Another sweet baby boy!

Today we went for our 20-week ultrasound and found out that you are a little baby boy! And everything is healthy and growing like it should be! We are so happy and blessed to hear that. Both papa and mama thought you would be a girl but we're excited for Cub to have a little baby brother to play with! We are trying to think of names right now and it's very hard! We had the hardest time finding Caleb's name so this is going to be a challenge. Can't wait to meet you and see what you look like and watch you grow up with your big brother! Love you baby boy!

How far along: 20 weeks, half way point!
Weight gain: I think I gained a couple pounds...so that would make total weight gain of 10 lbs so far this pregnancy. 
How big is baby:  Small cantaloupe
Maternity clothes: Just bought a pair of skinny maternity jeans today (20-week gift to mama!) and loving all the cute maternity clothes Steph gave me

Pregnancy Symptoms: Still very tired, couple days of morning sickness but not too bad

This week: Your big brother has been potty training which is very exciting! He's doing a great job!
Movement: Feeling movement which is so cool! Still not strong enough for papa of Cub to feel yet.
Food Cravings: Fresh fruit, banh mi (viet sub) sandwiches, salmon. Today we went to Elliotts Oyster house to celebrate you being a boy, I had alder plank sockeye salmon with grilled veggies, it was so good! Papa had crab cakes, fried oysters and raw oyster, which were all good too (I didn't get to have the raw oysters but papa said they were delicious!)
Belly button in or out: Innie
What I miss: Hmm...right now we have a lot of uncertainty so I miss certainty and stability but I know we will eventually have that, we're just approaching a big transition in our lives and it cannot be avoided.  
What I'm looking forward to: Jess is visiting next week!

Week #19... and all those leading up to this week

How far along: 19 Weeks
Weight gain: 7 lbs so far (trying not to eat for an army with this one, although I get full very quick and not able to eat as much as I used to when I wasn't preg!)
How big is baby:  heirloom tomato (wow you are still pretty tiny but my belly looks ginormous LOL)
Maternity clothes: yes, belly bump really started to pop out last week. you can even tell now with my scrubs on which are getting pretty snug. Since I got pregnant during the Fall, I have pretty much been living in my leggings, rainboots and long shirts/hoodies. I only used my Bella-band once when I wore jeans in Spokane for our Steelnguski date day. 
Best moment this week: Today by far, which is Friday and I don't work on Fridays, I had my lashes done and then came home and soaked in a hot bath. Baths are becoming my Friday ritual which I love and am going to miss a lot once we sell this house. Cub (big brother) is at school today so I am having a nice solo mama relaxation day which I think is so important for keeping me relaxed and sane. Sometimes I have massage therapy on Friday and those are my favorite!

Pregnancy symptoms: I am so happy the morning sickness is gone now, it was horrible. I was so nauseous and throwing up almost every day for the first 3 months. Acupuncture did end up helping a lot and I did it once a week to keep the nausea at bay. Now I just have the fatigue, some days are better than others. My hair seems to be falling out less and getting thicker. I chopped it off right before Christmas because it was getting so long. It's really short now! It's been really rough being pregnant during the cold/flu season, I skipped these months when I was pregnant with Cub. With Cub starting school in October, we've all been constantly sick for the last few months and it's been especially hard on mama because I can't take all the vitamins and medicines that I usually would if I was not pregnant. 

Movement: I started to feel you move 2 weeks ago (week #17) which was so neat, felt like little tapping/drumming on the inside. I'm feeling you move more now and can't wait until you're strong enough for papabear to feel too. He felt Cub at week #23 so we probably have a couple more weeks to go. 
Food Cravings: I have been craving a lot of different foods this time around. Lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Apples, I usually have at least one a day. I prefer chicken to beef (which is very unusual for me!). I want pastas and soups and lighter foods than the carbs/meat/cheese that I craved with Caleb. Although I have had my cravings for the occasional pizza too. Oh and really love drinking juice, which is good because I have not been the best water drinker this time around like I was with Cub. I have been much more relax food-wise this time around, I've had a bit of sushi (although apparently you did not like it much), I've had some caffeine (hard not too with feeling so tired and having a very energetic toddler), and I have really craved salmon and seafood although we have not had much. I seem to be very influenced by seeing people with food, although some things sound/look really unappetizing to me, foods that I would usually like. 
Belly button in or out: Innie (probably will remain that way, never went outie with Cub although it the innie did get very shallow towards the end)
What I miss:  I really miss Ba Me's homecooking and having an extra hand with Cub, especially miss date days/nights/even week with Hunnie which was a nice time to relax and regroup even though we missed Cub so much when he went to Spokane with Ba, I miss my long hair and how I looked before I got pregnant but it's good motivation to get back into shape after baby is born, I miss having energy, sleeping through the night (although sleep is better now than it was in the beginning when I had the horrible insomnia, so happy that's gone). 
What I'm looking forward to: Next Friday we find out if baby is boy or girl! Lots are hoping it's a girl and that's the speculation because this pregnancy has been so different but I'm not sure, I have not had any feelings or inklings with this one. With Cub I was pretty convinced he was a boy from the moment I found out I was pregnant and this time I'm totally stumped. Also looking forward to Auntie Ess visiting us from San Fran next week! Cub is so excited to see her and play with her and show her all the new things he is doing (like peeing on the potty LOL!). Hope I can blog more, I was so diligent when I was pregnant with Cub but 2nd pregnancy is so different when you have your hands full with a 2-year old. I'm glad I blogged at least once though! Might not see another one until you arrive but so far this has been a rougher pregnancy on me, hope that means your a strong little one! But we are looking forward to meeting you and settling into our new adventure in life, this is going to be a busy year for us with a lot of new changes but we are trusting that this is God's plan for us and we are willing to make big changes for the sake of our family and what is best for you and Cub. We love you both so much and can't wait to see you grow up together <3

Hi there baby!

Our first glimpse of baby! You weren't very interested in taking pictures today, the tech had to try lots of different tricks to get you into this profile position. You kept wanting to sit up and scrunch into the corner, silly bebe! You weren't as active as your older brother when we first saw him at the 12-week ultrasound. But you are amazing and very loved already! Can't wait to find out if you are a boy or a girl!

We're pregnant!

We just finished celebrating Cub's 2nd birthday and got this wonderful surprise! Another gift for Cub but he'll have to wait 9 months before it arrives haha :)

We're so excited and a little shocked because we didn't think it would happen so quickly this time (took us about 5 months of trying to get Cub). Baby #2 due date is June 24th, a summer baby just like Hunnie wanted! Cub with be 2 years and 9 months when he becomes a big brother!

I am already feeling nauseous with this one and it started, like the same week I ovulated. It was so immediate that I was convinced it couldn't be because I was pregnant. So far we've shared the happy news with our family and closest friends. Everyone is thrilled and so happy about the wonderful news!

Labor & Delivery

Friday October 7th - Due Date: This morning while I was sleeping I felt my first painful contraction, it felt much like a menstrual cramp, very sharp and low. Prior to this I had been feeling contractions but they had not hurt like this one. I also noticed very light brown discharge which was definitely a new symptom. I had a massage today which was nice, Suzanne worked on my ankles and my lower back since that was starting to hurt more since I was cramping. We saw Sachiko for our last prenatal check, I told her I was having discharge and painful contractions but that they were about 45 mins to an hour apart and only mildly painful, she thought maybe I'd be back at the hospital that night. After our appointment we had lunch with Ba Me, Anh Tuyen, Chi Kim, Jacob and Addison at Blazing Onion Burger at Alderwood Mall and then walked around for awhile. That night I was feeling very tired and starting to feel more uncomfortable, I took a warm bath and then went to bed. 

Saturday October 8th: Contractions were definitely starting to come closer together this morning, we went to breakfast at McDonalds with Anh Tuyen and Chi Kim before they headed to Bellingham for the day. Afterwards, Hunnie really wanted me to walk and keep things going so we went to Barnes & Noble and he had me walk all the way up to Best Buy. We bought some pants for baby at Old Navy. I started timing the contractions and they were now about 10-15 minutes apart. I was getting so uncomfortable but definitely wanted things to start progressing more. We debated going to the mall and walking more but I was really getting tired so we went home instead. By that evening the contractions were definitely stronger, so much so that the most comfortable position for me was on my hands and knees during the contractions. Anh Tuyen and Chi Kim were going to Anh Dang's house to visit that night and wondered if we wanted to go as well, I had wanted to go but now I was so uncomfortable that I thought I should stay home, especially since I was having to get into different positions to stay comfortable as possible. Took another bath this night and went to bed, the contractions were still roughly 10 minutes apart the entire night, I did nap in between the contractions because I was so exhausted, rough night...

Sunday October 9th: I was so exhausted from not sleeping the night before, the contractions were every 10 minutes the entire night and starting to become quite painful, I was in the fetal position for most the night, very uncomfortable. Could not imagine having to go through another night like that! The contractions were now about 7-10 minutes apart. Hunnie was busy watching football because it was Sunday. I was so uncomfortable and the contractions were so frequent and painful that I did not want to leave the house. I was bracing myself on the counters, our dresser, over the bed. They hurt so badly I was moaning and yelling/crying (not full force and not tearful crying but crying out in pain). I was doing hip circles and walking to try and help the pain but also because I wanted things to continue to progress. By late afternoon (maybe 5pm?) the contractions were 5 minutes apart and still very painful, Hunnie wanted to call the midwife but I thought we should wait. He said he would call just to check and see if this was what we were supposed to be doing. Sharon was on-call, she was one of the midwives we had only seen twice during the entire pregnancy. She asked how I was doing, at this point I was still able to talk and explain everything pretty calmly. She suggested I try the bath again, she said it wouldn't slow things down, which was what I had been afraid of. I listened to her advice and got into the bath, it helped a lot with the pain, I still felt the contractions but they were less severe and I could somewhat relax and rest a bit, I thought maybe I can make it until the next morning. I got out of the bath and was still having contractions, now they were closer together, about 4 minutes apart. About 8pm we called Sharon again, this time on the phone it was much more obvious that I was not comfortable. She asked me what my birth plans were and I said I had wanted to go natural but now I was not sure. She advised that I try the bath again. This time it did not help as much but I tried to stay in as long as I could. I had the window in the bathroom cracked and was scared the neighbors might here me moaning in pain. It was now 11pm, contractions were 3 minutes apart, I knew I could not last through the night, I was scared I would not be able to make it out of the house...that Hunnie would have to carry me or we would have to call 911. I called Sharon and she said she would meet us at the hospital. We grabbed our bags and last minute stuff like pillows and blankets. I remember opening the car door and before I could sit down I had a contraction and was on the floor of the garage. Thankfully the car ride to Evergreen was only about 10 or so minutes, I had about 3-4 contractions before we got to the hospital, I told Hunnie that if I was not at least half way I was not sure if I could do it anymore and I might just get the epidural. 

At the hospital: We got to the maternity ward at 11:30pm and started checking in, Sharon got there not too shortly afterwards. The nurse wanted her to check me in the triage area before they would put me in a room even though Sharon already knew I was far along enough to be admitted. We went to triage and when she checked I was 8 cm! We were so happy, I wanted to cry. Sharon asked if we wanted to continue with our natural birth plan and since we were so close I wanted to try. We got to my room and they worked on admitting me (asking lots of questions, hooking up monitors). They helped massage me while I was having contractions. My mom arrived and let me squeeze her hands during my contractions. They raised the bed up high so I could lean over and do hip circles. Then they wanted me to get into the bed, it hurt so much to lay on my back, I flipped over to my stomach and held onto the head of the bed. Sharon wanted to check me again and see about breaking my water. They found I had thin meconium so she called for NICU nurses to be present for delivery. Baby's heart rate dropped so they placed an IV in case I needed to be taken to OR for emergent C-section. At times the heart rate would increase as well, they place an internal scalp monitor so they could more accurately monitor the heart rate. We finally found that being on my left side (which was the side baby laid on and the side I had been most comfortable sleeping on for most of the third trimester) kept baby's heart rate happy. At 2am I started pushing, it was hard, it was amazing how much adrenaline was pumping through my body, especially after having been up for pretty much over 24 hours without real sleep/rest. Hunnie was so great, he held my head to my chin for me while I pushed. Everyone kept saying they saw a lot of black hair! I wasn't convince, I had doubts I was doing it right and that things were actually progressing but everyone was very encouraging. All the nurses came in and Sharon got prepared for the delivery. They told me that if baby did not cry right away they would not be able to put him on my chest. Baby was born at 3:28am, he did cry right away so Sharon cut the cord and he was immediately taken by the nurses to the warmer for suctioning. Couldn't believe how big baby was! The contractions stopped immediately and the pain was gone, Sharon stitched me up and I was pretty much still numb but just so distracted by this beautiful baby that was now here. My mom and Hunnie got to hold him first while Sharon finished up with me. Baby was already suckling and hungry and looking for food! I finally got to hold him and it was love at first sight! 
 

Week 40 - Happy Due Date Meepers!

How far along: 40 Weeks
Weight gain: Roughly 30-35 lbs for this pregnancy
How big is baby:  Pumpkin
Maternity clothes: Thinking about how this will probably be the last week where I'm proudly displaying my beautiful belly (versus hiding it post-delivery...). I've really loved how comfy all my maternity clothes have been!
This week: Feeling very tired, enormous, slow, waddling like a giant penguin, I'm thinking it's getting close because I'm feeling super uncomfortable which I consider a good sign since I had been feeling so great up until very recently...like too well to be going into labor anytime soon. Hunnie has been making me walk like crazy, we went to the mall and he purposefully parked at one end when the store we were going to was on the opposite end. We've been walking around there and at Costco and Fred Meyer and he makes me walk fast LOL I've been doing a lot of hip circles, lunges, squats, child's pose that I learned at prenatal yoga class. When I do want to sit down Hunnie makes me sit and bounce on the exercise ball. It's pretty cute, he has been googling ways to induce labor. In addition to the walking, bouncing, and yoga he has been massaging my ankles/hands, we went to eat spicy thai food (4 and 5 stars, haven't had anything that hot since before I got pregnant, man did it make us feel horrible after we finished eating), drank a ton of milk (to mimic the effect of castor oil, everyone was telling me to try this but I heard it tastes horrible). We also tested out the breast pump which was hilarious, we laughed so hard!
Movement: It seems to have slowed down a bit, probably because there is hardly any room left in there to move around
Food Cravings: Being so uncomfortable actually has decreased my appetite...
Belly button in or out: Innie
Pregnancy symptoms: Feeling twinges down below, things are definitely shifting around and preparing for baby's arrival YAY!
What I miss: I know I'm going to miss being pregnant and having baby in my belly so I'm just trying to cherish and enjoy this last week... (and if I knew what I know now that Caleb is almost 5 weeks old is that I would miss sleep and devoting time to the doggies...)
What I'm looking forward to: Finally meeting our baby boy!

Week 39

How far along: 39 weeks, home stretch baby!!
Weight gain: Holding steady since last week...
How big is baby:  Mini watermelon
Maternity clothes: Busting out of my maternity clothes now LOL
This week: Recovering from my cold last week, have been feeling really tired and achy especially at work, hoping this is a good sign though!
Movement: Still moving around, I can tell it's getting tight on space in there!
Food Cravings: I'm post-journaling (Caleb is actually 5 weeks right now) so honestly I can't remember what I craved this week LOL...yes, that's how crazy the past 7 weeks have been!
Belly button in or out: Innie
What I miss:  I'm already thinking about how I will miss having baby in belly, taking him everywhere with me, feeling his kicks/punches
What I'm looking forward to: So excited to meet baby! Can't believe it's only a week or so away!