Maternity Leave

I have been enjoying my job at The National Institutes of Health (NIH) very much. I've finally gotten into a groove and don't feel quite as overwhelmed as I used to. Starting in August, I'll be working from home more often and probably won't be working the full 40 hours per week. I have been so fortunate that my supervisors have been so flexible with my schedule. I'll be in my 9th month of pregnancy and I just want to take it a little easy before the baby comes.

Amelia is due in just 36 days!

I'm so looking forward to my 12 week maternity leave. Jimmy will be taking two weeks off initially and then a few weeks here and there for the first few months. Our families will also be visiting during the first few months to help us out too. I just know it's going to be tough since Jimmy and I don't really have a support system here in DC established yet.

If Amelia comes on time, I'll probably go back to work the first week of December. When I go back to work, I'll be working just 2 days a week, so I'm excited for my part-time schedule. I'm just hoping I can balance my job and being a good mom successfully. I'm so ready to switch my focus in my life to our little family.

Here's a picture of the building I work in. You can also see a little glimpse of the NIH campus.

The Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center

Week 34

Sorry for the extremely late post.  We had a severe storm this weekend and we were without power for 3 days... 3 looooong, HOT days.  Jimmy and I stuck it out and stayed at the apartment (most people went to hotels because of the heat).  We spent the days at work and evenings in places with air conditioning (out to dinner, malls, etc), so we really only had to be at the apartment to sleep.  It was super hot and going to sleep feeling hot and sweaty is not fun.  Besides having to throw away all the food from our refrigerator, we are now doing well now in our 71 degree apartment.

I can't catch a break!  Week 34 has been terribly hot, with temperatures rising over 100 degrees for most of the week.  My mile long walk to and from work has definitely been tough for me, so this week I (finally) started taking the shuttle from the Metro Station to my building, so that has helped me a lot.  I also used to bypass the elevator and walked up 8 flights of stairs to my office to get some additional exercise.... not anymore! 

I feel like lately I'm constantly at the hospital for appointments and classes.  I have my regular prenatal appointment every week and a separate visit for an hour of fetal monitoring.  At my last appointment, I found out I lost 2 pounds, so have to work on gaining more weight.  My dietitian wants me to gain a total of 35-37 pounds!  I have 6 weeks to go have gained a total of 23 pounds, so I'm not too sure if I can get to that target weight.  It's especially hard to gain weight when I have so many dietary restrictions due to my gestational diabetes.

I have to go to fetal monitoring every week because of my gestational diabetes.  During the fetal monitoring, I lay in a hospital bed for an hour strapped to a bunch of machines.  They monitor Amelia's heartbeat, movements, my blood pressure, check my amniotic fluid, and at the very end, they do a sonogram.  Jimmy and I love love love getting to see Amelia every week via the sonogram, so I guess that's a plus.  Last week, Amelia had the hiccups during the sonogram, so it was cute.  My gestational diabetes is under control and my doctor is very happy with my progress.

Jimmy and I have also been participating in several baby classes.  This week, we went to a cloth diapering seminar, birthing class, and learned Lamaze.  The birthing and Lamaze class was informative, but the instructor was a little bit too passionate about the topics and was over the top in her teaching style.  Of course, during the Lamaze breathing part, Jimmy and I couldn't stop laughing.  I don't really see myself using Lamaze during labor, but I guess it was good to learn about.  However, I really enjoyed learning all the massage positions ;0)  Jimmy will definitely be implementing those newly learned skills during my labor.

My belly has gotten so big, I can now fit into Jimmy's boxers.  I love wearing them around the house.

35 Weeks and wearing Jimmy's boxers ;0)

Bruce

We ended up selling Bruce (my truck) the other week. I have had the truck since I joined the army in 2003. We weren't exactly excited about getting rid of Bruce. He has served us very well with all of our moves and as a daily driver. We only need one car here in D.C. and since Bruce isn't exactly what I would call "kid friendly" we knew it was time to part. The great part about the whole process is that we ended up getting a great price for the truck and it ended up going to a nice Air Force family in Spokane. Later Bruce, hope to see you around some time.

Bruce and I after our long road trip from San Antonio to Spokane in April of this year.

Nursery Letters

Check out Amelia's custom, handmade letters for her room.  We ordered them from my favorite craft website, http://www.etsy.com/. Aren't they super cute?!  We're going to put them right above the crib.

Cloth Diapers

My friend/coworker, who is a "green" engineer for NIH, is also pregnant with her first child.  She's due just 3 weeks after me.  Somehow, we started talking about cloth diapers.  I told her that Jimmy and I were very interested in using them, but didn't know where to start.  She's a strong advocate for everything "green," so knew awesome resources.  It worked out perfectly because she had already planned on going to a cloth diapering workshop, so invited us along.

The workshop was last night and it was great! Jimmy has been gung-ho about cloth diapering from the very beginning, but I was a little bit hesitant.  Now that I've gotten more information and learned how to use them, I think cloth diapering is going to fit into our lifestyle very easily.  Cloth diapers have sure come a long way and they are a lot easier to use than I had expected. 

We're going to try out 3 different kinds for the first few months to see which one works for and fits Mia the best.  I'm posting pictures because family and friends think we're CRAZY and think cloth diapers are old fashioned and hard to use.  To clean them, you just wash them in your washing machine!  Like I said, they've come a long way... as you can see, they actually look like regular diapers.

Bum Genius Organic

All in Ones

(We'll get girly colors of course)

Smartipants

Pocket Diapers

Bum Genius

All-in-one (sized w/Velcro)

Week 33

Month 8 (weeks 33-36)

Miss Mia is now the size of a Honey Dew

According to the "Ultimate Man Guide to Baby Sizes" our little Mia is also as long as a

17 inch computer screen.

Almost there!  Only 49 more days until my due date.  It's a good feeling to have week 33 under my belt.  I have been feeling very well.  The heat is really the main thing that I'm having trouble with.  Temperatures in DC are still in the high 90's and the extreme humidity continues to be an annoyance.  I was born on September 7th, so now I know what my mom went through with me.   

My belly has also gotten much bigger, so it's been hard to find a comfortable position to sleep in.  I need 4 strategically placed pillows to get in a (somewhat) comfortable position, but then if I want to turn over, I have to reposition the pillows all over again.  I've been peeing a lot more too, so it's been hard to get a full nights sleep.

Jimmy and I went to our first baby related class and it was surprisingly informative and good.  We were both skeptical, but were pleasantly surprised.  It was an infant care class, so we learned about everything they do to the baby at the hospital and how to take care of a newborn.  I really felt like we were the "bad kids" in class because we were texting each other about random funny things (mostly about other people in the class), laughing at stupid stuff, and whispering to each other the whole time.  Everyone else was so serious!  Oh well, I guess we're just immature ;0) 

Mia is moving like crazy now in my belly!  I can literally feel and SEE her arms, legs, and body moving.  My belly morphs and looks lopsided sometimes, depending on how she's laying and moving.  Jimmy thinks it's awesome and tries to "play" with her by rubbing or poking at her.  The best part is that little Mia responds, and moves.  He calls my belly button his "portal" and loves to poke at it because the skin in much thinner in that area and Mia likes to knee me there.  When her knee is just below my belly button, you can really feel her!

We haven't really bought much baby clothes, but Jimmy decided to buy Mia a few outfits.  He is on the internet constantly looking at baby clothes and he finally bought some this week.  He picked out the outfits all on his own and I think he did a great job.  He bought 2 girly outfits and 2 punk/alternative outfits.  One of the shirts has a skull on it, but it's still surprisingly cute.  He even bought Mia her first pair of Vans.  He found a pink version of the Vans he currently owns... he is so excited to have matching shoes with Mia.   

34 Weeks

Georgetown Cupcake

Best. Cupcakes. Ever.

Red Velvet and Chocolate

Swollen Fingers

My fingers don't feel or look swollen to me, but I can't even get my rings past my knuckle.  The ring that's fully on has been stuck there for about 2 weeks.  I guess I'm more swollen than I originally thought!

Week 32

The last three months have been action packed and very busy for us. We have loved travelling, having overnight guests, visitors, get togethers, parties, lunches, and dinners with friends and family. Jimmy and I have definitely been social butterflies in recent months. DC has been a great move for us and has made so many people accessible to us. If you're ever in town, look us up!

Rudy enjoying the crib

Having said all that, July 4th weekend was the first weekend in almost 3 months that we've had COMPLETELY to ourselves. I did not leave the apartment! In fact, I don't even think I got out of my pajamas ;0) Jimmy left twice, once to buy groceries and another time go to the gym, but other than that, we were hermits. It was awesome.

I spent most of the time with my feet up and taking naps whenever I wanted. I regained lots of my energy and all my swelling went away! I lost almost 2 pounds. I'm assuming the weight loss is from my body returning back to normal size once the swelling subsided. My shoes fit again, yay!

I'm so happy to have week 32 under my belt and I'm now officially in my 8th month of pregnancy. It's kind of scary to think we have less than 60 days until my due date. My co workers and mother-in-law all think I'm going to have the baby early, so I guess we'll have to see what happens!

This month is jam packed with baby related classes and medical appointments. It makes me so thankful that we got most of the baby items early. The only large items we need to take care of are deciding on which bottles and diapers to use. I definitely want to breastfeed, but want to be prepared with bottle options if it doesn't work out. Jimmy and I are going to a cloth diapering seminar next week, so that will help us make a decision on that too. I'm pretty sure we want to at least try cloth diapers, but we want to go to the seminar and meet other people who have or are currently using them, learn how to use them properly, and check out the products before committing.

In Jimmy news, he recently purchased Lullaby Renditions of Bob Marley for Mia.  He's also going through this 80's music phase, so insists that we play 80's rock ballads to my belly.  He's also hoping that Mia will be a karaoke lover like us.  One of Jimmy's signature karaoke songs is "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" by Air supply, so he's been playing that all the for her time too. 

I've been feeling so much better!  I just have to takes things a lot slower and I get tired easily.  I really think all the swelling I had was from being outside and on the go for the past few weeks.  The carpal tunnel hurts the most in the morning, but by the afternoon, my hands feel so much better.  I also feel lots of pressure in my lower abdomen, but that's normal.  So far, I've got the gestational diabetes under control; my sugar levels are right on track. It's just been really hard to cut down on carbs/sugar and I hate waiting 2 hours between meals and snacks.  Things, in general, are going pretty smoothly. 

Mia's kicks are focused on the right side of my belly and she gets the hiccups at least once a day.  When she moves, it deforms my whole belly and freaks me out a lot.  I'm always scared I'm going to hurt her in some way.  I'm so looking forward to meeting her, but I will really really miss her when she's not in my belly anymore too.  Is that weird?  I love having her with me all the time ;0)

33 1/2 weeks

Week 31

As you can tell from my previous blogs, week 31 was a super busy week!  My brother, sister, and sister-in-law all flew in from Washington (state) for a visit.  They usually come to see us once a year, but this time we were able to coordinate dates so they all arrived at the same time.  They were here for a week and we went to the National Mall, downtown DC, relaxed by our pool, went to the beach (Ocean City and Bethany Beach), ate breakfast in Baltimore, and visited Georgetown. 

I really pushed myself as we did lots of walking, spent lots of time in the sun, and went on a long road trip.  By the end of the week, I could barely walk and my body was permanently swollen.  However, I had a great time with my siblings.  We always seem to have fun when we're all together and I'm glad we are so close. 

One evening, Amelia had the hiccups and Jessica, Steven, and Jennifer were all able to touch my belly and feel her movements.  It was so cool!  It makes me sad to think that Amelia won't get to spend lots of time with her awesome uncle and aunties since we live so far away.

These past few days, I've been relaxing, putting my feet up, and getting lots of sleep.  My body hasn't fully recovered from their visit yet.  However, I think a lot of the uncomfortableness I have right now is simply because I'm in my third trimester and things usually don't get better as you get further and further into the pregnancy.  I've been having Braxton Hicks (false contractions), stiff hands (carpal tunnel), swollen feet, hip pain, and lots of pressure in my lower abdomen if I'm sitting or standing for too long.  It all sounds pretty bad, but I'm doing well and still go to work... I just take things a lot slower.

Jimmy has been awesome and has totally stepped it up for me.  He's been doing all the chores and running all the errands... and I don't even have to ask him for help.  He just does it on his own!  In fact, he asks ME if there's anything else he can do.  I definitely feel guilty laying on the couch or in bed while he's taking care of everything.  I love taking naps and waking  up to a clean house!  When I do get up to do some chores, he gets upset and tells me that I'm pushing myself to hard and need to rest. He is such a catch!

Last week, I also started treatment for gestational diabetes.  Jimmy and I were shocked when they told us about the diabetes.  The doctor said that I fell into several high risk categories because diabetes is very prevalent in both my mom and dad's side of the family, I'm Asian, and that I'm "older" (meaning 25+ years old).  Apparently, my glucose test was borderline, but they will treat me for gestational diabetes just to be on the safe side. 

I'm not on any medication, but just control my blood sugar by altering my diet.  I have a Glocometer and have to check my sugar levels 4 times a day...that's FOUR finger pricks a day!  It's been good so far and I haven't really had to alter my diet too much, since I eat pretty healthy anyway.  The things that I find difficult is timing all my meals and limiting my fresh fruit, and fruit juice intake... oh yeah, and no more lemonade :(  By far, the hardest part has been limiting my carbohydrate consumption!  Everyone who knows me, knows I LOVE LOVE LOVE carbs!  I've only had one abnormal reading since I started using the Glocometer, so I'm confidant that I can manage this. 

From now on, I also have to be seen once a week by a specialist in addition to my normal prenatal appointments and at week 36, I have to be seen two times a week, also in addition to my regular prenatal appointments.  That means, in my 9th month, I'll be seeing a doctor three times a week! 

Little Amelia is doing well.  She right on target as far as her growth and she is very very active!  Her head is still in the lower, right part of my belly.  She moves the most right after I eat and right before bed.  Sometimes I feel her foot or arm reach around the right side of my belly, which is so weird!  I have also been feeling movements higher in my belly.  I can't wait to hold her! 

Week 32 1/2

Only 60 days to go!

A view from the top...

At least I can still see my feet!

Team Sleep

I think Steven slept though half of his vacation.  Please note that all these pictures were taken in the middle of the day.  We think he might have narcolepsy.

Sibling Summer Beach Trip

While my brother and sisters were in town, we spent most of the time at the beach!  We went to Ocean City, Maryland for a few days and then spent the last day at Bethany Beach in Delaware.  The weather was perfect!  It was really sunny and the temperatures were in the high 80s and low 90s the whole time we were there.  We spent the days just hanging out at the beach and the evenings on the boardwalk.

Next year, we hope to get together again and do the same thing!  We can't wait to bring Amelia to the beach!

Steven, looking like he should be on an episode of Miami Vice, at Bethany Beach

Ocean City, Maryland

It was so beautiful! 

The first day we were there, we pretty much had the beach to ourselves.

Jimmy swimming

(Ocean City)

Jessica Chillin'

(Ocean City)

Jessica surprised by a wave

(Ocean City)

Jessica and Jennifer heading out to swim

(Ocean City)

Steven and I enjoying the sunshine

(Ocean City)

Jennifer at the Candy Shop

(Ocean City)

Jennifer and Jessica... the diva's have arrived

(Ocean City)

Jennifer and Jessica showing off their Slurpee's and new boogie boards

(Ocean City)

I was feeling really fat in my bathing suit, especially next to skinny girls Jennifer and Jessica. 

It took a lot of courage for me to rock out the maternity bathing suit

(Ocean City)

Jessica's Hammerhead Shark and Jennifer's Little Mermaid boogie boards

(Ocean City)

Jimmy was always out in the water!

(Ocean City)

All you can eat crab!

Bethany Beach, Delaware

The Gadingan kids

(Bethany Beach)

The Lehman kids

(Bethany Beach)

Jimmy and I enjoying the water.

(Ocean City)

Coming back from wave jumping.  The water was actually really warm! 

It was fun, but a huge wave came and almost knocked me over.

(Ocean City)

Dinner in Ocean City

It was Senior Week 2010 while were were in Ocean City, ha ha ha.

Ocean City Boardwalk

There's a full moon in the background

Ocean City Boardwalk

Jennifer and Jessica jumping for joy!

(Ocean City)

Chilaxin'

(Ocean City)

Chilaxin'

(Ocean City)

Chilaxin'

(Ocean City)

Chilaxin'

(Ocean City)

Bike ride on the Ocean City Boardwalk

Ocean City Boardwalk