome. Very different from our normal beer guzzling duffy rides but even more beautiful since it wasnt hazy from beer goggles.  We went to OC fair Saturday night with a group of friends and had a blast. I definitely missed all my fav fair rides (the gravatrone, the hammer etc) but I settled for the swings and the ferris wheel with a carmel apple. Heaven.

Miss Anything?  The wild fair rides. Margaritas. A flat stomach.

Movement: Kicking all the time now and I am loving every single minute of it. He sure doesnt want me to forget he's in there. 

Food Cravings: HUMMUS and SRIRACHA but my tongue has been burned beyond imagining. SO unfair. I am into any and all fro-yo these days and I am definitely back on the True Food wagon (hummus, edamame dumpling, ahi salad). MMMMMMM.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still nauseous, just not throwing up really anymore which is a nice change. Cant wait to not be taking nausea pills every day. I still wake up nauseous almost every day. 

Gender: BOY! Boooyaah!

Labor Signs: Negative.

Symptoms: Cramping has been bad this week but the nurse assured me it was normal as my uterus is stretching.  Getting some lower back pain, and just feeling tired in general. 

Belly Button in or out? Still weird looking. Not loving it.

Wedding rings on or off? ON!!!!

Happy or Moody most of the time: A clam!

Looking forward to:  My mom moving back on September 2nd! Cant wait to have her here for the rest of the pregnancy and I seriously just feel so much better knowing she will be here once the baby is born and for family dinners.YAY!

This week is pretty quiet but looking forward to the end of it as Joeys mom is coming to visit and so is his Aunt on Sunday which is SO exciting! I love having family in town! Joey and I are going to try to get some stuff done for the nursery this week since starting next weekend it is going to be wedding season for about a month and we will barely have time to breathe. Check out the pics of the little guy below and from the weekend!


BTW, I know this site is super hard to comment on so if anyone wants to contact me directly my email is alexnacol@gmail.com :)

 BABY BOY!!!

 His little legs above his head!!



 3D kinda freaky looking but you can see his eye looking at us! I love this and it made my mom instantly cry. people are either amazed at how well we can see him or a few of my girlfriends thought it was really scary. you tell me.

 Pelican Hill.

 Joey getting down on the ridiculous sausage.

 Fair food is pretty darn good.

 the gals.

 beautiful day on the water.

 the cefalu clan! All 4 of us!

The cookie monster

Today is the big day  of our 20 week appt! I have decided I HAVE to make these people cookies as we are going back to the place where we did the genetic testing and I swore up and down that  I would bring that woman cookies every single day if she told us the gender. However, I am running into a few hiccups as Joey is not too helpful when it comes to making OTHER people cookies.

Me: Joey, can you check and see if we have any butter?
Joey: I dont know
 Me: Look and see
 Joey: I WILL NOT SUPPORT YOU MAKING OTHER PEOPLE COOKIES IF I CANT HAVE ANY! (promptly stomps into the other room)

...and that is the start to our day. Wish us luck!

19 weeks baby!

How far along? 19 weeks 3 days!

Total weight gain: Gained about half a pound this week so I am over where I started the pregnancy at.

Maternity clothes? Not yet, but all my clothes are SUPER tight and uncomfortable. I can fit in anything in the morning but after I eat and drink everything gets very very snug.

Stretch marks? Negative, but am stocked up on enough Mustella to last me a lifetime.

Sleep:? Ugh, sleeping has become more difficult. I am falling asleep fine but when I wake up for the 8th time to use the bathroom, I have a hard time getting back to sleep. My body pillow is definitely helping (who I have lovingly nicknamed Hal) but as I guessed, Winston and Joey can be found trying to cuddle up with him everytime I get up to use the restroom. I was literally gone for 30 seconds and when I came back winston had curled himself up in the donut hole part at the top and was loudly snoring. I shook him awake and he looked at me like "what momma? I have been here all night, you must not have noticed??!" That dog!!!

Best moment this week: Feeling the baby kick all week long! And having a relaxing weekend with the husband. We had a fun weekend with friends but also managed to squeeze in some time just the two of us in the backyard, playing games and lounging like we always do during summer. Being pregnant is such a beautiful bonding thing to go through with Joey, it really makes everything else seem so unimportant compared to this. We are both constantly in awe of how amazing this experience is and stop and ask each other "CAN YOU BELIEVE WERE ACTUALLY HAVING A BABY!!!"

 Also, Steph and I had a fun friday getting our hair  and nails done, having lunch at true  food, and some serious shopping! Cant beat some pampering and shopping time.




And we just received some super exciting news- my mom is moving back Sep 5th!! YAY!! Cannot wait to have her back for the rest of the pregnancy and I feel so much better knowing she will be close by for her grandson and for us to do family dinners with!

Miss Anything? I actually think being pregnant is really fun and exciting! I definitely miss my margs and bloodys, but there is nothing more exciting than knowing that you and your husband are growing something that is a combination of the two of you. And everything is changing so quickly every single day that you always have something to be excited about!!! We are so blessed and so thrilled! And the baby isnt even here yet!! Am I more emotional and nostalgic this week maybe??

Movement: He is totally kicking now and it is SO exciting! He is literally kicking as I type. Joey is DYING to feel it but I know we have a bit to go before that happens. There is nothing cooler than feeling his little legs tapping against my belly.

Food Cravings: HUMMUS and SRIRACHA. I have recently discovered Pink Lemonade Fro-yo which is amazing. BBQ chicken salads and ice coffee.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Well last post I said that I hadnt thrown up since the week before but didnt want to jinx it and then I threw up bright and early the next morning on our bedroom floor. Lovely. But so far so good since then.

Gender: BOY! Boooyaah!

Labor Signs: Negative.

Symptoms: Cramping, some nausea still but thats about it.

Belly Button in or out? Still weird looking. Not loving it.

Wedding rings on or off? ON!!!!

Happy or Moody most of the time: A clam!

Looking forward to:  I am literally dying of anticipation for our 20 week appointment on Tuesday. Joey claims I am the most impatient person in the world but I dont think I'm that bad. I've only threatened to go without him like 30 times since I can technically go on monday but we are waiting until Tuesday since he has to work. If i was that impatient I would have lied to the technician and said we were further along so that we could get in there earlier. But those bastards have my medical records. :).

Pics from the weekend.

Am I insane?

Or is it normal to have this many pregnancy books?

Week 18!!

How far along? 18 weeks 3 days!

Total weight gain: I'm officially even with where I started the pregnancy! Its weird because I feel a million times bigger but you can't argue with a scale. Well, not to say I havent tried a few times when my weight has increased rapidly. BUTTTT  went to the doctor and he was happy with my weight gain and said to continue to expect to put on 1/2 a pound to a pound a week now.

Maternity clothes? everything is SO tight! Tried to order the bella band online but I felt nervous about the sizing so I am going to try to pop by one of the maternity stores soon! Plus I have SO many wedding events coming up in the next month I will definitely need some dresses for the weddings and rehearsal dinners so I'm sure I can find a few other things.

Stretch marks? No but I have been living breathing and bathing in Mustela. Joey had never heard of stretch marks on stomachs so I google imaged it for him (aren't I a kind and thoughtful wife??) and in the process ended up traumatizing both of us. I have now had nightmares about stretch marks and just completed an order for another bottle of Mustela tonight even though I am not even 1/4 of the way through my current one. What if I run out before the new arrives???!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So as you can tell, I am handling all these pregnancy discomforts/potential discomforts well.

Sleep:? Belly is now big enough to start bothering my sleep so I just ordered a pregnancy body pillow that is supposed to help. Its actually kind of hilarious because it stretches all the way around me from head to toe so I look like im sitting in a donut. Which actually sounds amazing and tasty. Mmmm donuts. Anyway, I was a little hesistant to buy it because Joey and I will now have a blockade the size of Texas between us but I'm going to try not to use it every night. Plus I have a feeling Joey, I and Winston will all wake up spooning the pillow.

Best moment this week: Going to the doctor!!!!!!!! Well the day we went to the doctor started off crappy as I was rushing out of the house, dealing with a million things at once, and I backed the new car into our garage door completely destroying it!!  i basically had a pregnancy meltdown in the backyard and sobbed about how stupid I was and how pregnancy brain was taking over my life. I couldn't even get the car out of the garage because it was jammed half up/half down.  Luckily for me, Steph, my hero, came and picked me up and listened to me sob while she took me to the gym to calm down. She is amazing! But really, it was quite the fiasco and my hormones sure didnt help matters. Buttttttttt the rest of the day greatly improved when we went to the doctor. and I regained my self control. Ish.

ANYWAY.......Our little peanut is officially A BOY! We are having a SON!!!! How exciting is that?? I always wanted a boy first but I figured that since I was a such a hormonal insane teenager, karma would dish me out some pretty crazy girls before I ever got a boy. Maybe I wasn't so bad after all? I have a feeling my mom is screaming from Portland "yes you were!!!!!"

So, I went a little crazy on the doctor and printed out a 2 page list of all my questions for him in addition to a play by play of every morsel of food and drink that enters my body. Serves him right for making me wait a month in between appointments. He said the baby looks perfect, my diet is perfect (So i dont want to hear anymore about eating/not eating this or that), and I am just altogether the most perfect patient he has EVER seen!!! Well thats what I heard anyway. But things are progressing exactly as they should.

Its starting to feel real now and I really cant express how overjoyed I was to hear that all my worries were for nothing. WERE HAVING A BABY!!!! I AM SO HAPPY!

Miss Anything? working out and not being exhausted. Bloody marys big time and looking forward to plane rides because of cocktails on the plane.

Movement: I really think I felt him kick a few times! For real this time! It was much softer than before and right where my uterus is. I hope I keep feeling it! Also, they say he can start hearing things now and will get startled at loud noises!that kind of makes me sad- I hope he doesnt get scared in there when Winston barks OR Joey yawns (2 noises that are equally loud and obnoxious).

Food Cravings: HUMMUS and SRIRACHA. Tart Fro-yo. Anything greek yogurt. Ketchup, lots of it.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I havent thrown up since last week!!! WAHOO! Joey says not to say anything and jinx it but I can't help but be excited. I am still nauseous and can't stop taking the pills but I havent had a full fledged episode in a while. That really is cause for celebration!

Gender: BOY! Boooyaah!

Labor Signs: Negative.

Symptoms: Cramping, some nausea still but thats about it.

Belly Button in or out? Still weird looking. Not loving it.

Wedding rings on or off? ON!!!!

Happy or Moody most of the time: A clam!

Looking forward to: Our 20 week appointment in a week and a half which is a much more detailed ultrasound and we get to hopefully get some super cute pictures of the little guy! Also fun weekend ahead of dining in laguna with liz and her mom, Saturday brunch with Rochelle and the girls and then San Diego for Will and Stephs bday party! Busy busy!


Pics from the weekend and of the baby boy!

 Saturday brunch with the girls!

 Steph and Wills bday party in SD!

 The happy couple!!

Those crazy boys! 

My new ridiculous body pillow

Ode to Sriracha

Had a crazy day today that started off insane and not fun ( until Steph saved the day!) and then ended very very very GOOD! I will get into more detail for the 18 week post but thought I would take a moment to celebrate one of the wonderful things in my life that always cheers me up. Sriracha!

17 weeks- 23 weeks to go!

How far along? 17 weeks, 4 days!

Total weight gain: -1 lbs. I have gained another pound! Looks like I'm officially on the gain-a-pound-a-week schedule. SO FUN! not. The belly is definitely not hideable anymore but it looks more like I ate thanksgiving dinner than I am pregnant. Its a very attractive look. Joey even commented that it's not like I have a little bump at the bottom of my belly, it's like my whole stomach just looks bigger. He knows just the things to say to get to a pregnant womans heart.

Maternity clothes? No, but I no longer am comfortable in any jeans, and I have a feeling I wont make it another a few weeks without the bella band.

Stretch marks? Negative but all the pregnancy sites are now warning me that they should be popping up any day now. Mom, I blame you if this happens to me:)

Sleep:? Sleeping okay but I have a super hard time getting comfortable. It hurts to sleep on my stomach now (which used to be my favorite) and I feel  pressure when I'm on my sides. I hear you're not supposed to sleep on your back because it can cut off blood supply to the baby so I'm kind of one big re-adjusting mess these days to sleep next to. Poor Joey. I also have been waking up in the middle of the night or early morning feeling super nauseous and have to take one of my pills. So maybe the answer to this question is not sleeping that great.

Best moment this week: Had my stepmom and brother and sisters in town for the week and the 4th of July which was fun! Unfortunately, the weather was total crap but we still had a good time and it has been nice to have so much family around. We spent the 4th down at the Dana Point Harbor and then had a feast at the house followed by a late night swim session in the pool. My stepmom made some amazing sushi and I couldn't have been happier.

On Friday we went to downtown San Diego for my girlfriends Jill's bday and it was so nice to be out there! I absolutely love SD and would move there in an instant! We had a blast with everyone and I even had a few sips of wine. Joey says he doesn't think I even got any in my mouth but I think going so long without any has made even the smell of wine make me tipsy ! Even if it was only a teaspoon, that was one fantastic teaspoon.

The rest of the weekend was more relaxing- we went to one of my girlfriends dinner party Saturday night where we were able to bring Winston and he successfully got to annoy a bunch of other dogs and mingle with another beagle! ( Joey was convinced this would be a huge bonding moment for them but it turned out to be just like every other dog interaction, where Winston irritates the crap out of the dog until it completely ignores him- at which point he begins the incessant barking "play with me dog!"

Miss Anything? Starting to not miss anything as much. Being pregnant is kind of like relearning how to live and I think I might be starting to adapt! Maybe..

Movement: Ok, so I no longer think I have felt him kick, which is kind of freaking me out. I feel like I should have by now or at least I felt him before so I should have again right? I think I am just nervous because we haven't had a real ultrasound for a month now and that feels like a long time to go without seeing the little peanut. Well, next doctor appointment is tomorrow-Thank God! 

Food Cravings: Hummus and Sriracha is still my favorite snack but I have currently ODed on Sriracha so much that my tongue literally burns everytime I come close to a drop of it. Joey stared at me like I was an insane person last night as I stubbornly insisting on eating my sriracha and hummus combo and then screamed in pain...and then went in for more. He gently suggested I leave the sriracha off which resulted in my  I-will-kill-you-if-you-ever-speak-such-awful-words-again look. I think Joey is really enjoying this pregnancy and what it is doing to his typically sane and rational wife.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Eating too much. Anything too sweet. People who have comments on what I am eating/not eating/should be eating/shouldn't be eating when they are NOT pregnant! Which is pretty much everyone I am related to. Does it seem like I may be a bit crabbier week 17??

Gender: SOOOOO excited for appointment tomorrow. However, if the doctor does not confirm one way or another whether we are having a baby boy or girl, he should fear for his life. No really.

Labor Signs: Negative.

Symptoms: A lot of cramping and nausea that is in the middle of the night or early in the morning. Other than that, I'm okay folks.

Belly Button in or out? Looking a little funkay these days. I hear there is a device you can purchase that helps keeps it in. Next amazon.com purchase?

Wedding rings on or off? ON!!!!

Happy or Moody most of the time: A clam!

Looking forward to: Doctors appointment tomorrow!!!!! Cannot wait to see the little guy and hear that everything looks good. Also, cant wait for my tongue to heal so I can bathe in my sriracha/hummus concoction once again. 


This weekend we are headed to San Diego again for our friends birthday party which I am really looking forward to. And next week my mom is coming!! Yay!

Pics from Jills Bday party in sd and a few of the nursery ideas I like so far

Jillys bday party in SD!

 Ok this is my official favorite one! I love the criss cross walls and I think it is masculine enough while still being sweet and cute for a baby!

 This is definitely a close second, could even be a tie with first but sometimes I feel like it is a little mature, not soft enough for a newborn bundle of joy.

 Just love the initials on the wall and the chandelier. Adorable.

 (I like this too although I hate the chandelier. I like how dark the walls are.

The horizontal stripes caught my eye, although if we did anything like this it would be every other wall. I don't like the other decorations in the room but something about the walls stands out to me. Decisions decisions.

Doggie in the window!

Just had to post a picture of this ridiculously adorable puppy that Brooke and I found at Fashion Island today! How cute is he? He was so calm and even tempered (the opposite of Winston) that I really wanted to get him. So far Joey has said absolutely not but you never know what a pregnant woman can accomplish when she puts her mind to it..

Week 16 i.e. 4 Months!

 How far along? 16 weeks, 4 days!

Total weight gain: -2 lbs. I have officially gained a pound! Never thought I would be excited to say that!

Maternity clothes? Not yet, but it is ridiculous how tight all my clothes are now. I offically have a belly that I cannot suck in anymore.

Stretch marks? No but I STILL haven't gotten the stretch mark cream yet!

Sleep:? Like a baby but I am getting these weird pains in my lower abdomen which I read is pretty common and is my uterus stretching out.  How lovely. Also, I dream of vacation almost every single night and wake up speaking spanish bc I am convinced  I am in a cab in Mexico trying to find my hotel. A girl can dream, cant she? Joey says he can take a hint and we will definitely plan a mexico vacay for next year at some point. I'm ready!

Best moment this week: Well I am pretty sure I am feeling him kick but it definitely does not feel like butterflies. It feels more like something flipping or moving- does that seem right? Am I convincing myself that my gas is my baby??

Also Seeing Bob Sagat with Steph and Mark over the weekend. He is just as ridiculous as I imagined. And he spent the majority of the show making fun of this poor guy who was on a date, which was kind of hilairous. The guy was a pretty bad sport about which made it even better. Comedy shows are offically one of the funnest things to do while preggers.

Miss Anything? Any and all sushi. Beer, which is weird. Joey was drinking a bud light in the backyard and I took a tiny sip and I swear nothing has EVER tasted so good in my life. I normally am not a fan of beer which is why I am known to add hotsauce, tomato sauce, lime juice, tequila or whatever is handy to make it  tastier.  Grass is always greener on the other side, eh?

Movement: Like I said, I may be lovingly stroking my belly everytime a gas bubble travels through. 

Food Cravings: Hummus and Sriracha a multiple time a day snack now a days. I am literally going through half a contained of hummus and sriracha a day. Dont worry, the doc says the spice isnt hurting the baby only myself. And it hurts so good. I am eating a lot of veggie burgers and egg whites too and obscene amounts of steamed veggies.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Pick up Stix. Never again. Well, we'll see.

Gender: Hopefully the doc will tell us next week but I read this girls blog today where her doctor told her it was a boy at week 12, 14 and 16 and told her to buy blue and then at week 18 announced it was a girl! This made me realize that I have officially ODed on buying baby boy stuff and should probably just relax until completely confirmed. Maybe our peanut is girl????

Labor Signs: Negative.

Symptoms: Officially made it almost 4 days without throwing up and then got cocky and had to have pick up stix. big mistake.

Belly Button in or out? I was sitting outside talking to my girlfreind Amanda and I looked down and almost screamed! My belly button is starting to flatten!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOO!

Wedding rings on or off? ON. I'm telling you, it will be my toe ring before it gets retired to my jewelry box.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited!

Looking forward to: My stepmom and 3 of my bro/sis coming to visit tomorrow and the 4th of July!!! My stepmom cooks amazing sushi and she already said she will make some while she is here (dont worry, only the cooked stuff)! It will be nice to have more family visits and then this weekend we are off to San Diego for my girlfreind Jills birthday. Exciting eweek ahead!

Pictures from the weekend and a few other things I find entertaining

Irivine improv where we saw Bob Sagat. Oh danny tanner you'll always have my heart:)

 Liz's recommendation for the peanuts first halloween costume. Flattering, no?

 This is totally my life. I pulled over yesterday to throw up on the side of the road and silmutaneously pee my pants. Oh pregnancy, you are so fun. This little peanut is lucky he is worth it!