Thoughts On Pregnancy and Baby Drebby

Baby Drebby? Our friends wisely decided one night over dinner that we should call our baby a fun mish mash of our names during the pregnancy so that we wouldn't say "it" all the time. Hence, Drea + Robby = Baby Drebby! How fun, right!?

I have been having lots of thoughts and experiencing lots of symptoms throughout my pregnancy so far, and since I am already at the half way point (20-weeks), I just wanted to take a minute to write them down. Woah, there is just something about seeing that now in writing... "throughout my pregnancy"... Thank you Lord, I feel so humbled and in awe by what this means. I can't even begin to describe it... and I guess that's my point and the main reason why I wanted to jot some of my many thoughts down. Even though right now I am thinking about these things non-stop, I know I am bound to forget them. So thanks for indulging me as I just mentally process and strive to keep some memories. I wanted to share some pictures of my "bump" and of the baby throughout the post as well.

This was in early October, at 14 weeks.

Rob pretty much knew from the day we got married, that he wanted to start a family. I have always wanted one too, but I was not in such a hurry! We decided we wanted to start to try to have a baby in December of 2012. I always had a feeling that getting pregnant would not just "happen" for us, and thought that it was something that would take this particular overachieving, Type A planner some time. Through a season of about 19 months, Rob and I tried, waited, trusted, waited and trusted some more, that God's timing in this would be perfect. And it honestly has been. And I don't say this lightly, as if waiting was easy, and as if trusting God was easy. We grew a lot through the season of waiting, growth can be so hard, and growth can be really painful, but the result can be so beautiful. I don't mean the result of pregnancy, I mean the result of greater trust in the Lord, and the gratefulness I feel to have grown closer to God and to Rob through this season.

One day this past July, I just couldn't shake this odd feeling all day, I was hungry and felt like I could faint at any moment. The next morning I took a pregnancy test and saw the faintest 2nd line. *GASP* Was I really pregnant!? I didn't tell Rob right away, because I wanted to test it one more time, but also because I knew we were going to The Smith the next day to celebrate a new job opportunity I received. Since The Smith has a photo booth, I thought it would be perfect to tell him the big news then, if it really was true! Lo and behold test number 2 came back with two lines and this time the second one was a little darker. I was so excited to get to tell him that night at dinner, and I love that we got to capture that moment!

A hallmark of early pregnancy is morning sickness, fortunately I didn't experience this at all. I was nauseous, and had some real food aversions, but thankfully I never got sick. I was also, oh soooo tired. For a few weeks there, it was like clockwork, around 3pm every day I just felt an exhaustion like I have never felt before. I would get home and take a mini-power nap for like 15-20 minutes and that would help until about 8pm/ 8:30pm, and then it was lights out for me whether I wanted it to be or not. I couldn't stand the taste of cooked chicken, the smell of fresh broccoli, and for some reason, the only thing I really wanted to eat was breakfast food. It's not that I craved it, it's that breakfast food was the only thing I could imagine eating and enjoying. Rob said, "That's my baby!", since breakfast food is his absolute favorite. I love that!

This was from our 16-Week check up, and Baby Drebby is sucking it's thumb!

Have you ever heard of Pregnancy Brain? I thought that was just a myth or legend... but it has been TOO TRUE for me. Before I even knew I was pregnant, I sent some new shoes I ordered to Crystal in Miami instead of to myself! I kept wondering, why my shoes for work hadn't arrived yet? Ha! By the time we put two and two together I knew I was expecting, and was shocked by how instantaneous it was for my brain to stop functioning in the way I had been used to for the last 29 years! Although Crystal was sad to see the shoes go, we both thought it was hilarious.

We decided pretty much off the bat that we wanted to be surprised and not find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I love people's reactions when I tell them this. They are either like, "Awesome!", or they are like, "You're crazy!" Ha! There seems to be no middle ground on this one. We are excited about getting to be surprised. It does add a dilemma because now we have to think of not one, but two names, and that my friends, is no small task! Also, we obviously have to stay neutral in the color scheme, but I have to admit that I actually tend to prefer the neutrals, which is something I didn't realize would be the case. So far, I am not getting any feeling as to whether we are having a boy or a girl, what do you think?

Around the 14 week mark, I started to crave milk all of the sudden, and now at week 20, that craving is still going strong. I have never been a big milk drinker, unless it was in a bowl of cereal, or mixed with chocolate or something! Now there will be times where I am about to fall asleep, the lights are out, good night kisses have been given, and I have to get up because I cannot fall asleep until I have a small glass of cold milk. A couple of nights ago I woke up at 2am wanting milk, so it can be intense. We have gone from buying half a gallon of milk which would get us through about a week and a half, to buying a gallon of milk which lasts exactly a week. Rob thinks we may need to start getting two gallons soon.

In this picture, I'm about 18 weeks pregnant.

Around the 18 week mark, I think I started to feel the baby kick for the first time! Even though it was very subtle and sporadic, I mentioned it to Rob. I told him I thought it might be too early for him to feel it too but he put his hand on my bump and we sat there for a second, and *thump* he got to feel one too! I know it's just a matter of time before I start feeling the baby move more and more. The past few days whenever I feel Baby Drebby, it makes me think of popcorn popping!

Doctor's visits have been exciting, and nerve-wracking all at the same time. Almost every doctor's visit is accompanied with tests, especially at the beginning. We had to get used to the fact early on that after our fun appointments, we'd have to wait for a week or two for the results of any tests we took. Now I totally understand why people always answer, "a healthy baby", when asked what they hope they are having. We know and trust that God loves Baby Drebby abundantly more than we ever could and He has a plan for his or her life. So a big prayer request for us, is that we would continue to trust, not have any anxiety about tests, and that we would just be able to really enjoy each visit we have with the doctor, especially when we get to see the baby on the monitor! As you saw in the picture from the 16-week check up, we even got to see the baby sucking it's thumb! How sweet!!

We got a close up of the baby's foot at our 20-Week check up! Oh my word, so cute, right?

The full profile view from our 20-Week check up

My last thought for now is that Nesting Mode is a REAL THING. Rob and I have diligently been going from one room to the next in our apartment deep cleaning. We have cleaned all the way from the floor boards to the windowsills to the shelves! We're making piles for things we can give away and things we can sell and ultimately we are getting our place organized. You thought I was organized before, well now it is hyper-mode organized. You should see how pretty our pantry closet is now!! We already have so much more room for Baby Drebby's needs! It's kind of sad how excited closet organization gets me! It really is so important in a NYC sized apartment, any extra space is GOLD! After registering for Baby Drebby, we realized how precious each new empty shelf really is!

Me at 20 weeks!

Friends, thanks so much for reading through this lengthy blog post of mine! Thanks for surrounding me and Robby with so much love, prayers and support as well! Keep 'em coming!

We're Having a Baby!

It is with so much joy and excitement, that we share the news!
We are having a baby!!!

After I found out I was pregnant, I couldn't wait to see Rob's reaction!  I knew that we were planning on going to The Smith for dinner, and I knew they had a photo booth, so what better way to tell Rob, then to capture his reaction on camera?

This was me at 5 1/2 weeks

This was our first sonogram at 7 weeks.


This was our most recent sonogram at 12 weeks!

We've been waiting on God's timing to start our family, and so it is with much thankfulness and excitement that we look forward to becoming parents.
Baby Hickson is due April 8th, 2015!

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2

Momma Boo in the Big City

My momma came to visit in May.  This was her first time up in NYC in almost two years.  It was so nice to enjoy the one on one time I got to have with her and it was fun to show her around our new neighborhood now that we've settled into our apartment.

She crocheted a great blanket for us, and Bess was definitely a fan.  We watched movies, shopped and had lot's of good food.  Mole Mexican deliciousness the first night.  Mister Softee's and pretzel's another day.  Dinner at Bareburger and then Mimosas at brunch were a must of course!

Bike Riding in Central Park

The Conservatory Garden in Central Park

Someone lost their birthday balloons, which is sad, but it made for a pretty picture.

Mister Softee's :)

Silliness on Park Ave!

Peonies - be still my heart!

Fun night for a couple of drinks at DTUT

We had a shopping trip on Memorial day, we stayed on the 6 train all the way until the end when it turns around and passes by the old City Hall stop that is no longer in use.  It's a cool glimpse back in time for a few minutes.  We shopped around Union Square, walked up to the Flatiron district and snacked at Eataly.   We also got to visit with a great family friend for coffee, and then have dinner at The Meatball Shop in Greenwich Village where our friend Carlos is the Manager.  The owner of the restaurant took our picture which was so cool, and Carlos gave my mom a belated Mother's Day gift, with an autographed cookbook from The Meatball Shop!

..and you know I must love this lady if I took her to Times Square!  She was excited about the Minions from Despicable Me, lol!

Hooray for time with Momma Boo, can't wait for the next time we get to see her!

Sweet Florida Sunshine

At the end of March, we made our way to South Florida to spend time with family and friends, and attend our friend Vanessa's wedding.  We go back to Florida every year at least once, and it can sometimes turn into a routine whirlwind tour of grabbing a quick meal with a family member followed by a quick coffee with a friend across town, because we want to make sure that we spend as much time as we can visiting people we care about and miss so much.  By the end of the trip, we can leave feeling like there was still so much we wanted to see and do.  This time around, we decided to treat our visit as we would any vacation.  We thought of places that we would want to see and things that we would want to do if we were going to South Florida for the first time.  This really helped make us feel like we were taking advantage of those precious vacation days we were using up.  Ten in total and it was barely April by the time we got back to NYC!  

We landed bright and early on a Tuesday morning, my mom and sister picked Robby, me and Bess up from the airport.  After getting settled and heading to the sacred Chick-Fil-A (which does not exist on the amazing island of Manhattan, except at the NYU campus for students only) we set out on a mini-day trip to the west coast of Florida, to a great little city, Naples.  

We walked along Main Street, had coffee outside at a cafe and then headed to the beach.  The sand was white, the breeze was gentle and the sun was warm.  It was exactly what we had hoped for.  We had no agenda, other than to spend time with each other and enjoy this little piece of South Florida.  The restaurants along Main Street were good, but definitely overpriced.  After dinner, we headed to the beach one more time, to watch the sun sent, and it did not disappoint.  It was the best way to start off the trip!  

Over the next few days, we were on the "Pembroke Pines" leg of our trip, or should I say "tour"?  We did fill up the calendar with visits to see sweet friends and their growing families, and I am so grateful for it!  On our first visit to see Megan, Chris, Sophia and 3 week old baby Connor, I wasn't feeling all that well so I stayed away from the little ones.  Rob, who is such a big kid at heart, couldn't help but play with Sophia and her toys... and unfortunately caught pink eye... which quickly spread to me as well.  We immediately bought hand santizer and got the medicated drops and started our strict regiment of sanitizing our hands before touching any and every thing.  Thankfully we didn't contaminate any one else during our trip and were able to clear up rather quickly.  We also got to visit with Matt, Jess, Madison and baby Noah.  My newly engaged cousin Amanda had us over for dinner one night also.  (I am really looking forward to celebrating her marriage to her fiancé Chris next May!)  Saturday was Vanessa and Brandon's big day. It was the whole reason we planned our trip to Florida at this time of year, and it was perfect! The ceremony took place at a gorgeous Catholic Church on Miami Beach and the reception was at a venue in Coral Gables (not far from where we lived when we first got married).  Between the ceremony and reception it started to rain, which reminded me of our wedding day. We had flash flood warnings on our wedding day during the reception, and I remember everyone saying, "It's good luck!" I don't know if that's true or not, but all I know is it didn't ruin our wedding, and it didn't stop Vane and Brandon from having an amazing time celebrating at theirs.  Look at how excited they are before coming in to the reception an being introduced for the first time as Mr. and Mrs!

L . O . V . E .

The day after the wedding, we started our "Miami" half of the trip.  We kicked it off with a spicy barbecue at Crystal and Mark's.  It is one of my absolute favorite things to get to spend time together with both sides of our families.  We really got to enjoy that on our trip last summer to Puerto Rico, and I love that we can continue to all spend time together like this.  After dinner, came the most awesome spread of ice cream desserts imaginable, and as my grandpa enjoyed his sherbet, he tried to secretly pass some off to Bess as well.  Even though he pretends to be a tough guy, he is a softy for our Bessy Bear!

That face. Bless.

On our list of things to see and do while in the 305, along with spend as much time with family as possible, we had: visit with friends, try the food at the Pincho Factory, have our own photo safari in Wynwood and the abandoned Miami Marine Stadium, get cinnamon rolls at Knauss Berry Farm and have a boat day.  Check, check, check!! We were able to do all of the above, and it is hard to pick a favorite! 

I loved walking around Wynwood, it is really cool to see how a lot of that area has transformed into such a modern center of art, fashion and food.  Our friends, Leilani and Lisa are actually getting ready to open a boutique there in the next few months called MiMo Market (MiMo = Miami Modern).  The Wynwood Walls were so cool and artistic, and I have to say this little slice of Miami, reminded me so much of New York.  Rob and I had a lot of fun taking pictures, and then just sat around and people watched while we had a coffee break at Panther Coffee.  That same day, we made our way to the abandoned Miami Marine Stadium and snuck in to try to take pictures.  We bumped into a few other people on the same mission but I was too chicken to explore for long.  Any time I heard a louder than normal sound, I pretty much jumped out of my skin.  So we snapped a few pictures and high tailed it out of there! 

Miami Marine Stadium

Boat day was incredible. We were off to a rough start when the engine battery died, but after some quick thinking, we switched the boat battery with the car battery and were on our way.  We headed toward Stiltsville, which I had never been to, and jumped out for a quick swim.  Us "Northerners" thought the water was refreshing and cool, but our Florida family felt that April was still too early for any sane person to get in the water.  Mark was brave enough though, and Addi was fearless, jumping in and laughing as she swam to each of us!  We rode around for a little bit, had lunch, and then did some fishing!  As you know, my first time fishing was last fall at the Harlem Meer in Central Park.  This time, I got to experience fishing from a boat, just outside Biscayne Bay.

The two weeks in the Sunshine State were so refreshing, I have to admit, it wasn't easy to pack up and come back to the Big Apple. There is something about seeing that City Skyline every time we return though, that just stirs your heart with excitement and motivation.  When we landed, all tanned and relaxed, we couldn't wait to see our NYC family while also looking forward to the next time we'd be able to visit our loved ones in M-I-A...
Oh, and bonus: it almost felt like Spring was upon us. Yay!

"Febgiving"

So, right about now you are asking yourself, "What on earth is 'Febgiving' and why is Drea posting about it in April?" Well, "Febgiving" is something I heard about, after the month of February had come and gone but I feel like I was able to take part in it anyway... and I am posting this now because I have been a slacker and started this post over a month ago!  To best describe what "Febgiving" is, I have to share directly from the website of those who created it:

It’s a time to gather together friends, friendly acquaintances and family members who are friends, to enjoy the warm camaraderie of a big potluck meal and acknowledge a few simple truths:

1) February is a terrible month. We need all the love and support we can get just to make it through this godforsaken ice-strewn desert of pain.

2) Valentine’s Day is a terrible holiday. Couples face artificial pressure to buy things and act “romantic.” Single people are scorned and mocked. Its only real competition for worst holiday of the year is Tax Day.

3) Thanksgiving Food is delicious. Why should we only eat turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie (etc.) only once a year?

4) Friends are fantastic.

Yes.  I love this.  I am so on board next February.
As you will see in the slew of pictures I have in this post... we had plenty of wonderful meals with friends, friendly acquaintances and family members who are friends!

We've been leading community group through church and this is a picture of some of us the week before Valentine's Day enjoying a homemade meal.  I made meatloaf in the shape of a heart!

Donuts for dessert

We met up with LoLo, a friend from Miami, who was working here as a travel nurse for 4 months.  She and her roommate made us dinner.

Since we are 75 years old, we spent a wonderful Friday Night assembling a 3-D puzzle of New York with Jessa, Rich, Scott and Katie.

And since we are simultaneously 5 years old, the next night we had a Disney Movie night.  So fun!

I enjoyed a crafty night at Le Pain Quotidien with some girlfriends.

I finally went to Cafe Lola on the Upper West Side.  It was featured in You've Got Mail.

I got to go on a trip to Orlando, FL to celebrate the Bride to Be, Vanessa!

Vane, Lani and me.

DISNEYYYY

This was taken about 5 minutes before Rockin' Roller Coaster shut down.  We were entertaining ourselves in line by playing Heads Up!

Toy Story Ride

In the airport, I completely geeked out over the Harry Potter Store.  Next time I go to Orlando, FL, it had better be to go to Harry Potter World.  (I think I will cry of happiness.)

Back in the Big Apple

Pot luck dinner with our Community Group and friends!

Erin and Kelly

Erin, Steph, Dave, Scott and Katie

All of us!

Later that week, we went to Megan and Scott's with Rich and Jessa for our monthly dinner party that has been going strong since August!

Tiosito, Titi Michi and Geraliz came to visit from PR!!  We had Piti and Diana over for the fun as well.  I made this paella recipe, and it was so good.


Geraliz and me


Robby, me and Geraliz


Us in Times Square


We saw Cinderella on Broadway, thanks to my mom I knew every word to every song.  We would watch the version with Leslie Ann Warren over and over again when I was little.  Carly Rae Jepsen and Fran Drescher starred in it, which we didn't know, so that was a fun surprise!


Titi Michi and Tiosito


Titi Michi, Geraliz and Tio Gerald


Me with Tio


Snow. Ball. Fight.


Ouch! She got me good!


Tio on the move to get Geraliz!  It was cold, but their visit made it more bearable.

Another thing to be happy about in February is that Clinton Street Bakery hosts Pancake Month, and creates a new pancake dish every day!  On the very last day of February, we enjoyed a marvelously freezing cold date night there and had these delicious blackberry and lemon curd pancakes.

They were amazing.

On the way back to the subway.  Thought this was a fun shot, even with it being blurry from the iPhone.


The fabulous, fanny-packed-clad, Jennie Breedon stayed with us while interviewing for an exciting internship opportunity in the City.

We attended The Oscars party at the Thomases and brought the fearless Jennie along for the ride.

Robby and I both won during Oscars Bingo, we did not come close on guessing winners though.  I am sure that it didn't help that the only file nominated for an award that we had seen up until that point, was Despicable Me 2.  Ha!

This amazing spread of Pork Chops, Homemade Apple Sauce, Brussels Sprouts and Mashed Potatoes is brought to you be Sharon and Dan Baldessari.  Wish we had gotten a picture with them.  They were fantastic hosts to us on one fine Friday in March.

The next morning we had a PJ Brunch with the Beltrez family and then had fun with them on a trip to Ikea.  They have a car, so getting to Ikea was way easier than the usually train to shuttle bus or train to ferry boat option.

Rob and Ethan

And on one of our final frigid weekends, we had Stela stay over during her 24 hour layover before her marvelous adventure to Istanbul.

Love this picture she got of me and Rob in the park.

Rob, me and Stela!

Hoping I can get the next post up much sooner, but it may be hard now that Spring is in full force and it is magnificent outside!  Take Care!