Insightful
6 weeks away from the rest of our life
Jul 15th
And the countdown begins. Six. More. Weeks. I can’t believe how quickly these 9 months have passed. You hear a lot of horror stories about pregnancies and one of the first things people said when I told them when I was due (August 25) was an apologetic “ohh, I’m so sorry you have to be pregnant during the summer months. That will be so difficult and uncomfortable.” My inner dialogue said, “Oh, that’s nice. Thanks for your support and encouragement.” Fact is, it hasn’t been bad at all. Yes, it’s hot. But really- I wouldn’t be any more uncomfortable if I wasn’t pregnant. When it’s hot, everyone sweats. It’s sticky, and it’s humid. Those things don’t change just because you’re pregnant. So, I tell this to all you first time moms : If you happen to get pregnant at a time that leaves you bigger than you ever have been in your life during the summer months- It’s really not that bad. But, then again, I’ve always been an optimist. Things are as bad as you make them out to be. And, being pregnant? Coolest thing I’ve done in my life so far.
My last blog left off with month 6.. so I’m here to catch you all up on months 7 and 8! So much as happened since then.
Am I feeling more movement into the 7th and 8th month of pregnancy?
Yes! I feel him every morning and night. He also responds to John’s voice when he comes home from work. Which is pretty dang cool. It’s pretty amazing that our little guy already knows our voices. We talk to him a lot.
Anything funny happening during the pregnancy?
My belly button is disappearing. Some women develop an “outtie” belly button. I haven’t. My belly is just swallowing my belly button. Also, I never developed the black line that runs from the top of the pubic bone to the belly button, aka “linea nigra.”
I have to go to the bathroom a lot. During the night I get up about 3-4 times. To put that in perspective- when I’m not pregnant, I don’t get up at all to go to the bathroom.
Do I have a name and am I telling anyone?
Yes. And, No. That will be the one surprise that everyone will have to wait for. In fact, tomorrow his nursery will be complete. On the wall of his nursery is his name. I will have to cover it up so that all visitors that come over before he arrives can’t get a glimpse of what we have decided to name him. Why are we keeping it a secret? Because it’s really personal, and we want to keep this between us for right now. And, I don’t want people responding with, “oooh, that’s nice. I once knew a kid in high school that was a total jerk.. and that was his name.” Really? Thanks. Ruined it.
Have I had any Braxton-Hicks contractions?
These are contractions that you get early on. They aren’t a sign of labor, they are just preparing your body for what is to come. No, I haven’t felt any Braxton Hicks contractions so far in my pregnancy.
What have I done to take care of myself this month?
Prenatal massage to ease my headaches, and prenatal yoga with one of my best friends, Allison Chapin, who was pregnant throughout most of my pregnancy. She welcomed her twin baby girls on June 29th! Welcome Victoria and Isabella Chapin! So excited to see them grow up, and have them such a big part of my son’s life. Who knows.. maybe one of them will get lucky with the new Mr. Asbaty. 
Allison and Mike Chapin with their 1 day old twins, Victoria and Isabella Chapin!
What are my favorite pregnancy/childbirth books at the moment?
Hypnobirthing. We just started our hypnobirthing class and LOVE it. This method will allow me to bring myself into a very deep state of relaxation. It will allow my body to do what it’s made to do.. without fear or concern. This will allow me the best opportunity for an all natural birth. Unmedicated. This is my intention. I am not 100% because I have never been through this before so I won’t count anything out. But, I know a lot of women have gone the natural route, and they are still living. I know I can do this. That’s why I am educating myself thoroughly on what to expect and how to manage the pain.
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. This book was recommended on June 6th, by Kristin Hassan. This was one day before she gave birth to her super sweet baby girl, Violet Marie Hassan. Welcome Violet! Crazy how I was having lunch with her one day (a week before her official due date) and the next day she has a baby.
Violet Hassan
The Hassan Family
The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer is really great at establishing a routine early on. Like, from day 1. It has a lot of good advice and will adapt it to our lifestyle and our little guy. I think it’s important to have a routine, and a consistent lifestyle. They say he has a better chance of sleeping through the night earlier than most babies, if you adapt this structure into his life. I’ll let you know how that works out.
Happiest Baby on the Block:
Very cool book and DVD! I realllly hope that these techniques work for my crying baby. The Dr. who established these techniques seems like a magician in the DVD. He introduces the concept of “The calming reflex” that all babies have. He believes that babies are born 3 months too early. But, they have to be born because they are too big to stay in any longer. Because they are so immature for the first three months, its important to imitate sounds and movements that they have felt in the womb for 9 months. It all really makes sense. But, is it too good to be true?
I also read a book called “Becoming Babywise” which says a lot of the same things that the two book above say.
Right now I am in the midst of reading a book called, “The Vaccine Book.” I have to admit, with all the hoopla surrounding vaccines and autism, it really makes me dig a little deeper into it all. We don’t have a stand right now, but we will make sure we are completely educated before we put any vaccines into our little guy. It kind of freaks me out.
How is John dealing with my pregnancy?
I’m not sure he could be dealing better. He is such an amazing husband, and will be an incredible dad. He constantly reminds me to slow down, and that I can’t do everything I could do before, now that I’m pregnant. He reminds me to eat well, makes me great meals and really supports me in every single way. I could not ask for more. It’s especially cute when he talks to Baby Asbaty. He talks to him as if he’s a real person. He forgets that he’s inside of me, and forgets that I’m even there. He talks to him about his day, about me, and about how it will be when he joins us. It might be the sweetest thing in the entire world. That is, until I see him with our son.
Am I registered anywhere and when is my shower?
My shower is being held at the restaurant right across the street from where I live. Convenient! I joke that after the shower I will say, “Thank you SO much for coming, now if you could just grab the gift you brought and bring it on over to his room, that would be awesome.” Of course I won’t say that, but it would be cool if my guests read this blog and agreed it was a super cool idea to do that.
I am registered at:
Babies R Us (www.babiesrus.com)
Giggle (www.giggle.com)
Any favorite registry items?
Yes! I absolutely LOVE the glider that we chose. Although a bit expensive, we can definitely get a lot of use out of this glider. It’s one of those chairs that in 7 years, people won’t say, “Hey, isn’t this the chair that you breastfed in?” It’s a great piece of furniture that will be used for a long time.
Introducing our Grano Glider Recliner:
Also, a great item that we have already purchased is our stroller. I was amazing at how overwhelming looking for a stroller would be! After careful consideration, we decided on the Uppababy Vista Stroller. I loved the bassinet feature. It’s a great city stroller. It’s lightweight, safe, and pretty much awesome.
Our Stroller: (Silver)
Our High Chair is pretty futuristic. Again, after a careful consideration, we’ve decided on the Bloom Loft Fresco. There are a few reasons why. 1. It’s a 3 in one high chair. It can be used from birth until toddler! 2. It’s a great piece of furniture. 4. It’s pretty dang cool. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s 3 chairs in one!
I want to send out a BIG THANK YOU to John’s amazing family. They held a shower in New Jersey (without us 
) I really tried to make it possible to be there, but when it came down to it, we just couldn’t get there. We appreciate his mother’s efforts more than we can ever say and because of his amazing family, we were able to buy the glider and stroller that were on our wish list. Thank You Asbaty Family!!
My feelings on giving birth:
The more research I do, the less scared I feel. The 2 birthing classes we are taking are helping me understand what exactly happens in your body when laboring starts. I’ve learned a lot of very important information during The Bradley Method classes. One piece of information that stands out is the idea of not getting to the hospital too early. A lot of women rush to the hospital when they feel labor pains start. If you do, and you are there early, and they don’t send you home- then you risk a lot of medical intervention. That is not what I want. So, with the help of our great doula, Mrs. Bond, we will be able to determine at what point is best to get to the hospital. I’ve learned that a lot of C-Sections happen in hospitals because the laboring doesn’t happen as quickly as the hospital staff would like.
The one thing that is discouraging is all the women who look at me like I’m crazy for wanting to do this naturally. Like I said, I don’t know what will happen that day, but we can all have our goals when it comes to birth. Whenever I tell anyone that I am really wanting a birth with no intervention, they look at me like I’m crazy and say, “oh, yeah.. I wanted that too.. you think you can do it, but when it comes down to it- you won’t. It’s just too much pain.” Rarely do women say, “That’s really great that you want that.. it will be hard, but it’s been done many times before so you can definitely do it.” I want to be that woman. I want to be the one who after birth says to other women.. “If you prepare yourself enough for what will be happening, then you can manage the pain. It’s not easy, but it’s possible. I know it because I did it.” If I can’t do it, and something happens that day to change my mind, I won’t be disappointed. I won’t feel like I failed. I’ll know I did everything possible. I’m not doing this to be a hero. I’m doing this to have a baby that is alert, aware, and ready for this world.
How’s my sleeping?
Not that great. I wake up a lot to go to the bathroom. I have to move around a lot to get comfortable. Some nights I sleep great– some nights I can’t sleep at all.
What am I wearing?
I still haven’t bought a maternity shirt. I buy normal shirts, that I don’t care if they stretch out- and they fit perfectly around my round belly. I do, however, still have to wear these awesome maternity jeans with the elastic waist band. I highly recommend them. To everyone. Perhaps around Thanksgiving time.
Food of choice:
Pretty much anything that John makes. We have been grilling a lot lately, which makes for some awesome meals. As I blog right now, he is making us Grilled Swordfish with a sauce that he’s making up as he goes. Sicilian inspired. Turned out to be: Marinated Grilled Swordfish with a sauce of spring onions, fresh tomatoes, capers, pistachios, and an arugula salad with lemon and olive oil.
For lunch today we had a grilled scallop salad with corn, spring onions, shaved cucumbers, avocado, tomato, basil, lime juice, olive oil, and arugula. It was awesome. So awesome- I took a photo
Baby Asbaty Nursery:
Since I posted my last blog I have been busy getting Baby Asbaty’s room together. I am soooo excited that his room will be pretty much complete tomorrow! I decided to ask the best graphic designer I know, Sherif Adel who resides in Egypt! (And, is a big bowler and bowling fan!) to do the wall art for his room. I really gave him no direction. I only told him I 1. Don’t want anything to “boyish” or “baby-ish” I wanted something modern, fun, but still have it look like a baby room. I didn’t give him any more than that. What he created was even better than I imagined he would. He nailed it. Here are a few glimpses of his amazing artwork that will be featured on two of the main walls in his room. More photos of his room to come. (When complete)
Design by: Sherif Adel —–WEBSITE: http://www.chubbystudio.com—- EMAIL: design@stonegrafx.com
Vinyl for the wall with Sherif’s awesome design printed by: http://www.wallmonkeys.com
You have to check them out! Such a cool concept.. great quality! Thanks to Jason Weisenthal for providing such a great, creative product!
Sherif’s Design:
Our sweet Crib and Changing table: Argington Sahara Crib and Sahara Changing Table
The next blog update? Quite possibly may be to introduce our little one! 6 More Weeks! Thanks for all your great thoughts, and support!
Until next time,
diandra and Baby Asbaty
BIG shout out to our awesome photographer, Jon Hamblin, who took all the photos in this blog and about 290 more shots. Check him out at www.jonhamblin.com
Baby Asbaty
May 25th
Many people have been asking me how I’m feeling and what I think about being pregnant. This blog post will be all about everything pregnancy. I never thought I would love being pregnant as much as I do.
From the beginning….
Ah yes.. Sicily. Vacation spot 2009. Also conception spot for the most important person in both John and my life. We joke with my parents that if they want any other grandchildren, then they better send us back to Sicily. We’re kidding. Kind of.
Finding out…
John and I didn’t find out until December 19, 2009. I had just arrived home from making Team USA for the 12th straight year. John and I were on our way out the door to our Hannukah Party at my grandma’s. I didn’t feel any different, so I was sure that I wasn’t pregnant. I even told John- I don’t think we even need to test for it because I don’t feel any different than I have been feeling. He insisted that we take the pregnancy test.
We walked in the bathroom together to look at this special stick. I kept looking at the test and saying, “No… really!?” John said, “There are definitely two lines there.” We were SOO excited. John claims he knew– he just had a feeling. We didn’t tell anyone that night, which was hard to do– but both felt the excitement of the beginning of this journey together.
Who we told and when . . .
My sister, Kassy, was the first to know. We called her immediately that day. She wanted to be the first to know, and I knew I could trust her to not tell anyone before we decided when it was time to.
We decided to surprise my parents on Christmas Eve with the news. We went out and bought “You’re invited to a birthday party” invitations and all I wrote on the invitation was, “August 2010.” I wanted to see who would be the first to figure it out. My dad was the first, surprisingly. He claims he had already written it on his calendar at work. He knew it would be August or September of 2010. I never knew he was psychic. My grandma and mom were so excited and probably were feeling a little bit of, “finally!!” John and I have been married for 7 years and together for 12. Ever since we got married, my parents have been wanting grandchildren close to them. I always said, “Who is going to take care of them when I’m bowling!?” Both of them assured me that they would help me continue to have the career that I want.
We told John’s parents during our visit for New Year’s. We gave them the same invitation- They weren’t getting it. Since my birthday is in August, they thought it was a birthday party for me. They finally got it when I said.. It’s a birthday party– 9 months from now.
One of the first things we did was . . .
Buy pregnancy books! I was so excited to find out what my body would be going through, and how this process all worked. I didn’t buy any pregnancy books until after I knew I was pregnant. I didn’t want to jinx it!
One of the first changes I felt was . . .
The inability to sleep early on. I think it was a combination of anxiety, since I hadn’t had an ultrasound to see that everything was going ok in there, and the fact that I was feeling more “bloated” than normal. It was a sort of “fullness” in my lower abdomen. I also had a weird metallic taste in my mouth the first month.
Favorite food during month 1 was . . .
Onions! I wanted onions in everything for some reason.
During my pregnancy, i’m really focused on . . .
Eating as healthy as I can. No caffeine, not a lot of sugar, less processed foods, more veggies and fruit.
I decided not to . . .
Exercise throughout the first trimester and even into the second. I started working out towards the end of my second trimester. I didn’t want to risk anything early on. And, I was SUPER tired the first trimester. All I wanted to do is nap!
I really didn’t believe I was pregnant until . . .
We heard the heartbeat for the first time on Feb. 9, 2010. This was an amazing doctor visit. Although I was feeling a bit different, I really didn’t truly believe another being was inside me until I heard their heartbeat. It made me feel so much better! My first question to my doctor was, “are you sure that’s not my heartbeat?”
During the second month . . .
I really didn’t want to eat anything. I lost weight during my first two doctor check ups. I couldn’t stand the smell of any food, and couldn’t stand the thought of meat. Which was weird because I loved ribs, steak, and chicken before I was pregnant. I heard that your appetite changes, but whoa! I felt bad when John came home to make something for dinner. I had to leave the room because of the smell. Nothing against his food, everything was just really strong to smell!
I was only nauseous for about 2 weeks over the New Year. Unfortunately it was the time we went to visit John’s parents in New Jersey. She cooks a lot, and I couldn’t be in the kitchen when she was even heating things up. All I wanted to do was nap– I felt bad that it came at the time we were visiting them. I know they understood, however.
I craved queso dip the second month. From On the Border.
During the third and fourth month . . .
I could still fit into all my clothes. I barely looked pregnant and if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t know. I’ve noticed that my hair is growing super fast, as are my nails from my prenatal vitamin, Prenate DHA. I am not nauseous anymore and all I want to eat is Mac and Cheese ! I get occasional headaches and get up a LOT more than I would normally get up to go to the bathroom at night. Still haven’t gained any weight. I am trying to eat but have no appetite! I did get a prenatal massage this month to ease my headaches. It was during this month, that I won my second professional title. You couldn’t tell on TV, but I was already 4 months pregnant with Baby Asbaty. I like to say that he won his first title in the womb. He’s my new lucky charm I like hearing the heartbeat through the dopplar, and I also like to record it on my iphone so I can listen to it whenever I want.
It was during this month that we got to see our baby for the first time. We got a very extensive ultrasound because we were hopeful that it would be the only one we would have to get. We went to the suburbs to visit Dr. Birnholtz. The first time I saw him on the screen was really emotional. It was the very first time I would ever see my baby. And, it was very apparent right away that it was a boy. It was just good to know what it was so I didn’t have to wonder EVERY SINGLE DAY. I don’t know how people wait 9 months to find out! I wanted to know for sure.. I’m a planner! Everything looked perfectly healthy from his heart, to his brain, and his body structure. When the doctor was checking out his brain I asked, “does he look smart?” When I came home, I wrote my son a letter about all the emotions I felt that day when I saw him for the first time. We got some great shots of him giving us the thumbs up, as if to say, “don’t worry about me in here, it’s alll good!”
Right after our doctors appointment we called our families to tell them the good news. I don’t think anyone was happier than my dad, who has been waiting for his boy since I was the disappointment 30 years ago. Then my sister had two girls… I feel like the least I could do is give him this boy
Then, John and I wanted to buy him his first gift. We went to William Sonoma and bought him the cutest, smallest, pepper grinder. John wanted to get him something that he would be able to use with him in the kitchen. This is the first gift that his dad picked out for him. We plan on getting it engraved with his name and birthdate on it. I then went to Baby Gap to buy him his very first jean jacket and pair of chuck taylors! It was really fun shopping for the baby that we finally found out was our BOY! 
During the 5th month . . .
I felt him move for the very first time! I was on my way home from a charity event that I did with Bo Burton in Connecticut! It felt like a little love tap. Not a really hard kick. It definitely felt different so I know it was him. John is sooo excited every time I tell him I can feel our baby. He couldn’t wait to feel for himself.
My 7 year old niece, Blaize decided she knows what we should name our baby. Out of the blue one day, she told Kassy, “Aunt Dee should name her baby Gary.” Gary!? Gary!? — not a name that you would think that a 7 year old would come up with. Turns out that “Gary” was spotted by Blaize at the bowling center earlier that week. He bowled 300. Apparently she wants us to name our baby after him. Very cute story. When I was bowling the PBA stops on Long Island and in Baltimore, all of my friends had fun referring to him as Gary. “How’s Gary feeling? What does Gary want to eat today? Better buckle Gary up in the car!” It was a cute story that gave him an immediate nickname.
We don’t have a name yet and when we do, we will keep that as the one secret that everyone has to wait until his birthday to find out! Turns out Blaize thought of another name for “Gary.” She said to Kassy not too long ago, “Buzz Lightyear was the first man to walk on the moon. Aunt dee dee should name her baby Buzz Asbaty.” So, apparently now it’s Gary Buzz Asbaty. Very cute!!
This month I signed up for our birthing classes starting in June. The Bradley Method focusing on going the natural route.. at least as long as you can. We will have a doula with us, who will help us deliver him at the hospital. One of my best friends, Nikki, her mom is a doula and is excited to help us out!
John continues to play guitar for our little guy and sings him songs nightly. He always talks to him. My only craving this month was Mac and Cheese still. At least I’m getting my appetite back!
Decided that I wouldn’t be able to travel to Japan at the end of May, per my doctor’s instructions. She was most nervous about me going into labor over the ocean without the ability to stop for help. Understandable. Disappointing, but understandable. Fortunately, Koji from Japan has also invited me for next year’s tournament. I love Tokyo!
I didn’t really start showing showing until week 20. It was that week I looked down and though, Oh.. there he is! I had to buy maternity pants finally. They are comfortable and waaay cooler than John or I thought they would be!
Got a very special gift from John’s coworker, Danielle. She handmade onesies (dyed them and all!) and put designs on the front of them. My favorites are: “My mom can outbowl your mom.” And, the other one has a patch of the outline of Sicily and it says, “Made in Sicily.” So cute and made me teary eyed when I opened them! 
During Month 6 . . . .
I can’t believe it’s going so fast! I got his closet done in his room.. we probably won’t work on his room until into July. His closet looks so cute with all the gifts he has already received! When I look in the closet it all feels more real. I decided to begin my workouts up again with my trainer, Linda. I feel strong enough to, and am not sleepy all the time like I was. She is kicking my butt and definitely not treating me like I’m pregnant!
I had some pain in my lower pelvis area from all my muscles and ligaments stretching out. Although I hoped to bowl the Queens and US Open, I was barely able to get through the national tournament in El Paso. It’s my son telling me “Mom, please slow down now.” So, I will listen to him. It’s time for a little bit of a break.. from competing at least. I will ease into practicing when my muscles are feeling better. I will be ready to come back as soon as I can!
I tried getting acupuncture to ease the pain, but it didn’t help. I just need to rest it and take care of my little boy now. He’s the most important thing! Definitely not sleeping too great these days. I’m not used to getting up so often to go to the bathroom!
As I write this, I am officially 27 weeks! I can’t believe I only have 13 more weeks to go before I can meet my little guy. So excited! I am approaching my third trimester which I hear bring fatigue back. I hope to keep my energy. I’ve been staying active, by working out 3-4 times a week, doing prenatal yoga and I even did a charity walk this weekend! I won’t stop moving because I want to be in good shape for my little guy!
Everything is happening so fast! Tomorrow I will have my last blood test.. and it’s the biggest one. The glucose test. I have to fast for 12 hours (eck) After the blood test we will begin our registry at Babies R Us. Excited to see what I need for this little person. We will also register at this very cool baby story in Chicago called Giggle. www.giggle.com
Thanks for following my pregnancy progress! I can tell you something- I really love being pregnant and seeing my body change every day. Also one thing I’ve noticed– People are WAY nicer to pregnant women.
A special Mother’s Day. . .
May 24th
This Mother’s Day marks the very last Mother’s Day that I won’t be an “official” mother. Although, I do already feel like a mom since I am carrying my baby around with me everywhere, and taking care of him the best I can. The Mother’s Day was a time to reflect back on what my mom is to me, and how she has helped shaped my character. I couldn’t help but reflect back because I am always thinking about the kind of mother that I want to be. The answer is easy- I want to be the kind of mother my mom was to me. She has always been generous, giving everything she could. She has always been understanding, maybe not always approving of my decisions, but supporting them. She has always given me guidance, when I didn’t know which way to go or where to turn to. I feel lucky to have the mom I have had, and I can only hope that I am half the mother that she was to me.
I took a trip out to Dyer, IN to visit my mom and grandma this Mother’s Day. I took them to lunch and came back to my mom’s house to spend a little more time with them. Of course they had gifts for me, even though I’m not an official mom. But most of them were for Baby Asbaty. Always so generous! One of my favorite gifts of the day were lullaby CD that my mom gave me. They are Michael Jackson, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Queen lullabies. No singing, all music. Very soothing! Check them out at http://www.rockabyebabymusic.com
My gift for my mom was symbolic. I decided to give her a tree to be planted in her backyard that would symbolize the life of my son. When my sister and I were born, my parents planted tress that represented us. Now it was time to plant another tree, to represent this great new beginning. She loved the idea of planting this tree for Baby Asbaty!
When I got home, I received the prettiest wild flowers from John. Sunflowers, mixed with other colorful flowers was such a sweet gesture. When he gave them to me he said, “Thanks for carrying our baby.” Aww.
That night we went to see an incredible movie called “Babies.” If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it! It’s about four babies that grow up in four completely different ends of the world. No dialogue. No narration. All just the babies. The four locations of the babies documented from birth to one year, is Mongolia, Africa, Tokyo, and San Francisco. The most amazing part of the movie is when you realize that the baby from the middle of Africa, who has no toys, no clothes, and runs around on rocks and dirt- is just as happy as the baby from San Francisco, who has it all. We are so protective of our babies and this movie makes you realize that they are tough, and will be ok. The family from Africa taught me that. Go see this movie!
