This week, our baby is the size of a navel orange (4.5")! At this point in the pregnancy, I should be gaining about a pound a week, or 4 pounds per month.
A friend of ours is having her second baby and is due the beginning of July. She is definitely showing! It's just so interesting to see the difference between our bellies even though we only due four weeks apart. Babies really do grow fast -- that's why people refer to pregnancy times in weeks and children's ages in months.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Maternity clothes
I think I can get through winter pregnant and wearing my old clothes, but once spring & summer come around, I'm going to need some maternity shirts. Found these cute ones online, but I am always weary of buying clothes online....
I know, the model's not pregnant, but what a cute long t-shirt!
(my husband doesn't like Old Navy -- what does he have against it?)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Boy or Girl?
Just to clarify, we'd be happy either way, but here are what some "tests" are saying about it...
Ancient Chinese Pregnancy Calendar: Based on age of mother and month when baby conceived - GIRL.
Parents.com quiz (this one's a bit personal!): It's a toss-up. This is what they say: A husband's tight undies, plus a mother's penchant for chocolate, vegetables, and lots of midday sex are all reputed to encourage a bouncing baby girl. Another mythical tip-off is carrying baby high in your belly. A boy is believed to be more likely if you're carrying baby low in your belly, your husband prefers loose boxers, and you have a penchant for salty snacks, meat, and worrying during sex. So the answers on my quiz were mixed.
Parents.com, Old Wives' Tales:
Ancient Chinese Pregnancy Calendar: Based on age of mother and month when baby conceived - GIRL.
Parents.com quiz (this one's a bit personal!): It's a toss-up. This is what they say: A husband's tight undies, plus a mother's penchant for chocolate, vegetables, and lots of midday sex are all reputed to encourage a bouncing baby girl. Another mythical tip-off is carrying baby high in your belly. A boy is believed to be more likely if you're carrying baby low in your belly, your husband prefers loose boxers, and you have a penchant for salty snacks, meat, and worrying during sex. So the answers on my quiz were mixed.
Parents.com, Old Wives' Tales:
- Sleep position: I sleep on my right, so I'm having a GIRL.
- Upset stomach: I am having BOY because I don't feel nauseous.
- Soft or dry hands: My hands are more soft than dry, so I'm having a GIRL.
- Food cravings: I am craving citrus - love those clementines, so I'm having a GIRL.
- Adult acne: I haven't broken out, so I'm having a BOY.
- Graceful or clumsy: I think I'm pretty non-clumsy (though far from graceful), so I'm having a GIRL.
- Face weight gain: Has my face gotten fuller? Probably too soon to tell. A plump face means a girl.
- Sugar/Salt cravings: I love my salty foods (though I have to keep it under control), so I'm having a BOY.
- Mood changes: Definitely have those! so I'm having a GIRL.
- High or low belly: Too soon to tell, but a high belly means a girl.
- Baby weight: I think my weight is developing all around, so I'm having a GIRL.
- Pendulum test: This sounds creepy, so I'm not going to try it. (By the way, a circling pendulum above your palm means a girl.)
- Model your hands: Show them up, and it's a girl....wait, isn't this a test for something else too?
- Toddler advice: If a boy is interested in your belly, it's a girl. Otherwise, it's a boy. Now that's funny!
- Eat garlic: If your pores smell like garlic after eating it, then you are having a boy. Otherwise, it's a girl. I ate a lot of garlic this past weekend during hot pot, but wasn't paying too much attention to my pores...
- Keys: I usually pick them up by the long end, just because my key fob is built like that, so I'm having a GIRL.
- Even and odd: If both your age (28) and year of conception (2008) are even or odd, it's a GIRL.
- Baby's heartbeat: Our baby's heartbeat is greater than 150 bpm, so I'm having a GIRL. (She's beating at 170!)
- Stress test: The baby tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception. I think we were both excited!
- Dream meanings: You actually have the opposite of what you dream of! I haven't had any baby dreams yet.
- Breast size: If your right is larger than your left, it's a girl. Um...too personal to share...
Week 13, 5 days - lemon
At the beginning of this week, our baby was the size of a peach (2.5"). Now, he/she is the size of a lemon (3"). It's amazing how fast the growth is! I am five days into my second trimester, and baby's growth (along with mine) will increase this trimester.Just look at the white lines on the graph below (from whattoexpect.com). Those are the recommended weight gains. My gain is the maroon line, so I'm right on target (yay!). Maybe I should eat more....hehe...
Friday, January 22, 2010
Road trip
Really excited to go visit H2 this weekend. I like road trips...but probably because I don't do most of the driving. I am going to go out on a limb and say I probably won't do any driving this trip...Anyways, excited to go somewhere (while it's still convenient)!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Public news now
A made a public announcement on Facebook this morning that we are expecting. So guess the cat is out of the bag! Everyone is excited for us. A got at least 20 comments on that post, and I've been getting personal Wall Posts from it.
Week 13 - peach
From whattoexpect.com
Our baby is now about 3" from crown to rump, which is about the size of a peach. I have peaches in the refrigerator!
Well, I just got over the NASTIEST headache I've ever had. It started Sunday afternoon and lasted all day Monday. It was a throbbing headache, like my head was being squeezed between two plates. So awful! On Monday afternoon, I just couldn't take the pain anymore and took 500 mg of acetaminophen (or Tylenol), which is completely safe during pregnancy. But other kinds of headache medicines, like ibuprofen and aspirin, are not safe. I felt much better overnight, and feel about 99% this morning!
Headaches are pretty common during pregnancy because of the increase in hormones. But I should also watch my diet and sleep patterns. I remember sleeping weird both Saturday and Sunday night. And Alan joked that I was going through rice withdrawal (we ate mostly salty, Western cuisine last week). So yesterday Alan made congee and chicken soup, with no salt, so we could both purge our bodies of excess salt.
I think I might have also been going through milk tea withdrawal - those instant milk tea powders made by Lipton. Anyways, I'm glad my head doesn't hurt anymore, and I'll be more careful now.
From abclocal.go.com
On a side note, J&J made a huge recall of Tylenol. There was a moldy smell coming from the bottles that made people sick. So, that's why I took plain old acetaminophen and not Tylenol. If Tylenol is basically the same thing as acetaminophen, why don't people just buy the generic stuff and save some money? Guess people are just comfortable with the brand name.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Stay-at-home or Career Mom?
Yesterday, I told my friend from high school the news. Funny thing, we ended up going to the same university, after Drexel bought Hahnemann University Hospital. Then, we ran into each other in grad school at Drexel (again). Anyways, long but neat history. She has her Ph.D. and now also has two small boys. Her desire to have kids and stay-at-home changed over the years, and also by just being a mom. Our little conversation taught me to take things one day at a time. Not everyone is fulfilled as a stay-at-home mom, and not everyone needs a career outside of the home to be fulfilled. So...guess I'll keep my options open, talk a lot about it with A, and pray for the best for our family.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Start spreading the news
We started telling people that I'm pregnant...maybe we're telling people who don't know us that well (like our new church friends) or whatever, but I'm not getting the response that I thought I would...
Do they not want to be nosy? Do they feel awkward? It's so weird!
Even my friends in grad school, whom I've known for like 5 years now, were excited and congratulated me, but didn't really have anything to say beyond that. Maybe it's just me - that I'm nosy and think other people will be nosy too with me...oh well...doesn't change the fact that I'm still excited to tell people!
But a girl at bible study made an interesting comment after we announced the news...she said when we walked in the room, she thought I was pregnant. Maybe it was that I seemed happier or maybe it was "the glow". Interesting huh? Though A doesn't think I have "the glow"....thanks, sweetie! (with sarcasm)
Anyways, going to tell a high school friend and two other close church friends today. Hope someone (in addition to my family) will give me the reaction I am looking for! Haha!
Do they not want to be nosy? Do they feel awkward? It's so weird!
Even my friends in grad school, whom I've known for like 5 years now, were excited and congratulated me, but didn't really have anything to say beyond that. Maybe it's just me - that I'm nosy and think other people will be nosy too with me...oh well...doesn't change the fact that I'm still excited to tell people!
But a girl at bible study made an interesting comment after we announced the news...she said when we walked in the room, she thought I was pregnant. Maybe it was that I seemed happier or maybe it was "the glow". Interesting huh? Though A doesn't think I have "the glow"....thanks, sweetie! (with sarcasm)
Anyways, going to tell a high school friend and two other close church friends today. Hope someone (in addition to my family) will give me the reaction I am looking for! Haha!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Week 12 - genetic screening
A and I went to our first genetic screening. It consisted of an ultrasound and blood work. Well, first things first. The ultrasound below shows are baby in profile. The head is on the right, with legs curled up to the left. The "CRL" on the screen print stands for "crown to rump length". It is 5.04 cm (or 2 in) as seen in the bottom right corner. Because babies are all curled in the womb, the medical community measures CRL to check on the babies growth. His/Her growth is right on track! Also, we heard the heartbeat again. It was much stronger and we got to see the sound pattern on screen. Very regular at 170 bpm!
As part of the genetic screening, the technician measures the thickness of the nuchal translucency (fluid beneath the skin behind baby’s neck). It took a while because the baby had to be stretch out straight. I had to change positions, cough, and drink more water to try to get him/her to move. He/She was certainly moving around - doing the robot dance, we think. And finally after 15 min or so, she got the measurement. It was a normal measurement, so yay! I got a blood test too, which will measure hormone levels of hCG and PAPP-A. At about 16 weeks, another set of blood work is done.
So far, so good, according to the doctor at the hospital. The travel time to Grand View is not bad either, but with traffic and contractions in July, I hope the time will still be "not bad". Haha.
As part of the genetic screening, the technician measures the thickness of the nuchal translucency (fluid beneath the skin behind baby’s neck). It took a while because the baby had to be stretch out straight. I had to change positions, cough, and drink more water to try to get him/her to move. He/She was certainly moving around - doing the robot dance, we think. And finally after 15 min or so, she got the measurement. It was a normal measurement, so yay! I got a blood test too, which will measure hormone levels of hCG and PAPP-A. At about 16 weeks, another set of blood work is done.
So far, so good, according to the doctor at the hospital. The travel time to Grand View is not bad either, but with traffic and contractions in July, I hope the time will still be "not bad". Haha.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Week 11 - lime
Fingernails and hair follicles are developing this week. He/She is even developing testes or ovaries!
Sciatic nerve
Know what the sciatic nerve is? I didn't....before I went to the doctor's last Saturday.
On a side note, after I learned what the sciatic nerve is, it came up on an episode of Friends (Season 4). I am holding mini-marathons of Friends with my newly received entire-series-on-DVD-set from Alan. Anyways, Phoebe has a crush on this massage client. One day, he asks her to work on his "sciatic area" because it's been giving him pain. Before, I wouldn't have even heard the word "sciatic" in the line, but that day, I did. It turned out to be the "part beneath the towel" - aka, his butt. Anyways...back to what I found out at the doctor's...
I was having this pinching pain in the middle of my "sciatic area" for about a week - only on one side though. The doctor made sure the pain hadn't spread to my back or legs. On my back, she rolled my hips side to side, and lo and behold, the pain was only on one side. So...nothing to worry about. It's probably pregnancy-related as the weight in my body both increases and shifts. She said that if it kept bothering me, I could take Tylenol and see a chiropractor. But these last few days, I haven't really noticed it. Yay!
On a side note, after I learned what the sciatic nerve is, it came up on an episode of Friends (Season 4). I am holding mini-marathons of Friends with my newly received entire-series-on-DVD-set from Alan. Anyways, Phoebe has a crush on this massage client. One day, he asks her to work on his "sciatic area" because it's been giving him pain. Before, I wouldn't have even heard the word "sciatic" in the line, but that day, I did. It turned out to be the "part beneath the towel" - aka, his butt. Anyways...back to what I found out at the doctor's...
From WebMD:
I was having this pinching pain in the middle of my "sciatic area" for about a week - only on one side though. The doctor made sure the pain hadn't spread to my back or legs. On my back, she rolled my hips side to side, and lo and behold, the pain was only on one side. So...nothing to worry about. It's probably pregnancy-related as the weight in my body both increases and shifts. She said that if it kept bothering me, I could take Tylenol and see a chiropractor. But these last few days, I haven't really noticed it. Yay!
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