Hi, everybody!

My name is Elka and I am from Durres (the biggest city port in Albania). I am pregnant with my first one. Finally, I decided to write something here.

I got married to my wonderful husband on 27 August 2005 after 6 years of dating. Yes, long time... Anyway, we started ttc just a year after we got married. We weren't longing to become pregnant but just allowing God to have his timing. But I was anxious every month waiting if I was pregnant or not. So, after 7 months of trying, the month I didn't really expect to be pregnant, there I was. My last period was on 21 Febbruary and on March I was late 1 day, 2 days (which was not normal for me, because I had a very regular period). Than I waited for 5 days and I kind of new that I was pregnant. Finally, the 7-th day I decided to take a home pregnancy test. I never said a word to my husband about my period being late, only my best girlfriend knew about it. So, I did. I took the test early in the morning while my hubby was sleeping and it turned out to be positive. I was shaking. I was really pregnant! I didn't say anything to my husband that morning but I made sure that we would go for a walk that afternoon, just the two of us. All that day my mind was flying away. I couldn't believe that I was having a baby. I was happy and scared at the same time. In the afternoon me and hubby went out for a drink. We sat at this restaurant and I told him that I wanted to give him a gift. He was surprised. I had the test in my hand and I showed it to him. He didn't know what it was. Then he said: Is it a pregnancy test? I confirmed that! He was shocked. He couldn't believe that. He hugged me excited and he said that he was really scared thinking that he was going to be a daddy and having such a responsibility. But, anyway, he couldn't wait to tell everyone. So, right away we went and told our best friends about this. They were really excited!

So, this was basically how I knew I was pregnant.

This is me and my husband when we were in Italy for holydays on December 2006.

30 March 2007

We went at the doctor today and had a scan to confirm my pregnancy. He said that I was 4 weeks and 6 days pregnant. I got to see the sac were my baby was. It was so strange and beautiful. So, the doctor said to go again after a month or so to have some tests done. I told my family and my in-laws, too. They were over the moon! I have had food adversion but no vomiting, Praise God. I just can't stand the smell of onions, meat, salami, peas and spices. Well, it seems that I am always hungry but I can not eat. And I've been feeling bloated, too and my tummy is so itchy.

We are still in Italy here. This was called the castle of Romeo in Verona.

4 May 2007

I did some tests today: blood, urine, liver. They turned out to be good exept the fact that I have a little anemia. Now I have to go back to the doctor to see what he is going to say and to have another scan. :) I will see my baby again! I don't know why but I've always had the feeling that my first child was going to be a boy. I am not used to baby boys because I've always been around baby girls. My big brother has 2 daughters and my other brother 1 daughter and 1 son (but he lives in Italy). So, boys are a little strange for me. My hubby kind of wants a daughter, too, I think, even though we don't really have any preferences. It will be just great whatever God brings to us! Is going to be a big blessing!!!

Here we are celebrating the New Year in a restaurant.

10 May 2007

I called the doctor to leave an appointment with him today and he told me he was going to be at the hospital in the afternoon, 6 p.m exacty. So, after coming back from work at 5 p.m, I drank as much water as I could and ran with my husband and my best friend to the hospital. Guess what??? The doctor wasn't there! He had left and he didn't answer on his cell neither. I got really angry because he wasn't there and I had all this water in my bladder that I couldn't walk or laugh. I went straight at the bathroom and it is so wonderful to be released! :) Well, I'll have to go to the doctor on Saturday morning.

These are my 2 first nieces whom I love deeply.

12 May 2007

I finally went to the doctor today. He was there! Actually, he was just leaving. My hubby didn't go with me because he had to take his mom to another city (Tirana). But my brother's wife and my 8 years old niece came with me. The doctor prescribed me some iron and told me to eat a lot of oranges and lemons. I have to take a lot of vitamin C. So, I had the u/s done. It was amazing! I finally got to see my baby for the first time. It had a shape. I could see the head and the body. It was my baby in there. And I saw the baby moving inside of me. It was wonderful!!! No words to describe! My hubby lost an amazing show today. That is sad! Anyway he will get to see it again next month. The strange thing was that the doctor said that it seemed to him that it was a boy. I was only 11 weeks and 4 days and he got to see the sex??? Well, I don't konw. I will wait for the next u/s to be more sure. Ah, another thing. I don't have to drink all that water now in order to do the u/s. What a relief! I didn't know that. That's great! When my husband came home I showed him the picture of our baby and he said to me that it was such an emotion to see the baby forming that way. I told him about being a boy and he was surprised. I think he wanted a girl. Anyway, we aren't sure about the gender yet. We will have to wait and see. I haven't felt the baby move yet, but I think it's too early.

18 May 2007

Today I am filling good except some heartburn. I've always had it even when I was not pregnant. Now it's worse. Even carrots cause me that. In general I am feeling well. It's raining a lot here today and I don't like rain at all. Well, that's the way it is! God knows! Till next time Mirupafshim (Goodbye in Albanian).

31 May 2007

Hello, everybody! Today I am 14 weeks pregnant and excited to be in my 2nd trimester. I have been doing great. I haven't had to much of heartburn Praise God! I think I felt my baby moving yesterday. I don't know if it was the baby or not but it felt like it was. We'll see the next weeks to come. My next doctor appointment is in 2 weeks or so. I hope you're all doing OK!

16 June 2007

So, today was the big day. I went to the doctor's appointment today. My husband and my best friend came with me. I had the u/s done but the doctor couldn't see the sex of the baby because he would not cooperate and he was in a wrong position. The doctor said that I was carrying the baby very low and that he was upside down (I guess!). He told me to be careful, not to go for long walks, not to carry heavy stuff, even to be careful with sex. Well, I guess he knows better. The doctor said that the baby would move and be in the right position. Well, let's hope so! I got the see the baby's heart beating and then listen to the heart beat. It was amazing! It was so fast, 140 bpm! Almost twice as mine! I could see his bones and his legs moving and kicking, eventhough I could not feel him kick. :( Well, I guess he's a quite baby. My hubby was amazed at the baby, the way he kicked and the haart beat. The doctor didn't print me a picture of the baby. He said next time, in a month and a half! To bad!!! Anyway! At least the baby was doing OK. He was measuring 17 weeks and 2 days in stead of 16 weeks and 3 days. So, a week ahead. Does that mean that my baby is big? I had gained 2 kg in one month, so now I weight 55 kg (first time in my life!). The doctor told me this was good. I didn't have to gain more. My next doctor appointment is in the end of July. I can't wait until then. It seems like eternity. I don't even feel that I am pregnant because my tummy is still small. All the people keep saying me that I don't even look that I am pregnant. Oh, well, I will show when the time is right! So far so good, Praise the Lord! God will always bless this baby!

25 June 2007

Today I am 17 weeks 5 days (according to my calculations, not the doctor's). Anyway. Today I wore my first pregnancy blouse. It was so cute. It was a gift for me from my husband's brother and his wife. I love it. It just makes me look like I have a bigger bump. Everybody at my work place was wondering how my tummy grew in 2 days. :) All the other people there, the customers kept asking for my baby. Now they noticed that I was pregnant. Anyway, I feel good in it. I have to buy some more stuff though because I'm having troubles with my clothes... Oh, well! My brother-in-law and his wife came for vacations, because they live in Italy, and brought some gifts for us. For the baby the brought a basket full of cute things: lotions, soaps, powder, shampoos, little shoes, feeding stuff ect. I just loved it. It was so nice of them.

26 June 2007

Tomorrow I will be 18 weeks. Uau!!! Time does fly! I has been so hot here. You could not breathe! Praise God I work in an air conditioned place. Today I really felt my baby move. It was amazing! I thought I felt the baby even before but wasn't sure. Today I am sure I felt him move. I was having lunch at my moms when I felt the baby moving on my left side. It was wonderful and so reassuring. I just can't wait to feel it again and get my husband feel it, too! These are somethings men will never have the possibility to experience themself... Sorry for them...

58 % chance of having a boy

1 July 2007

Hello! I have been feeling the baby more and more. It's so exciting! Yesterday my husband got to feel the baby move, too. He was so amazed. Now I think the baby is not only swiming inside of me but kicking as well. It's a strange feeling. I have another human being inside of me. That is so awesome! God has creating everything in such a perfect way! He surely is great!

These days I my hormones have gone crazy. I would argue for the smallest things with my husband (eventhough I think I am right :) in everything). Anyways. Oh, I forgot to tell you that I had a skin rash the last 3 or 4 days. It was only in my belly and a couple on my thighs. It was so itchy and I didn't know what I had. Now it has almost gone and I think it was from the cream against strech marks that I used because they showed up the day after I used the cream. I went to the doctor and she said me that it was like an allergie or reaction from some food. Food never caused me anything in my life, but who knows. The doctor was not very competent neither. So, Praise God now the rash is leaving and I am free from it!

This week 2 of my friend gave birth to baby girls. So exciting. They are done with pregnancy and now they have their babies to care for. It's wonderful. I can't wait for my baby to come. I got long way to go... Patience is a virtue, isn't it?

30 July 2007

Hi. It has been a long time (1 month) since I've updated. Nothing new during all this time. Pregnancy is going well.

Today I had my doctor's appointment. My husband and his little sister came with me. I had an u/s done. It is amazing how big the baby is now. Now the baby can not fit the u/s picture, you can see just parts of the baby in one picture. The doctor said that the baby is still very low and that shouldn't be there, but it's not a big deal. In fact I only feel the baby kick very down, not in all my belly. I just need to rest more, put my feet up and not lift weights. The doctor told me to sleep with a pillow (or something else) under my legs so they can be higher and make the baby not stay that low. The other thing the doctor said is that the baby is still up side down. I really hope the baby moves during these last months. The doctor said a strange thing, too. He said that the baby has tummy ache. How could he recognize this??? Could this be true??? I don't know. I hope he was joking, but he didn't look like. Anyway. You know what else the doctor said? That he could see the sex of the baby. He asked my sister in law what she wanted me to have and she said that she wanted a girl. And he said: Well, we'll have to please you for this time. So, it is a GIRL!!! That was pretty shocking because all this time we thought it was a boy (the doctor thought so when I was 11 weeks pregnant). Stupid doctor! Both ways we are very happy. Actually, girl was what we really wanted to be, even though we didn't mind. My hubby was shocked too. He was used to the idea of having a boy and now... he's having a little daddy's girl. He loves little girls. I really hope the doctor is right this time... We had a picture of her had and her little thing that shows it is a girl. We saw her move inside me and her arms playing with her face. It was so beautiful. We got to hear the heart beat and see the heart pumping. So, in generally everything was OK. My little girl was measuring 23 weeks 4 days, so 1 weeks ahead. I'm actually 22 weeks 4 days since the first day of my last menstrual period. So, my new due date is 22 of November (3 days after my birthday) instead of the 28 of November. We'll see what happnes till then. I really hope she comes earlier.

The doctor said that I have to do some test, urine and for the spotting (I don't know how you call it). I will go next monday. I had gained another 2 kg from my last visit, which brings me to a total of 57 kg. Scary! I have never been this big. Well, people say I don't even look that I'm closely 6 months pregnant. Good thing!

We haven't come up with a name yet. All this time we were thinking of boys names and now we have to start it all over again. I hope we come up with a name soon. My husband likes some, but I don't. We haven't come to a compromise yet. There is some time left though.

The baby is kicking a lot now and is very funny and scary that there is something inside of you moving, breathing and living. Now I can see my belly move from her kicks. It's so funny. My hubby saw that one day too. He was so amazed. Praise God she is doing well and everything is going smoothly. God Is Good!

31 July 2007

Today we went at our friend who had her little daughter just a month ago. The baby was so small and so cute. Looking at the baby, how small it was made me freak out. I was wondering whether I would be able to take care of my daughter when she is born. I am scared! I don't know why. I guess I'm still not used to the idea that I'm going to be a mommy. I pray God will help me go through it and be the best mom for my little girl. I know that without the Lord I'm not going to make it. I thank God He is always by my side.

16 August 2007

I'm 25 weeks pregnant today (or 26 according to the doctor). Everything has been going fine. I had a cold last week. My chest was hurting. I didn't get any medicine though because I know that I can go through a cold with no difficulties. And I did. In 3 days everything got better. Sickness doesn't really like me :). Now I'm feeling way better, except yesterday. I had heartburn all day long and I've been very tired also. But today I'm feeling better. My mouth has a metalic taste which I hate. I just want to have something to chew all day long because of it. So, that's pretty much it. Today a friend of ours is getting married and we are invited at her wedding party. I'm excited eventhough I don't have the best body. I'm proud of it though.