It's a boy!

As some of you may have already heard, we just recently found out that our first child is a boy.  We are both very excited (not that we wouldn't have been excited about a girl) but it's just so much more real to know the gender.  Just during the past few days I have really been able to feel a lot more connected to the baby, just by knowing that it's a little boy in there.

We have also recently decided to come back to the United States for the birth.  After seeking lots of advice and really praying through all of the options, we both really feel like this is what's best for our family.  Obviously, our parents are ecstatic to have us coming back for a few months.  For us, this decision is a little more bittersweet.  Just when we were hoping to be settling into a routine here in Salerno, we will be leaving.  Of course there are many pros to coming back to the US for us too.  It will be a huge blessing to be surrounded by family and friends as we welcome our first child.  It is also a comfort to me to know that I'll be able to stock up on tons of American baby products before we leave and have to rely on the adventure that Italian products can be.  

Lots of people have been asking me how it's been to be pregnant and living in Italy.  

Overall, it's been great.  The slower pace of life here gives me the complete freedom to nap in the afternoon if I need to (all the stores are closed then anyway).  Several times people have given my their seats on the bus.  I'm definitely getting plenty of exercise as so much of daily living here involves walking to the grocery store, walking to the bus stop, walking to our friends' apartments, walking, walking, walking.  I joke that with all of the walking that I have done, that I better have the easiest delivery ever.  (I know, there are no guarantees, but it's a nice thought, right?)

One of the challenges have been that I feel like people are staring at me all the time.  Culturally, there doesn't seem to be a stigma attached to staring (no one tries to pretend that they are not really staring if they are) and so as some of the few Americans in Salerno, it's not uncommon for any of us to get some strange looks.  However, when you couple that with getting used to the fact that I'm much bigger now than I'm used to be, it's been a little challenging.  It's much better now that, at least in my mind, I clearly look pregnant.  But there was a phase when I was convinced that I didn't look pregnant but just fat, my clothes stopped fitting right and I just felt awkward all the time.

The other biggest challenge has been my seemingly unquenchable hunger.  Some days I literally feel like I could eat constantly.  Within an hour of finishing a meal, I'm ready for a snack!  I was joking with Rodney the other day that I can eat groceries as fast as we can buy them.  It's a little harder to buy food in bulk when you have to carry it back without a car.  The other challenge in this area is that so many things are closed in the afternoon and then dinner restaurants don't open until 8pm.  Needlessly to say, if we're out and about and I've failed to bring some snacks in my purse, Rodney can have an unhappy, very hungry pregnant lady on his hands.