All that movement and we still need another ultrasound?

I had my 20 week check up today. 6 more pounds on my ass since last month. Woo hoo! I tried to joke and tell the nurse that they told me I didn't have to get weighed this time right after Christmas. She didn't even crack a smile and pointed to the scale. Bah humbug to her! This brings the grand total to 18 pounds so far. Ugh, and I haven't even had the bulk of my weight gain yet. Oh well. I did indulge in the Endless fries at Island's today so I'm not really all that surprised to be packing on the pounds! =)

On a brighter note, the results of the AFP test (for genetic abnormalities) all came back good and we had less than a 1 in 10000 chance of having a baby with Down syndrome. The doctor did review the ultrasound with me. As active as little Emma was, they didn't feel that there was a clear enough picture of her heart so they wanted me to go back for another ultrasound when she is a bit bigger, in a month or so. Clearly she could tell by the look on my face that I was worried, but she assured me that it was not because they suspected anything was wrong, but just because of how the baby was positioned they didn't have a clear enough picture. She said, "Hey at least you get to see her again before she's born!" Emma had a very healthy heartbeat again today so I am really not worried.

I asked about the big giant red sticker on my chart that said "Rh-negative". Apparently 80% of the world has Rh-positive blood so there is a chance that if my blood mixes with the baby's that I would build up a sensitivity that could cause my blood to attack the baby's. I will have to get a shot at 28 weeks and then right after I deliver and all should be fine. She said if I could prove that Larry had Rh-negative blood (98% of Asians are positive as well!) they could forgo the shots. Leave it to me to be different so I will just have the shots, no biggie.

I have entered into a pre-nesting phase, also known as I feel the need to take everything to the dump! I am determined to empty out these damn closets before the new year starts! The trick is to take everything there while Larry is at work so he doesn't develop a rekindled love for that empty box that has been taking up space in the closet for three years! Hopefully no boxes fall on my head! =)

Our Christmas surprise....It's a girl!

Larry and I went to our big ultrasound appointment on Friday December 19th. It was the only thing that kept me positive throughout the long work week. Part of me thought that my child would not be cooperative so I wasn't banking on getting to know if Lil Lui was a he or she, but was hopeful to get to find out. I told my parents that we couldn't get an appointment until January 9th, with the hope of surprising them with the news at Christmas. So the 40 ounces of water an hour and a half before the appointment made me a bit edgy. This poor ultrasound tech was going to push on my belly and bam, I was going to pee all over the table! Fortunately she was very aware of my discomfort so she took a few quick measurements and then let me go to the bathroom before all of the fun began.

Within moments, we were able to see my active little baby on the screen. Since my last ultrasound was at 7 1/2 weeks and the baby looked like a gray blob, this was a truly amazing experience for me. It really looked like a baby. The ultrasound tech froze the shot and said, "Well looks like we have a little girl here" and pointed out the goods. I began crying immediately. She let me know the tissues were right next to my head. Clearly I am not the first mom to start crying. I couldn't believe I was going to have a little girl! Here is that photo. The three lines indicate that Lil Lui is indeed a little girl!



Lil Lui was very cooperative and the tech was able to get photos of everything she needed to...the heart beating, her spine, her kidneys, the brain, arms/hands, legs/feet. At one point the baby was sticking her butt up like a stink bug and displaying her acrobatic flips. I could have stared at the screen all day long. I pretty much sobbed through the whole appointment. Here are the other photos.



This first photo is the one we copied and put in a frame for my parents. I put pink footprints and handprints on the frame with a sticker that said "Thank heavens for little girls." At the bottom I put pink letters that said, "Love, Emma Kalai" which is the name we decided on. We both liked the name Emma and Kalai is after my grandma. It is a Hawaiian name meaning "the calm, peace". It was very hard to keep the secret from my parents and grandma for almost a whole week, but it was sure worth the look on their faces when they opened the box and finally registered that they were going to have a granddaughter.



Here is a photo of Emma doing her yoga moves. Shortly after this photo, she had her toes in her mouth! The wad under her knees is the placenta. She insisted on moving for the WHOLE appointment!




She was very tired after all of the work. This is a photo of her mid-yawn. It was so amazing to see her yawning and putting her hands in her mouth.

We called a lot of our friends shortly after the appointment since there was no way, I could keep this news a secret. After I got home, I went out to buy a pink dress. I just had too! =) Now the secret is out and we are both thrilled to be able to officially call Lil Lui SHE now! She is a very active baby and I feel her movements a lot more. She gave me quite a few kicks while I was sitting in the car. I guess she is like mom and not a fan of sitting either! It feels so much more real now and I am so excited to meet her! I can't believe I have hit the 20 week mark already and my pregnancy is half over! I think with 5 uncles, 3 grandpas, and softy Larry for a daddy, Lil Emma is going to have the men in her life wrapped around her little finger!

Long car rides suck and so does this IPhone!

So I am not a big fan of sitting for hours. We are on the way back to San diego and I have been sitting in this stupid car for hours. I should also add that sitting equals the baby kicking the crap out of me. Clearly Lil Lui is not a fan of sitting either. I decided to pass some time and update the blog from Larrys phone since my Blackberry wouldn't let me log in to create a new post. However, I just so happen to despise this ridiculous touch screen keyboard which never types the words I want and slows my typing to one word per minute! I obviously have put on some weight lately but I know my fingers aren't fat! Grr! So when I am home and in a much less pissy mood, I will update everyone on our holidays and how the family took the news that we are having a baby girl! Yep Lil Lui is officially a she!

Week 19

Some great things mark this end of this week. The big 3-0 birthdays have begun. Congrats on reaching this milestone Andrea and Khalielah! =) This means I am just around the corner. When I was a kid, thirty seemed sooooo old, but now I feel like life really begins at 30. I am especially excited to eat Italian food for Khalielah's B-day tomorrow. Lil Lui will be pleased with Keekah's choice of Buca di Beppo so mommy can have some spaghetti and meatballs! 

I am excited that the semester is finally over! One more to go and I can finally spend some time away from school. That will be an AMAZING feeling!! I have "senior-itis" for sure but the light is at the end of the tunnel so I'm sure I will make it. I'm not sure if I'll still fit in those tiny little desks by May, though. =( I am also very excited to finally get a two week break from work. I love my kiddos and all but they have run me ragged this week! I am really looking forward to seeing my family for a few days next week. Hopefully the grapevine cooperates and does not close due to snow. I also hope I don't have to visit every rest stop along the way. I debated just wearing diapers so I don't have to stop but that sounds a bit too "I'm driving across the country to kill a woman and there is no time for peeing." There is no doubt that the belly has grown since the last photo. I still feel blessed for not looking too huge for being almost 5 months along. Here are some updated photos to keep all my blog-followers happy! =)

"Calm down Mommy or I will kick you!"

Lil Lui was an active little bugger today, but today was also a pretty stressful day at work. I take that as a sign that two weeks off is going to be a much needed break! It is weird to feel the baby move more all of a sudden. I've always been very in tune with my body and clearly all the movement is the baby's way of telling me to chill out. I chilled out this afternoon with two cheesy beef burritos from Taco Bell and a Dr. Pepper. How's that for healthy choices?! =) Hey, without wine, it's the best I can do! The highlight of my day was my darling 6-year old student....oh let's just call him Brian for the sake of confidentiality. Well, Brian was a pooper today but this morning he gave me the bubbliest 'good morning' and put his hands and my belly and said, 'good morning smart boy' into my tummy. I almost shed a tear (big surprise). Even on the toughest days, I can still always reflect on one amazing thing that happened to make me smile. =)

Five more days....

Yep, I'm counting down. Friday will mark the end of this crappy semester and the start of Winter Break at work! It has been a grueling four months and I can't believe that I have almost made it. Here's the update on my child...

Lil Lui got to have his/her first "real" Chinese food dinner last night in LA. He/she seemed to enjoy it, even the red bean soup which I normally HATE. (Who decided hot bean stuff makes a good dessert?) I had to pass on the abalone because it still looks repulsive to me. It was a good meal with the Lui family. Hopefully Lil Lui won't be a picky eater since we will certainly want to expose the baby to all different types of food! Larry is adamant about monthly Sunday dim sum (once the baby eats solid food of course.)

I have been having very frequent dreams about having a little girl. I am not convinced that is what we are having, but I am anxious to get to know.  One of my students told his mom that I was "growing a very smart little boy." Kids with autism seem to have a weird sense about all of that. I really don't know how people wait until the baby is born. I am WAY too anal to wait that long. I'm already annoyed that I have to wait until I'm 20 weeks along! Larry's mom gave us our first set of baby onesies....neutral colors of course. I cannot wait to get to buy little boy or girl clothes and start preparing the nursery for our baby!

Lil Lui is much more active these days. I'm not feeling kicks exactly yet, but more like popcorn. Stronger than the flutters I was feeling before. It is amazing to me that there is a BABY in my stomach. There is definitely more movement in the evening. My back is starting to ache more these days, but nothing to complain about. Lil Lui is now about 5 1/2 inches from head to booty and weighs about 7 ounces. We get the results of my AFP test at my next appointment on Dec. 30 so I am hoping that my little monster is healthy and developing how he/she should be. Ugh, I'm sick of having a he/she! =p

Hot chocolate knees, spit-filled hair, and a lil' bit of sappiness...

The part of my job that I love the most is that there is never, ever, a dull moment. I had a new student start today. My, is he precious! Quite the busy little six-year old with autism. He likes to clear surfaces of things in his way. Today, that included the traveler mug of one of my assistants filled with hot chocolate that made a nice addition to our carpet. Later in the day, I was helping with another student (who, mind you, was repeatedly spitting at me) and had to kneel down on the carpet. After a few seconds, I felt a wetness seeping through the knees of my pants. At first I thought the child I was currently with had spit so much that the carpet was REALLY that wet. Ewww. When I stood up and saw my brown kneed jeans, I realized the carpet was still wet from earlier in the day. Awesome. So I was off to a do a group presentation later that evening with dirty ass pants, spit stains on my shirt, and most likely spit in my hair. How hot am I?! Yeah, baby. I made sure to inform Larry when I got home that if our child EVER spit at us or one of their teachers, I would smack their mouth and he needed to do the same. I am SOOOO not down with spit. Bleh. Kick me all you want, but spit, and you will have hell to pay!

This has also been a very reflective past few days for me. I have done a LOT of complaining about school lately. Yes, I have been legitimately stressed out about it, but in retrospect, I am okay. A dear friend of mine lost her father to cancer this past weekend. Another friend had to check her little sister into rehab. We all fight our personal battles and most of us (especially in my profession) keep everything to ourselves and put on a happy face. I have been underappreciative of everything that I have in my life. Sometimes being positive is just so HARD. The one thing that puts a smile on my face everyday is the thought of meeting my baby in 5ish months. Thanks, Lil Lui, for reminding mommy of the amazing things that happen in life. Despite my new-found backaches and "popcorn" feeling movements when I am trying to sleep, I know everything I am dealing with in my life right now will all be worth it in the end.

Week 17 Photos

This will probably be the last photo of me in non-maternity jeans. These bad boys are getting a bit too tight. Don't mind my messy hair. It's Saturday and blow drying is too much work! And clearly Mama Lui just was not really in the mood for photos today. =)

SEVEN Pounds!??

Yeah, clearly I have no problem eating. I had my four month check up yesterday. I have gained 7 pounds since my last appointment a month ago. I would like to blame Thanksgiving and my obsession with french fries for this spectacular weight gain. This brings my total weight gain to 13 pounds so far. Yep, on the road to 40 lbs. Sexy. Lil Lui had a nice strong heartbeat, when he or she wanted to be still enough to be heard on the doppler. The nurse commented that I have a very active baby because he/she was CONSTANTLY moving. This is a good sign, though. =) I've been feeling those first "tummy flutters" of baby movement the past week or so, which is pretty cool. I mostly feel them when I lay down to go to sleep at night. Of course my child would want to be active when mommy is ready to go to sleep. I look forward to being able to feel real Lil Lui movements in the coming weeks. Larry and I will be able to go to a full anatomy ultrasound soon, which is also when they can hopefully tell the sex of the baby. I can hardly wait to know if Lil Lui is a he or a she!!!!!!!!!