Christmas

What a fun Christmas weekend. It involved lots of family time (both mine and Nick's family), opening of many presents (some we asked for, some were a surprise), and lots of happiness. I love Christmas! I can't wait to bring up our baby girl into our family. She will be loved and adored by all.

29 week update

Christmas is almost here! Only 4 more days! Rachel and the kids are in town. My, how they grow! When I was little, I used to roll my eyes when family members would always tell me how much I've grown. Now I know what they are talking about! Today, my mom, Rachel, Izzie, Lexi, and I are going to the Nutcracker. It is a gret Christmas tradition to really get me uber excited for the holiday (like I need more reasons to be excited). Also exciting- I am 29 weeks along! Approximately 11 more weeks!
How far along? 29 weeks
Total Weight gain/loss? So embarrassing. If it wasn't for the fact that I am growing a (hopefully)healthy baby, I would be bummed for the 30 pound weight gain so far. Waaaaaaah!! My goal is to be one of the moms that takes full advantage of nursing and losing the weight rapidly.
Maternity Clothes? My work maternity clothes were cheaper than normal, so that explains why they are starting to lose their form. Oh well. I only have to make them last for 11 more weeks.
Stretch Marks? Just out of sight from anyone to see, and not too bad.
Sleep? I will never get it again, but I would love a full night of uninterrupted sleep.
Best moment this week? Rachel and family coming to town! I am glad she will be here until after New Years.
Movement? All the time... except when I am trying to have other people feel her move.. then she ends up staying still. It's almost like she is shy alreay.
Food cravings? Things I'm not supposed to eat: cheese, sour cream, etc.
Anything making you queasy/sick? The smell of boiled or steamed vegetables (like brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, etc).
Belly button in or out? Almost flat.
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy Happy Happy!
Looking forward to: Christmas!

29 week photo

Here is a wonderful bathroom photo of me at 29 weeks. I feel like baby "Z" is big enough to come out, but I know she still has at least 9-10 weeks left to go.

Temporary bed rest

Lower pelvic pain is normal for pregnant women. Your body has to do some stretching in order to accomodate the growing baby. When I went into my doctor's appointment on 12/15, I found out that my all-day pain was not normal. The doctor instantly put me on temporary bed rest until test results came back to ensure nothing was wrong. Luckily, the test results came back fine, but the doctor did say that I needed to take things easy. I guess I am always on the go and I need to slow down. Working from home on Friday did help with the pain. Taking it easy the rest of the weekend by sitting down a lot and baking cookies with my neighbor has made it so I feel much better for the last work week of the year.

28 week update

Hello all! It has been 28 weeks of being pregnant and I have officially started my 3rd trimester. My pregnancy has been fairly easy without any major issues. As I am getting bigger, I'm starting to feel like these last 12 weeks are going to be quite a challenge. We still have yet to set up the crib and other baby stuff, but it is on the to-do list during the holidays. We have been going to labor prep classes. I know what to do during labor, but I am still quite frightened of the actual birthing. :( Now for my update
How far along? 28 weeks
Total Weight gain/loss? I will know today at 2.
Maternity Clothes? It looks like I will have to start wearing some balloon shirts!
Stretch Marks? Still good on that!
Sleep? Sleep has been scarce and interrupted. She is active all night long.
Best moment this week? totally completed holiday shopping. I love seeing all the Christmas lights everywhere and I am officially listening to Christmas music 24/7!
Movement? All the time! It's pretty cool but it makes it uncomfortable to sit or stand for too long.
Food cravings? Loving oatmeal frosted dippers from Trader Joe's.
Anything making you queasy/sick? The smell of boiled or steamed vegetables (like brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, etc). It reminds me of cafeteria vegetables in elementary school. Yuck!
Belly button in or out? Almost flat.
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy except when I'm driving, then I turn into a monster!
Looking forward to: The hospital tour today then making Christmas goodies with my neighbor! Tis the season!

Haircut

I went to the hair school in San Mateo to get a haircut. For $5, I got a bob haircut. It is a bit shorter than I preferred, but the great thing about hair, is it GROWS! I hope it will be the perfect length by the time baby comes.

We have a gymnast

This weekend was enjoyable. I woke up on Saturday morning and decided I wanted to weed and clear the garden of all pine tree needles. I never want to garden, but something that day just made me think about it when I woke up. It took me 3+ hours and 3 large black bags to clean all the damage from the wind storms we had last week. Although I had back pain, I was quite proud of the job I did.
At night, it has been really cool to lay down and watch my stomach do a bunch of weird movements. Baby "Z"s movements are no long slight kicks and punches, but rather rolling around and moving her knee or elbow across the circumference of my belly. This can also be named "shark fin". It is pretty cool but really weird. I analyzed my feelings on being pregnant this weekend... It has not been a hard pregnancy thus far and I am really looking forward to being the mother of baby "Z", but I really don't care for pregnancy. It's a whole lot of "don't"s... "Don't eat deli meat", "don't lie on your back", "don't eat too much but still eat more", "don't lift heavy things", etc. I am looking forward to not being pregnant so I won't have to be scared of doing things. I hate restrictions! :(

27 weeks

The last week of my second trimester. How time flies! I feel like there is so much to get done, but I need to remind myself to take it easy!
How far along? 27 weeks
Total Weight gain/loss? It's not like I'm avoiding the scales, it's just I'm not actively seeking out where I can find one. I will know my weight when I go to the doctor's next week. I am pretty scared.
Maternity Clothes? It would seem that my butt is growing as fast as my belly. I only fit in one out of the 7 maternity jeans I own. Looks like I need to do some shopping.
Stretch Marks? None that I can see.
Sleep? I have started to wake up in the middle of the night again to go to the bathroom. I have also been waking up around 5 AM each day because she starts kicking and punching. Once I'm awake, my brain starts firing up, wondering what I need to do for the day.
Best moment this week? Getting a mani/pedi with Sarah. I now have sparkly Christmas red on my fingernails and toenails. Yay Christmas!
Movement? As listed in my previous post, she gave me a big gut wrencher when she turned over. That was short-lived pain, but quite intense. Other than that, she is a very active girl. I haven't had to stress about feeling "10 kicks within an hour", as they suggest in the baby books. She does all 10 kicks within minutes!
Food cravings? Peppermint everything. Peppermint hot cocoa, peppermint pretzels, etc. I used to hate peppermint when I wasn't pregnant, now I can't get enough.
Anything making you queasy/sick? The smell of boiled or steamed vegetables (like brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, etc). It reminds me of cafeteria vegetables in elementary school. Yuck!
Belly button in or out? Almost flat.
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy Happy Happy! I love the Christmas season! The music, decorations, etc.
Looking forward to: Our parenting class tonight. The class will teach us about labor relaxation techniques, best way to change diapers, sleeping techniques, etc. Nick states he's looking forward to the class as well. I have such an awesome husband!

Monumental pain

Quite a header, huh? Last night, while laying down and feeling her kick, I was happy to know that the "10 kicks in one hour" I'm supposed to feel I felt within 45 seconds. She was quite active. While I was reading my magazine, I suddenly yelped out in pain. What I believe happened was baby Z completely rolled over while jutting her legs into my stomach towards my back. My stomach felt overly stretched and the pain took my breath away. I know this is common, but I didn't know it would be so intense! Guess I have this to look forward to over the next 13 weeks!
I am scheduled to leave on maternity leave on February 24th. It seems like it's far away, but then I analyze that it's been 7 weeks since we found out the gender and it just feels like last week. The busy body in me has started breaking down my daily work tasks onto a Word document so that the person covering me while I'm gone will (hopefully) not have any issues wondering what to do.

26 week update

14 weeks left. Wow how time flies. I haven't been exactly procrastinating, but I'm starting to realize how fast time is flying and how I have to start setting things up for my maternity leave, update my registry at www.amazonbaby.com, and so much more. I guess I should incorporate a checklist. I hate using those because once I see everything written down, I tend to panic. Unfortunately, mental checklists don't work for me at this time.
Here is my weekly update.
How far along? 26 weeks
Total Weight gain/loss? I am not sure at this time. If only I had a scale (but maybe it's a good thing I don't). I will update when I know.
Maternity Clothes? I took advantage of the Black Friday sales and purchased some maternity workpants (2 pairs) and a new bra. Much needed and for a great price!
Stretch Marks? None that I can see. You would think about how fast I'm growing, I should have tone of stretch marks.
Sleep? Sleep has been pretty bad this week. My left side gets numb, so I change to the right side.. but she doesn't like that. After being on my right side for 2 minutes, she is kicking and punching me non stop until I turn over. Good to know that she is so strong!
Best moment this week? Going to Filoli (see lower post) with my mom, my aunt Carolyn, and my MIL (Betsy). It was so fun to see all the decorations and listen to the carolers. I also purchased a few more Christmas gifts.
Movement? She is more and more active. Last night at Filoli, she started punching me after I was standing for too long. I have been feeling kicks for the past few weeks, but I have not been feeling punches too. It was pretty exciting, but then I started realizing how heavy my stomach is getting when I stand for too long. It's like a bowling ball is pulling my stomach to the floor.
Food cravings? It's not so much cravings as it is just food I eat constantly. I do love the Peppermint pretzel thins from Trader Joe's. I have to have Nick physically take the bag from me and hide it so I don't eat the whole thing.
Anything making you queasy/sick? Cigarette smoke. When I smell it, I feel both sick and angry. Angry that people could be so inconsiderate and not smoke in designated areas, but rather smoke on the pathway to the main door.
Belly button in or out? Almost flat.
Happy or Moody most of the time? I am quite happy a lot. I realize I am becoming more absent minded, but better that then having too much on my mind and being stressed out, right? :)
Looking forward to: This week, I am looking forward to my pedicure with Sarah on Saturday, my yoga on Sunday, then bringing our friends dinner and to see their new baby girl.

25 week picture

Here is a belly picture of me at 25 weeks. It is hard to take side profile pics with an iPhone. :) Enjoy

Filoli Holiday traditions

For the past 5 years, I have gone to Filoli Holiday boutique to start off the Christmas season. Filoli is an estate in Woodside. Every year for one week, they have a holiday boutique where you can walk through the estate and find so many items to purchase: ornaments, gifts, etc. I have gone with my mother-in-law a few times, my mom a couple times, but this year, I get to go with my mother-in-law, my mom, and my aunt Carolyn. I am dressed in my red Christmas holiday dress and I am ready to find some cute and unique Christmas gifts to give to the remaining people on my Christmas list. Let the holidays begin!

Glucose test and Thanksgiving

The glucose test on Wednesday went by really fast! It must have been the low sugar levels that made me light headed and forget the concept of time. While I was there, I got my ear checked out. The right ear gets swollen every couple of months and it throbs for about 2 weeks. I figured since I had to sit for the glucose test for two hours I would see the doctor about y ear. It turns out I have a clogged pore. My lymph nodes are also swollen. So I am now on antibiotics for 10 days. Fun times!
The glucose test results came back on Wednesday night. The note simply said "Congratulations. You do not have gestational diabetes. Happy Thanksgiving!" That was such a relief, although I was not scared. MY blood reading had to be below 150 (not sure what the number means) and I was only at 100.
Thanksgiving yesterday was great. We came to my parents house. This year, everybody else went elsewhere (Rachel is in Georgia, Chris and Wendy went to Wendy's sister's house, etc). So it was my parents, Nick and I, and my grandma. Dinner was quite tasty. We then lazied around and read a Thanksgiving story then went for an evening walk. The day finished very happily since our friends Dave and Jamie's baby arrived a little after 9 PM. Annika and mother are in great condition. What a great Thanksgiving.

Week 25

I am currently at the doctor's office getting my blood glucose test done. They took my blood after I fasted for 14 hours. Then they made me drink this orange sugary drink that tasted exactly like Tang. Ahh memories of summer camp. While I'm here and waiting for my next blood draw, might as well update my post.
How far along? 25 weeks
Total Weight gain/loss? I lost one pound from last week. It must've been because I just ate lunch last week before weigh in. Either way, I have gained 22 pounds.
Maternity clothes? I want to wear my leggings more often, but I feel I look silly with leggings and skirts. It's just not a look I'm used to. Stretch Marks? No stretch marks.. at least not within my visibile area. Who knows about under my belly.
Sleep? I have been waking up an hour or 2 before my alarm for no reason. I have a hard time getting back to sleep. Perhaps my body is preparing me for sleepless nights?
Best moment this week? The building excitement for the holidays. 96.5 has already started playing Christmas music, but I have resisted. I am sticking to my rule of no Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving.
Movement? I feel her kick in my lower abdomen throughout the day.
Food cravings? Eggo waffles are my breakfast of choice these days. That and frosted mini wheats.
Anything making you queasy/sick? The number on the scale and elevators.
Belly Button In or Out? Almost flat.
Happy or Moody most of the time? I discussed with Nick that I feel very little stress. I feel like my stress levels have actually gone down since being pregnant. Maybe it is as my doctor says: my body was made for pregnancy.
Looking forward to: Christmas season. I have completed all shopping for my neices and nephew and the in-laws. All that is left is my sister, parents, and more presents for Nick.

Black listed

This past Friday, we acted on our long, drawn out decision of returning our cat back to the Nine Lives Foundation. We originally adopted Josie in January, 2011 (I even wrote a blog about it) to play with our other cat, Molly. Molly is loving, fun, and very playful. Upon first meeting, Josie hissed and growled at Molly. We understood this was normal so we thought we would give it some time. All year long, Josie progressed to cornering and attacking Molly with teeth bared and claws out. We shrugged our shoulders and realized that we should just keep Josie inside while Molly was out. The final straw, however, was when we saw how Josie was not friendly around kids. She didn't attack them, necessarily, but she would get upset when they were around. This would not have been a good thing when our new baby comes! So we took Josie down to the Nine Lives Foundation. They are a no-kill facility, which brought some ease to our decision. The lady at the place seemed very displeased that we were "giving up" on Josie. Although she pursed her lips and was short with us, Nick and I felt that Josie would be able to find a much better home that will be a better fit for her: a home with no other cats, no children, and a person who loves to sit all day long with a cat on their lap. I joked that maybe the lady "black-listed" us from adopting another cat from Nine Lives. She may have, but luckily, we are not interested in another cat at this time. Bert and Molly will do just fine! :)

Week 24

This week was not my funnest doctor's appointment. I was simply told that I am now gaining weight too quickly and I need to keep a food journal. In 4 weeks, I will meet with a nurse practitioner who will go over my food diary and make necessary changes. Perfect time to modify my diet: when I'm pregnant and during the holidays. This has made me pretty upset. :( Here's my other updates:
How far along? 23 weeks
Total Weight gain/loss? 23. I ate lunch right before my appointment, so I may weigh a pound or two less, but this past week's weight gain was too much.
Maternity clothes? Loving the comfort of them!.
Stretch Marks? With my rapid weight gain, I have had no stretch marks yet. That is surprising.
Sleep? My nights are filled with multiple awakenings: the cat jumps on the bed, I hear noises outside, my cough starts up, etc.
Best moment this week? Putting together our new dresser and filling it with all the baby clothes we have so far. They are neatly folded and put away right now, but I'm pretty sure that it will all be a huge mess after baby Z arrives.
Movement? I feel her kick in my lower abdomen throughout the day.
Food cravings? Eggo waffles are my breakfast of choice these days. That and frosted mini wheats.
Anything making you queasy/sick? The number on the scale.
Belly Button In or Out? Almost flat.
Happy or Moody most of the time? I've been happy all week, but after my doctor's appointment, I am really bummed out. I'll get over it, though.
Looking forward to: Getting home from work and cleaning! The house still needs lots of cleaning. I sometimes daydream about what I can clean when I get home. This is a scary feeling!

New dresser for baby clothes

With the limited space in our house, we have to find ways to maximize our space. We currently have a dresser that I was considering putting baby clothes in, but once the crib is built and the rocking chair is put next to it, it will be really crammed on the main level. Our main wall seems to be the only wall that can have any furniture against it because the other 3 walls will not fit a dresser: one wall is our side door and window, the wall opposite the main wall is two staircases, and the other wall has drawers that are about 5 feet off the ground. After some searching, I was actually able to find a 6-drawer dresser that was a few inches shy of 5 feet that would fit perfectly under the drawers. One issue: It is from Ikea, so we would have to put it together ourselves. Nick and I took 2 1/2 hours to put together the dresser. I think the dresser looks awesome! I hope it lasts! I look forward to putting in all the baby clothes tonight!

23 weeks update

My weekly update! I would almost forget to do it every Wednesday if it wasn't for the emails from www.babycenter.com. Great website, by the way.
How far along? 23 weeks
Total Weight gain/loss? 16 pounds. Guess I should cut back on the french fries.
Maternity clothes? Looks like I need to go buy more bras in bigger sizes. I hope they stop soon! I am tired of buying new bras every 2 months.
Stretch Marks? None that I can see (believe me, I am seeing less and less of me below my belly. Sucking in is not possible.
Sleep? My dreaded cough has returned. Poor Nick is sleep deprived along with me since I wake up with coughing attacks about 2 AM for about 30 minutes. I miss OTC medicine.
Best moment this week? Having Nick feel our little girl kick for the first time. He had to wait for a few minutes and sit really still, but she gave him a little kick.
Movement? The flutters are about the same along with the occasional kicks.
Food cravings? I look forward to Taqueria Wednesday's here at work. I get a taco salad in the shell with no lettuce. Tons of guac and sour cream. Yum!Anything making you queasy/sick? Getting off the elevator. I still feel like I'm going up and down once I get off the elevator. Fish, too.
Have you started to show yet? For sure. It's funny watching people instantly go to rub my belly but then stop themselves because they realize they are at work and it could be considered harrassment. Luckily, I don't mind people touching my belly.
Gender: Still a girl, last time I checked!
Belly Button In or Out? Still looking like a cave!
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! I have also been shaking my hips and dancing a bit in my cubicle throughout the day.
Looking forward to: Satisfying my nesting urges. Our house needs some deep cleaning!

Birthday weekend getaway

For my birthday this year, Nick and I went to Carmel for the weekend. We stayed at this quaint bed and breakfast place called CobbleStone Inn. It was more money than it was worth, but hey, we had a great time just being together. I have so much fun with Nick. He makes me laugh everyday and I never get tired of him! If we are doing this great at 5 years, I am fully confident for the future! He will be a great father, too.
We hiked at Point Lobos and drove down Hwy 1 along Big Sur. It was pretty but a bit chilly. At least it wasn't raining yet.

We then had a great dinner at a place called Demetra's. It had amazing Mediterranean food and could only fit 20 people in the restaurant. It was a great price, too! While I was sad for the weekend to be over, I was looking forward to sleeping in our own bed. What a great birthday weekend!

Week 22

22 weeks have past already! That's insane! I feel great, though! Except for the protruding belly and the difficulty getting out of bed quickly, I wouldn't believe I was pregnant. Here's my updated
How far along? 22 weeks
Total Weight gain/loss? 15 pounds. Climbing pretty quick!
Maternity clothes? I just found out there is a motherhood maternity outlet store in Milpitas. I plan to go there ASAP.
Stretch Marks? None yet!
Sleep? I wake up with small noises, but perhaps that is getting me ready to wake up during the night for feedings.
Best moment this week? Going shoe shopping with my mom for my birthday!
Movement? The flutters are about the same, and I think I felt some other weird movements. Not too sure..
Food cravings? I have made a goal to stop eating so much sourdough bread. Now that I'm gaining weight normally, I need to reduce the carbs and up the nutrition.
Anything making you queasy/sick? Getting off the elevator. I still feel like I'm going up and down once I get off the elevator.
Have you started to show yet? Definitely. There's not mistaking it now!
Gender: Still a girl, last time I checked!
Belly Button In or Out? Still looking like a cave!
Happy or Moody most of the time? I have been constantly happy (which is not abnormal for me.
Looking forward to: My birthday weekend this weekend. We are going to a bed and breakfast for two nights in Carmel. It will be nice to go on a babymoon.

Halloween view

Halloween lost it's excitement to me awhile ago. I hate spending $50+ to wear an uncomfortable costume all night long, just to consider wearing the same thing the following year to save money. Going out on the town for Halloween leads to people acting crazy and pulling "pranks" on people. I also can't stand the gore and the scariness. Today had a quite different reaction from me. I saw a cute 3-year old girl wearing a fairy princess outfit, and I instantly got excited for Halloween next year. I can't wait to dress up our little girl in fun Halloween outfits each year! I can't wait for the excitement of going trick or treating around my parents neighborhood, letting our little girl experience the festivities of Halloween. It's amazing how the view of the future with a child can rekindle past memories of how much fun Halloween is as a child.

21 week update

Wow how time flies! This past week entailed me "surviving" the Bridge School Benefit concert for the full time. I was surprised I was able to rock out and stay awake until the end of the concert! The concert went from 5 PM until 12:30 AM! It was really fun. Some performers were Santana, Eddie Vedder, Dave Matthews, Mumford & Son, and much more! What a great time!
As for this week in pregnancy, all is still going really well, but I am starting to REALLY show. It is kind of creepy to see how my stomach looks and feel something inside of it. I know I'll get used to it, but it still weirds me out! The baby is about 10 1/2 inches long and the size of a big carrot!
My friend Jenny gave me all of her girly baby stuff since her next one is a boy. Tons of burp cloths and cute outfits!
Here are my weekly answers:
How far along? 21 weeks
Total Weight gain/loss? +13 pounds (no difference from last week)
Maternity clothes? I am starting to get bored of my maternity wardrobe. There is not enough variety of work clothes I can wear. Time to search Craigslist again.
Stretch Marks? None yet!
Sleep? I'm sleeping like a solid brick. I'm pretty sure I am snoring, too. I am now surrounded by a "fort" of 7 pillows. Nick has gotten used to cuddling with pillows rather than me.
Best moment this week? I would have to say receiving the title to my car. This means that I paid off my car in 2 years (which will dramatically improve my credit score) and that I will have an extra $500 a month. I can only enjoy this "extra" $500 a month until next month, when student loan repayments start, which are luckily less than $500 a month! One less financial burden to worry about when baby comes.
Movement? The kicks still feel like I am anxious or I have butterflies in my belly, but at least now I know that I just don't randomly feel like crying.
Food cravings? Rosemary and olive oil sourdough bread. I tried the whole wheat sourdough (to be healthier) and I did not enjoy eating my usual snack at all. I bought a new loaf of the Rosemary and Olive Oil sourdough bread yesterday and I felt like I had just won the lottery. Now if only I craved some healthy food.....
Anything making you queasy/sick? Cigarette smoke. It's always bothered me, but lately, I feel like I'm suffocating and will pass out from lack of oxygen when I simply walk past someone smoking.
Have you started to show yet? Oh man, have I! I really need to take some pictures and post. It's ridiculous how fast I "popped"
Gender: Still a girl, last time I checked!
Belly Button In or Out? Still looking like a cave!
Happy or Moody most of the time? I have been constantly happy (which is not abnormal for me) but I do have my bursts of moodiness. That worst part is that I don't feel guilty after. I feel like it is normal! (probably not a good thing).
Looking forward to: My massage next week. I have been having weird pains like my body is imbalanced. I found the deal for 3 massages for $75 through Groupon. When attempting to schedule my second massage, he was booked for 5 weeks. I scheduled my 2nd appt on 11/2 and my 3rd in December!

20 weeks

This is the "1/2 way there" milestone! I am now 1/2 way through the pregnancy. Nick and I were discussing that we have that weird limbo feeling that time has passed quickly, but not fast enough.
On Monday, 10/17 we had the Ultrasound. The Ultrasound took an hour because our little one is quite active! After 20 minutes of making sure the spine, legs, head, and arm were developed, the technician told us the gender. We are having a GIRL! This was a surprise to me, judging by all "symptoms" I had correspond to having a boy (craving of protein, not much sickness, no craving of sweets, etc). It was a welcome surprise, though. A little girl! She is going to be raised as mountain girl as we can make her. I want to resist too much pink because baby pink makes me cringe. Not sure why I don't like the color.. especially since I like magenta and bright pink.
Now for the summary
How far along? 20 weeks
Total weight gain/loss? 13 pounds
Maternity Clothes? Definitely. I need to buy more leggings so I can wear more dresses.
Stretch Marks? None yet! I have a feeling as the holidays arrive, I will grow really fast, potentially getting stretch marks.
Sleep? I have been having interrupted sleep lately because my dreams are so crazy.I have been waking up at 6 AM each day and not been able to go back to sleep.
Best moment this week? The ultrasound appointment. Now that I know the gender and how she moves, it is a bit of a relief. Now I can buy stuff for the baby room.
Miss anything I do miss my flexibility. I notice my muscles are much tighter. I try to stretch and do some Yoga daily, but I just can't loosen up enough.
Movement? Now that I've seen how she moves in the Ultrasound, I am able to recognize her movement. She flutter kicked my ribs yesterday for about 20 minutes. I'm loving it now but fear the painful future.
Food cravings: I've been loving root beer floats at night. It's something that takes me back to childhood and remembering happy summer days.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Getting on and off the elevator. It seems I'm extra sensitive to motion lately. Not good when you have motion sickness already.
Have you started to show yet? yep! (I think I may take this question off soon)
Gender: GIRL!
Belly Button In or Out? It's fully in, now, like a cave.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! I've been singing a lot to baby Z and she has responded each time.
Looking forward to: The opening of the Spaghetti Factory next week. I am craving some Mizithra cheese spaghetti!

19 1/2 week picture

Here's my 19 1/2 week picture!

19 week update

This last week has been a fun one. I splurged on a crib (well, actually, it was a Columbus day sale where I got the crib for $150), but I am keeping it as a backup crib in case we get the real crib we want. The real crib we want is $300 and includes the dresser and changing table. Maybe that's what I'll ask for as a Christmas present! Now for my weekly summary.

How far along? 19 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Total of 9 pounds since pre-pregnancy.
Maternity clothes? LIVING in maternity clothes. I can understand how a person has a hard time transitioning back into pre-pregnancy clothes after wearing maternity clothes.. no restricting buttons, etc.
Stretch marks? Nope! It looks like the body butter is working.
Sleep: This past week has been filled with crazy dreams. I am protecting people against wild animals, I am protecting "my people in my tribe" by becoming a religious leader to defend against the bad people (that was a weird one), and other dreams where I am protecting people, especially children.
Best moment this week: Unless I'm imagining it, baby is becoming active. I notice the most active times are after I eat and when I am singing on my way home from work. The baby is either saying "I love you rocking out!" or "please stop singing.. you really are horrible at it!"
Miss Anything? I miss lying on my back. Lying on my side leads to hip cramps and back pain. I am fully surrounded by pillows, but I still can't get comfortable.
Movement: I believe so!
Food cravings: Pumpkin everything! Tis the season. Pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin soup, etc. I haven't eaten too much of it, but when I get my hands on it, there's no holding me back.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Fish still. We went to a Vietnamese wedding on Saturday. All they served was fish. I was doing okay for awhile, but once they brought a full fish with the eye ball and scales, we had to leave. A quick run to Burger King was done.
Have you started to show yet: yes. I think everyone at my work knows now.
Gender: I have been calling the doctor's office every day to check for any cancellations. I'm really anxious to find out. If there are no cancellations, my set appointment is in 5 days (10/17/2011)
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In.. like a black hole.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!! I did have one freakout this last week. Nick started watching Dexter without me. For some reason, I got really mad! It was laughable later on, especially Nick's reaction like "OMG she's gone crazy!"
Looking forward to: My Ultrasound! This will confirm how everything is coming along, my actual due date, and hopefully the gender of baby Z.

Baby Registry

This weekend, my sweet neighbor told me about the great registry selection at Amazon baby. I found so many great things and created an amazing registry. http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html?ie=UTF8&type=baby&id=3RD0I4N59KOS5
Babies R Us has a good enough registry for those who want to pick up things from the store, but Amazon baby has the best selection! So many fun things for Baby Z.

Baby heart beat

Last night, we stopped by our friends Shannon and Jenny's house. Jenny is due a week or two before me, which is exciting! To ensure that her pregnancy is going well, she rented a heart doppler to listen to her baby whenever she wants. I exclaimed my concerns about not feeling the baby move, so she let me use the heart doppler. I was able to find the baby's heart beat in about 3 seconds! It is beating at a strong 136-140 bpm. What a relief! At least I know the baby is still alive.. (s)he just needs to start moving around ASAP. I'm sure I'll regret saying that in the future. :)

18 week update

According to Baby Center, "Head to rump, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead." I am starting to gain some concern because I'm not feeling fluttery kicks like I thought I did before. I tried to get an earlier Ultrasound appointment, but the next available appointment (other than my scheduled one on 10/17) is in November. Now for my weekly update outline:
How far along? 18 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I have gained a shocking 7 pounds since pre-pregnancy. Of course, I weighed myself right after eating a double-double at In n out. But I am about 2 pounds less than what I should be at.
Maternity clothes? LIVING in maternity clothes. My awesome neighbor lent/gave me some more clothing. I think I should be set until I fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes.
Stretch marks? No - but I have been rubbing body butter on my belly daily. It feels cool and refreshing on my itchy skin.
Sleep: Sleep is great except for the everlasting cough.
Best moment this week: The rain has arrived. All the overheating I have been dealing with is finally liveable with the cooler weather!
Miss Anything? I am missing the baby flutters I thought I was feeling. I know it's normal for pregnant ladies to worry about the bun in the oven, but I do not like the unknown.
Movement: none that I can recognize.
Food cravings: I have slightly resisted the sourdough bread.. but I have been craving greek yogurt: either lemon or strawberry.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Fish and not eating in enough time. I'll be completely fine then ravenous the next minute.
Have you started to show yet: yes. I still think it looks like a fat belly, but Nick states that it looks rounder than a "fat" belly.. and it's definitely firmer.
Gender: will hopefully know in 12 days.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy except for my bursts of internal anger (see previous post)
Looking forward to: putting baby Z in the new outfits I ordered from Zulily.com. They are cute fleece outfits with monkeys on them.

That's all folks. Stay tuned for future posts.

Beware of the moodiness!

Throughout my pregnancy so far, I don't full feel pregnant. My appetite has not been crazy, I haven't gained much weight yet, I haven't been sick, and I'm mostly been "sporting" the pregnancy glow. I must say, though, certain things have made me quick to anger. Things like people who ride my tail on the highway, long waits at restaurants when there are not many customers, etc. I am usually easy going, but I must say, the anger that builds up inside of me is almost embarrassing. I get red in the face, I get tunnel hearing (where all noises sound miles away), and I feel my throat tensing up. I haven't had any blowouts, but I do not like what these hormones do to me! Thank goodness that I am able to turn on music to calm me down pretty quickly.
Other than that, I have a wonderful neighbor who has both lent and given me some maternity clothes. I am looking forward to a halloween shirt she lent me that says "mommy's little pumpkin" with an arrow pointing to the belly. :)New clothes inspired me to pack up all my summer/resort wear and pre-maternity clothing. That packing then led to Nick cleaning out what he never wears and what he wants to keep in boxes. Where to put all the baby clothes. Perhaps I should add a dresser to the registry....

17 weeks today!

How far along? 17 weeks today
Total weight gain/loss: At the doctor's office, they said I gained 2 pounds. I weighed myself at my parents house last night, and I've gained a total of 4 pounds.
Maternity clothes? I purchased some work pants from Target since my Craigslist loot didn't have work pants. Who thought Target would cost so much? Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Still sleeping great - minus the frequent trips to the bathroom, the frequent coughing, and the bizarre dreams. I dreamt last night that I saved a baby bear from a mountain lion. I then raised the baby bear at our house.
Best moment this week: I believe I am starting to feel baby flutter kicks. I feel an anxious feeling then feels like someone is tickling my stomach internally.
Miss Anything? I definitely miss not worrying about am I eating enough or getting enough nutrients.
Movement: I believe so.
Food cravings: Milk milk and more milk. Can't get enough of my lactose free chocolate milk. Definitely worth $4.75 for the gallon.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still fish. I wonder if that will be a full pregnancy time thing.
Have you started to show yet: Definitely! I am much rounder!
Gender: We find out October 17.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Other than Thanksgiving... my 20 week ultrasound! :)

Week 16

How far along? 16 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I went to the doctor yesterday and she said I've only gained 2 pounds. She said not to worry too much now, but to make sure to eat and eat and eat! Who ever would have thought a doctor would tell me to eat more?!
Maternity clothes? I scored BIG through Craigslist. A lady posted that she was selling most of her maternity clothing for $85. I called her immediately and scheduled to go look at the clothes. She was exactly my size (size, height, width, etc). I ended up getting 10 dresses, 3 skirts, 7 pairs of jeans, 25 tops, and 3 leggings for $80. The clothes are from the Gap, Old Navy, and Pea in a Pod. Such fashionable clothing for a great price!
Stretch marks? No. But I sure do feel a lot of stretching.
Sleep: This past week has been tough with sleep. I experienced strong body aches and cramps around my uterus, so I had interrupted sleep most of the nights. The hot weather didn't help either!
Best moment this week: Celebrating daddy and my one year anniversary at our stepsister's wedding. It was a magical evening filled with family and love.
Miss Anything? I miss being able to sleep on my back. I also miss a good Turkey Sandwich.
Movement: I felt slight fluttering, but I wasn't sure if that was me feeling anxious for a moment, or if it was the baby.
Food cravings: Still craving sourdough bread like you wouldn't believe it. I also have been craving Italian food.
Anything making you queasy or sick: fish is still hitting me hard. I went to a work dinner and I had to leave early because the smell of the fish my coworkers ordered made me throw up.
Have you started to show yet: I have been getting a lot of sideway looks. I especially am letting out my stomach more now that I am wearing maternity pants rather than my regular pants.
Gender prediction: boy
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Innie outie
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: With being ill this week, my happiness and energy level has been down a bit. I've been pretty moody this week, but who isn't moody when they feel crappy?
Looking forward to: My massage tonight. My body has been craving some tension release. Thanks to Groupon, I purchased 3 massage sessions for $79.

I WILL get a picture up here soon. If only I could find my camera charger....

Week 15

I thought I'd update here since I don't have a baby book yet. This is taken from a friend of a friend's website. I will try to include a picture eventually.

How far along? 15 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I haven't weighed myself yet, but at week 14, I hadn't gained an ounce.
Maternity clothes? I need some, but I'm still squeezing into my pants.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleeping great, minus waking up to pee every night at 3 am.
Best moment this week: I cried in happiness from good news at work.
Miss Anything? Not throwing up by the smell of fish.
Movement: I don't believe I am feeling any movement. I do feel growth of my uterus.
Food cravings: Sourdough bread like you wouldn't believe it. I go through a loaf a week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: fish
Have you started to show yet: more this week for sure. I look rounder
Gender prediction: boy
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Innie outie
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy with spurts of anger.
Looking forward to: Getting past the point of people wondering if I'm getting fatter or if I'm pregnant.

I'll try to update each week.

I am pregnant!

Phew! Glad to get that secret out! I am one day shy of 14 weeks along. I have been EXTREMELY lucky by not having ANY morning/afternoon/evening sickness. That is quite a shocker to me since I'm one who gets sick constantly: motion sickness if I'm not the one driving, sickness if I don't eat every 3-4 hours, etc. The only two times I was sick over the past 14 weeks has been: altitude sickness when we went to North Lake Tahoe for a wedding. I was close to fainting a few times! The second time was when I took a prenatal vitamin on an empty stomach. That problem was solved when Lenessa introduced me to gummy prenatal vitamins. They are wonderful! No sickness, and a yummy way to get nutrition.
So far for cravings: I have been craving spicy food galore! I put chili powder or cayenne pepper on everything: even on macaroni and cheese!I also have been craving sourdough bread. I probably go through a loaf a week. I know that's bad, but I just can't get enough.
Food adversions: sweets and fish. I thought when you're pregnant, you're supposed to crave sweets galore! Not only have I not been craving them, I also feel a bit sickened when I eat something sweet. Weird!

It was great for Nick to be at the doctor's appointment on 08/26 when we heard the baby's heart beat. For the next appointment, we will listen for the heart beat again and take more blood tests. The Ultrasound will occur when we find out the gender. That will be mid-October. Anyone want to place any bets?!

I've got a secret...

and it's really hard to keep. I can't wait until I receive full permission to tell my secret.

Bachelorette weekend for a friend

This past Thursday-Sunday, I went down to San Diego with my friends for one of my girlfriend's bachelorette party. It was a surprise to her that we were going to San Diego. My friend rented a large Suburban and we drove down Thursday morning. It took us 11 hours with the traffic through LA, but it was a fun car trip. On Friday, we hung by the pool all day at the house that we rented. What a gorgeous house it was. On Saturday, we all went to the horse derby in Del Mar. We all wore fun hats and summer dresses. The picture included is my maid of honor and I in our derby best. On Saturday night, we went to a dance club. The conclusion at the end of the night for me: I am WAY out of shape, and I really don't care to go out anymore. Too many rude people and too loud of music. I must be getting old! On Sunday, we drove back. It took just as long due to accidents on the road. It was good to be home but it was a great weekend with some great women.

Kauai

As a celebration for my graduation, Nick and I went to the beautiful island of Kauai with my parents for one week. They go every year for their anniversary, but they decided to let us come this year. After weeks of trying to find the best airfare, I purchased the tickets before they sold out. We had a great time with my parents. We ate at many great places including: puka dogs, Merrimans, Duke's, and other places that surely fattened us up! We didn't do any excursions, but we did sit on the beach almost all day to read our books. We did go visit some beautiful beaches and swam in the warm water. It was heavenly. It is always sad to leave Kauai, but I was ready to not live out of a suitcase! I hope we can go again soon!

House sitting

We love house sitting. I think everyone loves us house sitting as well because 1) we don't charge and 2) I become OCD with cleaning. This week, we house sat for a mutual friend. They have a beautiful house in Menlo Park that has a salt water pool and hot tub. This week, the weather was between 85-100 degrees. The pool was perfect. It was a vacation away from home. I was actually sad when we had to leave on Sunday. Imagine how excited I was when the lady of the house emailed me today and asked if we could house sit again over the 4th of July weekend. YES! If anyone in the bay area needs a house sitter, let me know! :)

College Graduate!!

I did it! I graduated college. I finished with a 3.71 GPA. I have to wait until my Cal Grant pays off the remaining balance before I receive the diploma, though. Either way, no more school! Now what to do with my extra time?

Georgia

Over the weekend of 04/28-05/02, I got to fly out to Georgia to visit Rachel! What a great time I had. I always have so much fun with my sister. We toured a beautiful place called Calloway Gardens. I tried a chicken fried steak meal and some of Rachel's fried green tomato sandwich. We then went to her house on Ft. Benning. Rachel has done an amazing job decorating her house. I hope I someday have her talent of decorating! We went to Atlanta with some of her friends for shopping. That was similar to shopping here, but the people were a bit different. A lot more people were overweight but had no problem dressing like they were 100 pounds lighter! Motivation for me!
It was great to see the kids as well. I gave Izzie my old iPod touch for her birthday. You would have thought I gave her a new iPad. She LOVED it and was my best friend for the whole trip. Brenden is getting so big. He is now taller than me and so strong! That's good because Rachel's little dog, Tucker, will drag you down the hill if you're not strong. Tucker is absolutely adorable, but still full of puppy energy. Lexie was so cute with him. She giggled and would chase him when he had one of our shoes or clothing. Needless to say, that house is full of energy. No wonder Rachel is always asleep by 9!
I was sad to leave Rachel at the very end. I hope she is able to move back here soon. Talking on the phone every day is not enough!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's day to all the mothers out there. You are much appreciated. You have formed the lives of all the wonderful people I know. For those that are newer mothers that I am blessed to know, your children are so lucky!I hope to one day have the opportunity to be a mother so I can know how inspiring and special it is to mold a child into greatness! :)

4 days left

I can't believe it! Only 4 days until I am done with school!! While I would like to say it will be forever, I know the economy may drive me to one day go back to school to achieve my MBA. For now, my Bachelor's degree in Business Management degree will have to do. My final assignment is a team assignment. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), my team mates all still have two classes left. I doubled up my classes back in December and in February so that I could graduate 05/16/2011 rather than 07/25/2011. I wanted my summer time!
I know that I will be one of those people that will have withdrawls.. thinking "shouldn't I be doing something tonight?" After 3 years and 8 months, school has become a habit. How did everyone else cope? :)
I'm sure I will find a way!

End of Yoga

Well, tomorrow ends the 2 month running of Yoga. Sad to say, I will miss it. I will miss the sweating, throbbing muscle pain, and the constant question of "has it been an hour and a half yet?". I think I have noticed improved flexibility and more muscle tone. I can't wait until the next Groupon deal of discounted Yoga.
I have started running again. We'll see how long this goes. I have been running four days in a row. Yay me! I am nowhere near running a marathon, but let's hope I can continue.

Failed at resolution

So remember that resolution I made about posting frequently? Well, evidently, I failed. Perhaps it is because not many people are posting anymore. At least I can do a quick summary.
I got a great deal on Groupon for Yoga in Palo Alto. 25 classes for $25. I instantly started going. I thought "25 classes to use within 2 months? I will run out before the two months are up!" Lo and behold, I have two weeks left and 9 classes left. If it was closer to my work, I might have been able to go more often. It's tough because on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the classes are either at 5 PM or 7 PM. I get off work at 5, so the 5 PM class doesn't work. If I go to the 7 PM class, what will I do for 2 hours? So I have only been going on Tuesday and Thursday. I have not lost any weight, but I do see a restructuring of my body shape. My muscles are definitely stronger and more defined.
Nick and I have been doing various things with our time. We try not to spend money, but that is really tough here in the bay area! We have been trying to start exercising again. Our gym membership expires on 04/07/2011, so we will have to do some "shopping" for a new gym. I dislike the 24 hr fitnesses that are available to us. They have poor air circulation and smell really bad. Hopefully, we can find a good gym for a good price.
That should be all for now. Hopefully I will update shortly.

New cat!

10 days between my last post.. not too bad, right? I have been busy doing school work. One exciting thing is that we got a new cat. Her name is Josie and we got her at the Nine Lives Foundation. Since the facility is closing down in June due to lack of funding, all cats over 6 months old that have been fixed, fully vaccinated, and microchipped, were available at the great price of $11! The cat we had originally picked out online ended up being a biter. No thanks! After looking at 20+ cats, we ended up finding Josie... well, she found us. I sat down to look at all cats closer, and Josie crawled on my lap and laid down. She sat like that for 5 minutes until it was time to go. She is the one! We actually adopted her to play with Molly, but I think that she'll be a great lap cat, too. :)

I'm not worthy to blog!

A person who blogs is one that updates their blog at least once a week, right? Well, it has been two months for me! That is pathetic! Especially since the holidays happened over the last two months. Perhaps I could say that I was "too busy" throughout the holidays to write. Yes! Yes! I like that excuse! :)
Let's see if I can summarize the past few months.
November- Thanksgiving was great. Lots of food and school. (what else is new, right?)
December- I was able to complete all my Christmas shopping on time. Unless everyone was being extra nice, I believe that all liked my gifts. The whole month of December was a full calendar of events. Christmas parties right and left; Social events; Rachel coming to town (the best part)! I love the holidays because they are filled with family, friends, and movies! I saw so much of all three that I miss them while sitting at home in the month of January.
January- I am continuing with school. I graduate on 05/16/11, so only 4 more months. Too many essays and wasting of my personal time. As soon as school is out, no more essays. The downside is the monthly payments that I will have to pay. Hopefully I will be able to get more money! Time to go buy a lottery ticket.
My new years resolution for this year is to blog more. I hope I can keep that resolution! Thank you all who still read my blog!