Week 29 and Zantac

It is a very momentous week for me...due to my killer heartburn, I have graduated from Tums to Zantac. (*With the Academy Awards music playing in the background*)"I would like to thank my dear daughter, Emma, because without her, I would not be where I am today." =)

Larry and I spent a few hours working in her nursery today to install the chair rail. Larry is painting them as we speak so I'll post pictures after we take off all the tape. Emma sure is lucky that Larry and I love her so much already because lil' miss thang is going to have the nicest room in the house. =) 11 weeks to go and I am still stretch mark free. I don't want to get my hopes up yet, because I know there is still a lot of growing to go.

My laundry room construction is completed and I am very excited to have the washer and dryer back where they should be since I don't have a lot of clothes and going two weeks without laundry was rather painful. Now Larry just has to repaint the room (I'm sure he is just LOVING painting these days) and we have to get some new shelving units so my pantry won't be in my kitchen and dining room for much longer. All of the old units had to be taken to the dump due to a nice layer of mold developed from the water exposure. Yuk. Then I will cross my fingers to be house project free at least until after Emma is born.

Here are the belly pics of the week...

Goodbye carbs. =(

I had my 7 month doctor's appointment today. Here is the low down. My test results for gestational diabetes came back normal. The glucose in my routine pee-in-a-cup business was rather high today. Apparently this is due to the two pieces of pizza that I ate for lunch. I was told I need to decrease my carb intake due to how my body is processing them right now. Pthhhhhh. I love carbs! When the Atkin's diet became all popular, my first comment was, "I would rather be a blimp than not eat carbs." Well, the advice was not due to my weight....(although my 6 pound weight gain since last month was also discussed). So I will suck it up and modify my carb intake for the sake of Emma's health. Eliminating them completely is just not an option however! My total weight gain is now a hearty 25 pounds. With 12 weeks to go, I'm on the road to 40 pounds of chunkiness. Yeah baby! I told the doc my heartburn has been kind of a bother, but it has been manageable with Tums. She said I could take Zantac if it gets worse, which it probably will since my uterus will continue to compress my stomach, which is now just under my boobs.

I also had to get another needle stuck into my arm. This was my RhoGam shot (due to my negative blood type). I now have a fancy card to carry in my wallet saying I received this shot and to notify people that I am Rh negative. If after Emma is born, her blood type is positive, I will get one more shot. This is just to prevent problems with future pregnancys. We'll see if I'm game for another child after I give birth! =)

I was approved for my leave of absence at work so my tentative last day is May 8th. That does not seem so far away since February is almost over. I am very eager to see my baby but can patiently wait for her to "finish cooking". I reluctantly check my belly button every morning, but fortunately have not busted out the "turkey timer" yet. It is more shallow than before but not poking out. While I know this is totally normal, protruding belly buttons always kind of freaked me out. Still stretch mark free so hopefully that will continue but we will see! I have procrastinated all night on writing a paper that is due at 4 tomorrow, so I will pretend to be productive now!

My little B-Girl!

I am convinced Emma is break dancing in my belly. Last night she was moving so much, my shirt was moving all over the place. I wish I could take a peek and see what exactly she is up to. =) We had a pleasant weekend despite laundry room construction and so much clutter in my house that it is making me crazy! Larry finished painting her nursery yesterday. We had very good intentions of putting up the chair rail today, but seem to have lost our miter saw. Not that losing a saw is common. Perhaps someone just helped themselves to it in our shed. =( We will borrow one from a friend on Friday and hopefully get that finished and build her crib and dresser next weekend so I can post final photos.

Here's the belly at the start of my final trimester. We are in the home stretch now! (And I have reached the point of some serious muffin-toppin' it with the waistline...ew!)

If you're going to poke me, do it right!

No sickos, this is not a post about sex or Facebook. I had to take the day off work and didn't get home until almost 12 from my lovely 3-hour glucose test and now my arms look like a heroin addict! I thought I was going to pass out that first hour but was fine after awhile...until my second blood draw. The tech "had trouble getting the vein" which has never been a problem on the million times I've had blood drawn. She tried twice on one arm and moved the needle around everywhere hurting like all heck (which had already been poked for the first draw) and then gave up to use my other arm. Really, two extra pokings for a total of 6 made me grumpy. Hopefully I passed. That test sucks!! Two other women were in the lab to do their one hour and they were crying just attempting to gag the drink down and I secretly hoped for them that they passed and didn't have to come back and do this one! On top of all of that, my work laptop took a crapper about 45 minutes into my 3 hour adventure, leaving me with nothing to do for the remainder of my boring ass time in there. I wasn't even allowed to leave the office to make a phone call or to go get a book from my car. Lame lame lame. Lucky you are so loved Lil Miss Emma! The fabric for her bedding and her crib were delivered today. Can't wait to see the finished product!

Project Nursery

I chose to paint this room yellow when we bought the house thinking it would be a nice, neutral color for a nursery. Well, I wouldn't be a typical "nesting" mother-to-be if I didn't want to completely redo the baby's room!

Project Nursery...BEFORE

The pile of stuff on the rocking chair is Emma's already accumulating pile-o-stuff! The dresser will go against this wall.




The closet, still filled with tons of our crap! And this was before I finished hanging the closet doors, which was finally completed after almost 4 years in this house. =)



The corner by the window.




Project Nursery DURING.....

All of the white is still just primer. Larry plans on painting the white part next weekend and then we'll put up the white chair rail where the two colors divide.

The corner to the right of the window is where the rocking chair was.



The crib will go on the wall to the right of the door.




Yay, the closet is finally empty! The wall on the left side of the closet is the same wall where the crib will go, opposite the big window in the room.



I will keep pictures coming as we progress!

Fasting can kiss my butt!

Especially when I do it for no freaking reason!! I fasted in preparation for my 3-hour glucose test today. The lab was open at 7 so I arrived a little before 8. I had to stop by my doctor's office in the same building to pick up the lab order from the front desk. Well, the door was locked. Thanks to my handy Blackberry, I was able to look up and see that the doctor's office didn't open until 9. Waiting an additional hour was clearly not high on my list of priorities, but I did it anyways. My stomach was already growling at this point. =( I wasn't even allowed to drink water for crying out loud! At 9, I mosied on up to the office to find the door STILL locked. I went back downstairs and asked the lady at the information desk if some of the offices were closed due to the holiday. Low and behold, my stupid doctor's office was closed. I tried a quick pleading attempt at the lab to have them do the stupid test anyways so I wouldn't have to take a day off of work. Fat chance. Hungry and tearful at the fact that I was just trying to stay ahead of my life and clearly this was not in the cards for me, I headed home in the pouring rain. I have to have the test done before my next appointment on Monday so needless to say, I am not too happy to have to take time off of work for this. I am out of sick days, so my paycheck gets docked when I miss work now. =( Ugh. I am so irritated!

On a bright, ungrumpy note....Project Nursery has begun! Larry painted all the lavender in Emma's room and just has to paint the white and then put up the chair rail. Her crib should be delivered this week, along with the fabric for her room, and the vinyl hibiscus flowers to put on the wall over her crib. It looks so cute already...I can just picture having her in there! *tear* I took some before pictures and will take some "during" photos and post them when I am not too lazy to go to the other computer.

I went to the hospital yesterday to visit baby Grayson before Kelly and Jerry were able to go home from the hospital. He is ADORABLE!!! What a perfect, petite little face and SOOOO much dark hair! Emma kicked me as I was holding him, so perhaps this was her first "whattup" to her future buddy! Here are some photos of the handsome boy at one day old! =)

Emma Gets a Playmate

One of Emma's future playmates, Grayson, was born this morning and is a healthy Valentine's Day baby! I am so happy for Kelly and Jerry and can't wait to meet their new son! I can't believe little Emma is only 90 days away!

Friday the 13th and Week 27

Almost to the third trimester! Here's pics of the expanding belly. I am really looking forward to a 3 day weekend! =)

Bad attitude returns

Ugh, I am so grumpy today. Valentine's parties are overrated. I need much more structure in my school day. I am interested to see how I survive tomorrow! =)

A grandparent of one of my kids asked me today, "Are you sure your baby is okay? You look so small for being almost 7 months." Not so tactful. I wanted to just tell her to shut up. I told her the baby is growing just fine, she moves all the time, and everyone carries babies differently. I certainly don't feel so small. People need to keep their opinions to themselves. Grr.

So the arc of Clairemont is still afloat. Our house sprung a leak during the heavy rains this past weekend. A contractor came and checked it out today. Things are fixable. Just another expense at a inconvenient time. Oh well. Things always seem to work out.

Charlie horse leg cramps in the middle of the night have still be plaguing my sleep. I have increased my water, potassium, and calcium intake, so hopefully that will do the trick. I have been falling asleep on the couch and when I go to the room, I am not able to fall asleep again. This is annoying to lie awake until 2 and 3 in the morning. Sure makes for long days. I have decided that today needs to be over. Stay tuned for tummy pics....

A New Decade Begins....

My 30th birthday sure was a great one! Emma decided to be a calm baby the night before and let me sleep rather well! When I left for work, Larry had left me a rather touching card on my steering wheel. I cried of course. =) My friends at work were super sweet and brightened my day with flowers, a decaf vanilla latte, and sweet sincere birthday wishes. Even better was my Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni lunch! For those of you that don't know the history behind me and Hamburger Helper...here's a quick run down. Basically, I love the stuff. Grew up eating it over rice. I know it's not gourmet, but it is a comfort food for me. Larry is not such a big fan. I think his exact words were "it is white trash food!" So needless to say, it is never on our dinner table. =( When Larry asked me what I wanted for my birthday dinner, everyone was surprised that I didn't request Hamburger Helper. As an afterthought, I wondered why I hadn't either. Of course, spaghetti and meatballs were my request! Anyways, I felt lucky to have been indulged by the Hamburger Helper. Clearly my friends are in tune with my random desires!

Sorry for sidetracking there! Larry sent me beautiful roses to work with a card saying how he looked forward to many more birthdays with me and Emma. *tear* (again!) My day ended with a long IEP meeting, but it could have been worse. I received an outpouring of emails and phone calls. It really was a special day. I am so thankful for all of my friends and family and can't wait for Emma to meet all of them! Larry made me a delicious spaghetti and meatball dinner and my favorite misto salad. He even made sure to have pasteurized feta cheese since it is the only way I am allowed to eat it while pregnant. Damn it was good! I was unfortunately suffering for a rather gnarly cold, but indulged on some Sudafed cold, one of the few cold medications on my approved list. To end my evening, Larry emerged from the kitchen carrying an ice cream cake with a candle and purple icing. =) Yes, he even sang to me. And yes, I cried again. While a low key day, I couldn't have asked for anything more. =)

So, this post was a bit more about me than about Emma, but the purpose of me mentioning how wonderful my day was was because I seriously feel so lucky for the people in my life. I know Emma will be surrounded by so much love (and diversity!) which makes me so excited to bring her into this world. I have had thoughts of "man, I hope I didn't bring a baby into a world that is falling apart" but all of the worldly issues and the shitty economy seem so irrelevant when I realize how much LOVE will be in her life. 

My annoying news of the week was that I failed my one hour glucose test which means I have to go for the three hour test. Let me fill you in on how incredibly sucky this is for a pregnant woman. I have to fast from the night before. The lab doesn't open until 7:30 in the morning. They have to draw my blood and then I have to drink that nasty ass glucose crap again. Most of my friends said their drink was orange flavored but mine was lemon lime. The grossness of this sugary, syrupy, sort of gritty drink may have turned me off of Sprite for the rest of my life. Anyhow, then I have to stay at the damn office for THREE hours and they will draw blood every hour. Bottom line, I will be starving, probably nauseous from only having nasty sugar syrup in my tummy, and they will poke my arm FOUR times. Yeah, sounds like a blast. Pthhhh. I'm sure Emma will also express her displeasure with this event and kick me repeatedly wondering why I haven't given her any food yet! Normally by 11:30 ish I have already eaten breakfast and a snack (or two!) 

I can't believe that I have already reached the 6 1/2 month mark and there are less than 100 days left until my due date. I sure can't wait to see my little girl! My belly seems to be getting rounder and heavier every single day. You can check out new photos next week. ;) 

The belly is growing!

Here are week 25 photos of the belly. It seems to be getting bigger every day!


I think fatigue is starting to come back again. I am more tired again and more irritable. I am hoping Cruella from Trimester 1 does not revisit the world. That would sure be a shame for everyone around me! I went for appointment #3 of the week for my glucose tolerance test. Drinking that nasty crap was not the highlight of my Friday, nor was fasting beforehand. On my drive home, I was soooo starving so I had to indulge on a little McDonald's action. Fasting while pregnant should fall under the category of "cruel and unusual punishment." No wonder I was so grouchy at work today!

Baby Feet

I am rather obsessed with baby feet already, so I was very thrilled to get cute photos of Emma's feet at the ultrasound on Monday.

Here is one of her strong kicking feet, showing her tiny toes!


Here is both feet kicking me and trying to kick the ultrasound wand off of my belly.


And here is a profile shot of her face. She has one leg up by her chin/mouth and the spot above her forehead is her hand. She kept trying to cover her face! =)

Emma is not down with bedtime...

Week 25 symptom...my first true sleepless night. No matter what side I lie on, Emma is basically jumping on the mattress. Don't get me wrong...I love feeling all of her movements, but today I am pretty tired. I returned to class at SDSU last night and after 6 hours of learning after a long day at work, I was hoping to turn in early and have a peaceful night of sleep. Oh well. Now that I know what to expect for all of my classes, Larry and I will be signing up for some fun-filled baby classes soon that will work around my schedule. I have a final for one class scheduled on May 19th (yup, I'm still due on May 15th). Sounds like the professor will be flexible and allow me to take it early. I am bound and determine to graduate this semester, even if I am finishing projects on the way to the hospital!!

Update on this week's appointments...everything is looking spectacular. Emma is indeed still a girl, no doubt about it! She was very busy again during the ultrasound on Monday. She was engaged in her usual Tae Bo action and kicked the ultrasound wand every time the tech pressed down. Yup, that's my girl. She weighs in at a whopping 1 lb. 10 oz. (more or less) right now. She should be gaining 4-6 ounces per week in the coming weeks! I will post her super cute baby feet pics when I decided I'm not too lazy to do it!

My appointment today went well. Her heart is beautiful and strong and they were able to get the pics they needed from the ultrasound. I only gained 4 pounds this month. Woo hoo. That was even after devouring a delicious burrito right before my appointment. =) Doc says everything looks great and is on track just like it should be. I have to go in later this week to do my one hour glucose test for gestational diabetes and get some bloodwork done to see if I have built up any antibodies to her blood (this goes back to the whole Rh factor business I mentioned from my last appointment). Three doctors appointments in one week is a new record for me. I will wait patiently for my award. =) My hips hurt a bit more, as do my ribs and feet, but the aches and pains are still of such mild intensity that I feel like a whiner for even mentioning it.

I checked out a very promising day care on Monday (especially promising since my work covers 40% at this location!). We get priority on the wait list due to where I work. It made me sad to see these tiny babies being taken care of by someone that was not their mommy, but I know this is a reality that I have to cope with. At least Emma will be close to 3 months old before I have to drop her off. It is hard to think of giving your child to someone else to take care of before you even get a chance to meet her!

Well, she is still kicking rather actively as I type and lying awake in bed for nearly two hours has made me very aware of the fact that I'm hungry...again. Maybe if I feed this monkey she will go to sleep! Too bad a banana just does not sound so appetizing right now.

Headphones on the belly

Larry started putting headphones on my belly last week since he wants Emma to be exposed to music from a young age. Rock and roll made her kick. Rap made her be still as could be. The books I've read say babies are able to "hear" the music when you put headphones on your belly. I look a bit weird, but fortunately the headphones were Larry's old DJ headphones. If they stretched over his noggin', they can surely stretch over my belly! =) Time for another poll....what should Emma be listening to?

"Smart Girl's" New Outfit

One of my students proudly presented me with a gift bag the other day and said, "This is for Smart Girl." His mom told me she was sending in a few outfits but one of them my student had picked out himself. This is from my six-year old with autism, who was convinced that Emma was going to be a boy but now affectionately calls her "smart girl". He told me he picked this outfit so "smart girl can be a raccoon!" He was so happy to have me open it. Emma is ready for her first trip to Russia! =)


Tomorrow I will be visiting a potential daycare for Emma. It is scary to think of finding people to take care of her before I have even met her. After that, I have her follow up ultrasound appointment. I hope she is cooperative and turns outward so the tech can get a good picture of her heart! While they are down there, I am hoping they can check just to make sure she is still a girl! =) I am not going to buy lavender paint for her nursery until I am sure that she is a she! I really think that her umbilical cord is going to be in knots because she is a VERY active baby all the time. I'm glad she is constantly letting me know that she is there! Then my 6 month checkup will be on Wednesday. Only 16 more weeks til baby time!

Heartburn has really been a bitch lately. I have to pop Tums after nearly every meal. The newest thing that I am NOT a big fan of is rib pain. I know they are spreading as Emma is starting to occupy more of my abdominal space, but man, they are so sore! I feel like they just need to pop. Ugh. The things my body is going through for this baby. Hopefully they are just expanding and I won't have to replicate some of the broken/dislocated rib stories I have heard. I will fill you in after my appointments.

A milestone

Today, ladies and gentleman, I was called a "pregnant lady" in public for the first time. Although I am approaching the 6 month mark, I still get those questionable glances of "is she just chubby?" After a whirlwind tour around town to find bulletin board letters that match the ones I already have, I gave up on touring teacher stores and headed over to Starbucks with the gift card I won in the diaper raffle at Kelly's shower this weekend! =) As much as I heart my vanilla lattes, I ordered a decaf one. When the girl behind the counter called out my order to the barista, she said, "I need a decaf vanilla latte. Make sure it's decaf. It's for a pregnant lady." I guess this means that I can start snagging the "expectant mother" parking soon!

Shopping in Week 23

I had an IEP meeting at work on Friday and the goal is for us to dress a bit nicer than our everyday work shirts. I spent 45 minutes trying on nearly EVERYTHING I own on Thursday night. I could tell that Larry was trying to contain his laughter with some of the shirts because I looked like a sausage. =) The flowy, empire-waisted shirts were "in" before I was pregnant so I thought I'd be okay busting out the ones I had already. Well.....xtra-small/small does not look becoming on a pregnant woman who's boobs have grown two cup sizes. Pleats were being pulled all over the place. It was NOT pretty! Fortunately my mom had sent me some of her shirts of this style. Some of them my boobs cannot quite fill out yet, but I was saved to find a few (e.g. TWO) shirts that Larry thought looked cute. They looked cute but I certainly looked preggo in my opinion! I have had enough of ribbed tank tops so I decided to go shopping after work yesterday. That was a bust. Everything was a big fat thumbs down. Motherhood Maternity came through for me today and I was able to get a few cute shirts and a couple pairs of pants so I should be good to go! I have some cute long-sleeved shirts that work but it has also been 80 degrees lately in SD so long-sleeved make me too hot right now. My friend Kelly had her baby shower today. I can't believe she's due next month already! Here's a pic of the two of us.




Our bellies are touching cuz our babies are making out in utero. ;)

And here they are, my week 23 belly photos. Only 17 more weeks to go!!!

"So, Mai-wee, I can see the baby tomowoah pwease. I asked nicewee!"

Fortunately I have a student who says the FUNNIEST things to me lately to make me forget about the terrible day I had at work on Monday. During a tantrum, one of my kiddos whacked me in the stomach, so long story short, I won't be working with him for awhile. Emma moved around quite a bit afterwards. I had this vision of her beating the boys up on the playground when she is older. Right after the whack, she seemed to be behaving like, "Hey, who did that? Put 'em up, put 'em up....I'll hit you back sucka!" It was difficult to go through, but I feel very fortunate to have the full support of my bosses who are in protective "auntie" mode and will ensure that Emma and I are safe while I am at work.

So today, one of my 10 year olds had the funniest things to say. Yesterday he was upset that he couldn't see the baby right away. After explaining to him that she wouldn't be coming until May, he continued to request to see her tomorrow. Yeah, clearly I was off my rocker thinking I could rationalize this whole baby process to a 10 year old boy with autism! He insisted that he needed to see her smiling. I told him, "She IS smiling cuz you have been such an awesome boy today!" This is one he proceeded to try to lift my shirt, demanding to see her. Clearly, not an available choice for him and then he says, "So, Mai-wee, I can see the baby tomowoah pwease. I asked nicewee!"(Pronouncing "l's" and "r's" clearly are not his forte!) I assured him that we would put on his calendar that she was coming in May.

He clearly thought about this last night and continued to ask me about it again today. He finally gave up, then lifted his shirt and stared at his own stomach. "Mai-wee, I don't have a baby in my tummy, wight?" "No, " I responded. The out came his priceless comment, which I couldn't help but begin laughing hysterically....."So, Mai-wee, would it be expensive for me to buy a baby at the stow fow my bewwy? It would be expensive, wight?" Soooo innocent in his questioning and trying to rationalize this whole baby thing. I decided to leave a message with his mom this afternoon. Her child, her conversation to have with him! =) Man, I love that kid!

Little Miss Emma has been super busy and I feel like I am getting bigger every day. I can now feel her kicks regularly. Her favorite times to dance are in the early evening and she seems to go for awhile before she settles down. I've been going to sleep okay, with my pillow fort surrounding me, but then she likes to start being active around 3 now. Guess she's getting me ready for what it will be like once she is here! =) I can feel her just above my belly button sometimes now, but usually she's down lower. Now that I'm expanding more upward, I have been experiencing more heartburn lately. Tums are now my new BFF.

We will probably do some nursery planning this weekend since my free weekends without homework or a master's project to work on are slowly coming to an end. =( I am looking forward to a three day weekend and am even more happy that tomorrow is Friday!

Week 22 and all the changes

This past week has brought on some new pregnancy symptoms. I'm still feeling fantastic and am really enjoying being pregnant right now. I've had a few hormonal outbursts the past week, but all in all, I've been happier than ever! =)

Symptom: waking up with numb arms every night. No matter how I manage to sleep, my arms are numb when I wake up. The uber-tingles are not so much fun. I guess it's better than my legs falling asleep so I don't fall when I get up to go to the bathroom.

Speaking of bathroom, I am back to trimester one symptom: constant trips to the bathroom. Since Emma is lying sideways, she uses my bladder like a waterbed/trampoline. I will feel like I have to pee gallons and will rush to the bathroom to find I only have a shot glass worth. Her increased weight and activity have definitely decreased the bladder capacity. Larry and I were out of the house for barely three hours today. This entailed two trips to the bathroom while at Costco, and one at Von's. I would have also gone at Blockbuster, but they didn't have a bathroom.

Symptom: Karate kicks. Emma's kicks are much more noticeable now and much more frequent. The other day I was sitting on the couch looking at my belly and you could SEE where she was kicking. They don't hurt at all, it's just funny to watch. With her kicks getting stronger, Larry FINALLY got to feel her kicks for the first time. I'm not sure if he thought it was as cool as I did, but I've been dying for him to experience her movements. Emma decided to finally stop being stubborn and say hello to dad. =)

Symptom: Braxton Hicks contractions. While totally painless, this sort of freaked me out at first! My stomach would mound into a giant hard ball and then within a minute or so, relax back to its regular self. At first I thought it was the baby pushing out, but apparently these type of contractions can begin in the second trimester. The tightness was a bit weird.

Symptom: Teenager skin...again. Ugh, I had been free of breakouts for awhile, but low and behold, back to looking like I'm 13. Not a big fan of this at all! One month shy of turning 30 is not the ideal time to start experiencing what it's like to be a "pizza face".

Symptom: Tears...rivers of tears. I went through some patches where I didn't cry as much, but man, I'm back at it again. I see newborns, I get all choked up. I was watching "Bringing Home Baby" on TV the other day and was bawling when this couple brought home their twin daughters. Little girls sure are cute! We have been trying to plan out Emma's nursery. Not being able to find that perfect nursery idea make me cry thinking I would have an un-ready room for her. Fortunately that has passed. We have decided to go with a Hawaiian theme which I think will be super cute. The colors will be black, white, and lavender. I'm sure Larry can hardly wait to paint! =p

Symptom: Growing belly. Well, this one is pretty obvious. I wouldn't expect Emma to get bigger and my belly to stay small. I still don't feel too humungous yet, but I think I finally look undeniably pregnant. Here are some updated photos. I know it's only been a week since I posted the last one, but I figured my parents would appreciate the treat of having some pics a week before expected! =) Some people have asked if I have started getting the line below my belly button (the "linea negra"). While it looks like I have, I have also had a scar there for the past 10 years from a surgery, so in my opinion it still looks the same to me. Oh, and one more symptom. In this week's "mirror" picture, my hand is on my waist to cover my new found enemy....back fat. Gross. Black sure is a forgiving color for those extra pounds!



My repeat ultrasound will be in a couple of weeks to get better views of Emma's heart. Then my monthly checkup will follow a few days later. Ugh all of this will fall in the same week that I have to return back to the dreaded SDSU.

Practice with a princess, pure procrastination and a protective pooty-tat

My dear friend Khalielah just sent me a photo of me and her daughter Mahalia from her birthday lunch at Buca de Beppo's. My little niecey looks so sweet and peaceful. I'm not sure mommy agrees that her baby is a princess, but I sure think she is one! So how is this for some great practice? Aw, I just love this picture and can't wait to hold my sweet Emma. Note: the lesson from this experience=the burp cloth did not appear on my shoulder until AFTER Mahalia had already thrown up on my shirt. =)

Back to work tomorrow. Boo hoo. I miss the kids and all, but I have also been very content sitting on my booty doing nothing. It just makes me giggle feeling the baby move around and laugh even more since she still insists on stopping her kicks as soon as I put Larry's hand on my belly. I don't notice her movements as much when I'm so busy working so I've really enjoyed just looking like Al Bundy on the couch just feeling her move around.

My darling cat Chloe has been acting VERY strange lately. Larry and I have had her for the past 7 years and she has very clearly been Ms. Independent. I see her for food and she could care less for my affection otherwise. She would get especially moody with me after we had company or if I had been gone for a few days. She would pretend to walk over as if she wanted me to pet her, and then instead she would turn around and put her butt in my face! Yeah, very ladylike! She started sleeping at the foot of our bed Thanksgiving weekend and I figured that was just because she was scared of my dad's two dogs that were here. This behavior has now become part of her nightly routine. And wherever my feet move, Chloe moves on top of them. She follows me all over the house (almost tripped me once already!), even if I just go to the bathroom. I've been reading from other moms-to-be on one of my baby websites that their cat has been suddenly very lovey dovey as well. The most peculiar Chloe behavior was last night. I was sitting on the couch working on the laptop. She decided to jump up and lay across my tummy and began "kneading" her front paws all over my stomach. Clearly my kitty knows there will soon be another being among us. I just find it fascinating!

Well, since I can't convince Chloe to "knead" the keyboard and do some work for me, I better stop procrastinating and go get some work done. No more sleeping in until 9 for me. =( Thankfully I still have a few more weeks until I go back to SDSU....

Movin' on up....the alphabet!

Holy knockers Batman! Well, I have received several comments lately regarding this non-stop growing chest of mine! "Well, Maile, I'm not sure where you're putting those 18 pounds you've gained...except your chest." Yeah, thanks for noticing guys. I went bra shopping for the second time this pregnancy and have increased 4 inches (from a 36 to a 40! what the hell!?) and increased two cup sizes already. Sorry, boy blog-followers, if this is too much info, but this has been the major body change for me. And this is pre-lactating!? Good Lord, I can't wait to see if I can hit double letters of the alphabet! Yes, the belly is continuing to grow along with the chee-chees. I think once my belly gets bigger, my boobs won't look so much obviously larger.

Emma has been a very busy girl lately. I love feeling her move around. I have felt a few little kicks with my hand on the outside of my tummy, but as soon as I put Larry's hand there, she stops. Go figure, stubborn child of mine! I'm sure Larry will be able to feel her powerful punches in the next couple of weeks! We have started to talk about what we want to do with the nursery. We haven't made any big decisions but are both in agreement that Pepto pink is out of the question!

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. =)