Penelope Gabbriella

So its been a long time since I have updated my blog, but I do plan on keeping it current. I will upload some pictures over the next few days.

..........The story of Penelope in Greek Mythology

Since today is Penelope's birthday here is her story in Greek Mythology, it gives a little meaning to her name, the story is a little hard to follow but very romantic. Hopefully our Penelope will pick up some of these great qualities, she knew what she wanted and wasn't going to settle for anything less.....


Penelope is the wife of the main character, the king of Ithaca, Odysseus (Ulysses in Roman mythology), and daughter of Icarius and his wife Periboea. She only has one son by Odysseus, Telemachus, who was born just before Odysseus was called to fight in the Trojan War. She waits twenty years for the final return of her husband,during which she has a hard time snubbing marriage proposals from 108 odious suitors (including Agelaus, Amphinomus, Ctessippus, Demoptolemus, Elatus, Euryades, Eurymachus and Peisandros, led by Antinous).

On Odysseus's return, disguised as an old beggar, he finds that Penelope has remained faithful. She has devised tricks to delay her suitors, One of her arts of delay was engaging in the preparation of a robe for the funeral canopy of Laertes, her husband's father. She pledged herself to make her choice among the suitors when the robe was finished. Every night for three years, she undoes part of the shroud, until some unfaithful maidens discover her chicanery and reveal it to the suitors.
This is the famous Penelope's web, which is used as
a proverbial expression for anything which is perpetually doing
but never done.


Because of her efforts to put off remarriage, Penelope is often seen as a symbol of connubial fidelity. Although we are reminded several times of her fidelity, Penelope does begin to become restless (due in part to Athena's meddling):
As so often, it is Athena who takes the initiative in giving the story a new direction . . . Usually the motives of mortal and god coincide, here they do not: Athena wants Penelope to fan the Suitor's desire for her and (thereby) make her more esteemed by her husband and son; Penelpoe has no real motive . . . she simply feels an unprecedented impulse to meet the men she so loathes . . . adding that she might take this opportunity to talk to Telemachus (which she will indeed do).

She is ambivalent, variously calling out for Artemis to kill her and, apparently, considering marrying one of the suitors. When the disguised Odysseus returns, she announces in her long interview with the disguised hero that whoever can string Odysseus's rigid bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe shafts may have her hand. "For the plot of the Odyssey, of course, her decision is the turning point, the move that makes possible the long-predicted triumph of the returning hero".
There is debate as to whether she is aware that Odysseus is behind the disguise. To Penelope and the suitors' knowledge, Odysseus (were he in fact present) would easily surpass all in any test of masculine skill. Since Odysseus seems to be the only person (perhaps excepting Telemachus) who can actually use the bow, it could merely have been another delaying tactic of Penelope's.
When the contest of the bow begins, none of the suitors is able to string the bow, but Odysseus does, and wins the contest. Having done so, he proceeds to slaughter the suitors- Antinous first who he finds drinking from Odysseus' cup - with help from Telemachus, Athena and two servants, Eumaeus the swineherd and Philoetius the cowherd. Odysseus has now revealed himself in all his glory, (with a little makeover by Athena) and it is standard (in terms of a recognition scene) for all to recognize him and be happy. Penelope, however, cannot believe that her husband has really returned—she fears that it is perhaps some god in disguise as Odysseus, as was the case in the story of Alcmene—and tests him by ordering her servant Euryclea to move the bed in their wedding-chamber. Odysseus protests that this cannot be done since he made the bed himself and knows that one of its legs is a living olive tree. Penelope finally accepts that he truly is her husband, a moment that highlights their homophrosyne (like-mindedness).

Hands off he knees...Please!

So we started our birthing classes last night, and for some reason I think it might finally be real for Anthony! We are taking them at the new Wellness Center at Howard County Hospital which is very nice, it was us and six other couples. As expected we are youngest couple in the class, most of the couples looked to be at least 20 years older than both of us! Our instructor is pretty weird which made it fun for Anthony, she is an older woman who walked around the entire class with her hot pink shirt tucked neatly into her big white underwear! She showed us a few different techniques to help with breathing and pain. She also gave us some exercises that we can do at home together to help prepare for Penelope's birth and surprisingly it seemed as though Anthony was enjoying the fact that he actually had a part in the process, or some responsibility I should say. I could hardly contain my laughter when she had the men and women doing kegel exercises, and was actually going around to check to make sure everyone had a tight butt!She gave us a few homework assignments which included Anthony measuring bottle caps in centimeters to help him have a better understanding of the dilation process, which his face was priceless when she showed the actual chart of what 1 centimeter looks like and went all the way up to 10 centimeters! All in all it was a lot of fun especially when Anthony payed me back for my nasty attitude at dinner...my knees are very sensitive, if anyone touches them I just about loose it and freak out and come very close to wetting my pants...well one of our exercises includes your partner placing his hands on your knees, while you are sitting in a chair and pushing back on your knees. Anthony found it so funny that I was freaking out he decided to tell the instructor that he didn't think he was doing it right, so that she would come over and do it, which of course results with me freaking out and jumping every time she goes to place her hands on my knees. Anthony and the rest of class are just dying laughing! I had to tell her what was going on so she would stop before I wet my pants right on the brand new chairs!

I'm looking forward to paying Anthony back next week when we get to watch the birthing video...and I'll make sure he has a full stomach!

Sooner than we thought...

I was so busy over the weekend I forgot to update everyone about my doctors appointment on Friday, I was scheduled for my regular 31 week check up and as soon as the doctor walked in the room she says "oh you look like your ready to pop, how many weeks are you?" I replied with "31 weeks and 1 day" she then asks if I'm sure, I'm going off what my emails tell me and the due date you guys gave me, and she reminds me that the due date they gave me is based off the dates I gave them.....I've never been one to keep track of those things so I very well could have been wrong...So she took the measurements of my uterus and said she is sure my dates are off, and she needs to do another ultrasound to take Penelope's measurements to see when a more realistic due date is.

Now I'm completely fine with my Tiny Dancer coming sooner, because honestly before God I do not feel like I will be alive in nine weeks, I'm just not going to make it, not at this rate! I was scared at first because we had nothing but a pile of books and stuffed animals from her Ya Ya and Gag (her grandmas), so poor little Nelly would be naked but well educated. We haven't even started our birthing classes yet, so we would not know what to do! So we are scheduled for our ultrasound on the 10th of August, they wanted me to stay that day but I had to many things to do and I would have been there all day. I have also been having so many braxton hicks, two weeks ago we almost went to the hospital because they kept getting worse and closer together, after about two hours and a hot bath they were not as sharp anymore and after laying down for a bit they went away, and ever since then they have been more frequent but never more than 3 an hour. So the doctor said to call if I have five in one hour.

We had our baby shower this weekend and had so much fun!! Penelope got lots of great things and now if she comes early we will be ready! We finished painting the nursery and just have to get it all set up, right now her room is just full of gifts, I have still have to go through everything and see what sizes we have and what things she still needs right away but every time I sit down to do it I get side tracked because it's all so cute, then I get tired and end up in bed! Penelope and I are usually in bed these days by 6:00pm and sleep by 7:00!

Pay me back double....

I'm almost finished! I can still remember when 30 weeks seemed so far away, when all I wanted was to make it to 12 weeks to hear her tiny heart beating, tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought about her tiny heart, I have life in me and it's my sole responsibility to protect and care for her. There is nothing that Anthony can do or my Mom can do, sure they can help by making sure I eat all the right things and keeping me away from a Mike Hard Lemonade at family cookouts, but ultimately this little heart depends on me. My mind quickly went from the first time I would feel her heart beat to thinking what if this tiny heart gets broken, what if some boy hurts her little feelings or doesn't return her call. "Penelope is never dating" I quickly thought, I will always remember the first time I heard her little heart beating.

After that day all I wanted was to make it to 20 weeks so that I could see her again and find out if it was a boy or girl, even though I knew from the beginning it was my little Penelope, I wanted to be sure. I still remember when she came on the screen and had her legs open wide...showing us she was a girl. My mind quickly raced, I have to teach her how to be a woman, would I be able to have those mother daughter talks my mom was so famous for with her, was I even a good example of woman for her and all I continued to think about was "what if I fail?" or "what if she turns out like me?".

10 weeks later I got see her face for the first time at our 3d/4d ultrasound. It was amazing, she took my breath away. I had this overwhelming feeling of pride, knowing that I got her to this point. She is healthy and looked rather happy as she smiled and played with her umbilical cord, even though when we started she had her middle finger up! We got to watch her for about 30 minutes and it was the best 30 minutes of my life. They pointed out all her little features and showed us how much hair she has, which was comforting because I haven't had any heartburn which everyone says is a sign of lots hair...we were a bit worried she was going to be bald. That would be weird considering Anthony and I both have plenty of curly hair to share! It was an awesome experience and I'm glad my family was able to be in the room and watch with us.

We still have lots to do to get ready for her to make her grand entrance, and I feel a little stressed because it seems like no matter how much we do we will never be ready. I finally scheduled our tour of the hospital for August 12Th and we start our Birthing class on August 3rd. I think that will help Anthony a lot because he is having a hard time grasping this entire pregnancy thing, he doesn't understand the why I'm tired, or why my appetite is like that of a teenage boy, or why I need to take a break in the middle of the grocery store and sit down in the middle of the frozen food section! He has even asked if I should be drinking baby formula or breast milk so the baby can get all the vitamins, and how he wishes he could send Penelope a toy to play with because he didn't want her to get bored playing with the cord! I asked how he thought we would get this toy to her....he just looked at me and I just laughed! He doesn't do well with blood or even band aids...so I'm worried we might have to knock him out in the delivery room!

30 weeks later and all I want is a chance to meet her, a chance to hold my entire world in my arms, to look my universe in her eyes and see every dream I've ever had come true.

All the back pain and lack of sleep doesn't even matter, I would gladly go back to week 8 when I couldn't keep any food down, when I sat crying in the bathroom at work, pleading with my baby to stop being so mean...trying to figure out what I did that could have been so horrible that I'm being payed back for...I would ask to be payed back double.

And.....

And she will be loved…….

We are so excited to announce that we are having a little girl!
Thank God, because Daddy and I can’t agree on any boy names.
I was so nervous I could hardly sleep last night, I was so excited.
The ultrasound was pretty long taking all the measurements, but as soon as we started she had her legs open wide with her feet by her head showing her little butt and letting us a know exactly what she was, so we would be sure to buy her lots of nice things! It’s was difficult to get all of the measurements with her curled up in ball, they kept shaking my belly to try to get her to move but she wasn’t having it! I apologized for the first time of many I’m sure for my little one not cooperating. After about twenty minutes she finally put her legs down, but only long enough to get what we needed and then we watched her grab her feet and put them back up to her head.
I will be twenty weeks tomorrow, and can’t believe that I am half way finished!