Baby Cliff Chang, Welcome to the World.

We have officially been parents for 2 and a half days now!

This 16th of September, we welcomed our new baby son, Cliff Chang, to the world @ 6:38AM.

What can I say about the childbirth experience? Hah, plenty. =P

First off, a note to all my dear girlfriends: contractions just feel like really bad cramps. I don't know why, but nobody ever told me that!

So here's the story...

Early Monday morning, Yi-Hua finally got back to Taiwan. I was full of relief cuz I was no longer worried I would have to go through the whole childbirth experience alone. That day we went to the Obygn for a checkup and she said I was only 1 cm dilated, but the baby should be here within a week.

Tuesday we ran around running errands. At night we went to a shopping center and started climbing stairs. We had been told by many people that when you want your baby to come out sooner, just walk and exercise a lot, especially by climbing stairs. So stairs we did. That same evening, we went to the movies and watched "Going the Distance." Throughout the movie, I was already starting to feel kinda uncomfortable... like experiencing some weird cramps every now and then. But they weren't really coming by clockwork, so I just kinda didn't think too much bout it. That night, I kept on getting those weird pains every now and then. Yi-hua kept asking me if I wanted to go to the clinic to get checked up just in case, but I was stubborn and just kept saying no.

Wednesday was the day before my due date. I was still getting those cramp like feelings, but I just kept ignoring them. Now that I think about it, I was being really stupid by being stubborn and ignoring the pains. Anyway, I told Yi-Hua I wanted to spend the day out cuz I was afraid if I did have the baby soon, I'd be under house arrest for the whole month after that. So by the time I could leave the house again, Yi-Hua would already be back in Malaysia. So that afternoon, we went out to visit some family, did some shopping, and had ourselves some afternoon tea. All the while we were out, we'd be walking walking walking, then I'd have to stop all of a sudden cuz the "cramping" would come. It'd be painful enough that we'd have to wait about 30 seconds before continuing whatever we were doing, but not painful enough to double over or make ow ow ow sounds. At night, I kinda still wanted to go out and do some more shopping, but Yi-Hua wouldn't let me cuz he could obviously tell I was in pain before I could. =P So that evening was just like any other evening... watched some episodes of Desperate Housewives on the computer, went on FB, chatted for a while, etc...

8PM Wednesday... we were in the living room watching TV. I had nothing better to do, so I actually decided to chart these "cramps" of mine. I was starting to wonder if what I was feeling were actual contractions. But I thought to myself... "nah, if these are contractions, then this baby thing has got to be too easy..." But just in case they were, I started writing down the amount of time between the"cramps" and how long they lasted.
8:00pm - 30sec
8:12pm - 30s
(shower)
8:45pm - 30s
9:07pm - 30s
9:28pm - 30s
9:50 pm - 40s
(research research) ...well... all the readings say to not go to the hospital unless you have contractions that are constantly about 5-7min apart and last from 50-70 seconds. For all I knew, I was just having bad cramps...
10:05pm -40s
(sidetracked with other stuff)
12:07am (the 16th) - 40s
12:47am -40s
1:07am -40s
(this is me thinking, "this charting thing is boring... I'm going to bed")

3:45am... why am i not asleep yet?
3:50am... this is very annoying...
3:59am... i have to go pee again?
4:05am... I wonder if I should wake Yi-Hua
4:12am... I can't remember what it was ever like to sleep through the night
4:19am... OK... I think we gotta go to the clinic... JUST IN CASE...
Yi-Hua grabbed the cameras and the backpack and the "ready for baby suitcase" and we were off to the clinic.
4:28am... (on the car ride there, I'm thinking... oh crap, what if this is a false alarm and the doctor sends me home. how embarrassing would that be)
4:36am... ok... these "cramps" are REALLY getting on my nerves
4:43am... @ the clinic and off to the second floor for some tummy monitoring.

That was when I found out I was already 7cm (out of 10cm) dilated, and that my "cramps" were actually contractions. The nurse was asking me why I hadn't come in earlier... and all I could say was, "I didn't know that I was having contractions." So the nurse told me to lay in the bed and I was monitored by a machine charting the baby's heartbeat and cervix dilation. Every now and then the nurse would come in and check to see the progress. I'm not going to say how, but it made me kinda uncomfortable. At that point in time, my water hadn't broken yet, so she had to go in there and do it manually. Once again, i will not go into detail on how she did that... but yes, once again, it was very uncomfortable. LOL I knew it wouldn't happen like the movies where oftentimes the pregnant woman's water would break in the most unlikely places like the bank or the grocery store or the airplane... but having it done for me was just a little ghetto. Anyway, the next thing she told me was to tell her when I felt the need to go poo. Here's me thinking... "oh gosh, this is so embarrassing..." Anyway, about an hour or so after I started laying on that clinic bed... I felt "the need to poo." So Yi-Hua went out and told the nurse. She came in "and checked"... and IT WAS TIME. So yes, by that time, the contractions were painful enough for me to make some "grrr...urrr... oooh... owww..." noises, but nothing too terrible. They wheeled me off into the delivery room across the hall and I had to go sit on a very uncomfortable chair. No, it wasn't uncomfortable in the manner that it lacked padding and all, but I just did not like the vulnerable position it left me in. After that, the pains started getting kinda intense... I started wondering why again it was that I did not want to get an epidural or use other pain med. Anyway, I had not taken any classes on how to give birth... but I had learned enough from TV to breathe light breaths. Anyway, by the time the doc came for the actual pushing part, I was pretty much oblivious to what was going on. OMG, I just remember I was making screaming noises that I didn't know were possible. I was embarrassed at first, but I guess enough pain makes you put your guard down. Between screaming, I heard the doc counting 1 to 10. I remember thinking, "what the hell are you counting for, just tell me when to push..." And then Yi-Hua was behind me giving me words of encouragement, but I was really just thinking, "are you kidding me, that's not helping me get this thing out!" But no, I had to give him credit for staying in the delivery room with me. I remember between the screaming, I kept asking him if he wanted to leave the room. But he stayed there like a good husband. Anyway, I didn't know how many major pushes it took, but they told me it was all finished in 15 minutes. And then there was the little baby cry! Next they laid the baby on top of me for like a minute. Next I blacked out. When I woke up, I found out that the doctor had given me some drowsy medication + some pain medication so that she could sew me back up. I had agreed to get an episiotomy to avoid getting a big ugly even more painful rip down there. So when Yi-Hua came in to see me about an hour later, I guess I was still a little drugged up cuz I remember having a goofy smile on my face, and babbling stuff, but I could not open my eyes even if my life counted on it. Anyway, after another 15 minutes, I snapped out of it, and life was back to normal. Except now, we had an extra wonderful little bundle of joy!

Nearing the Finish Line

The last few days have been filled with a lot of running around. Now that Yi-Hua is back, I'm finally released from house arrest! However, over the period of just these last 3 days, I can actually feel my body changing.

I had been complaining bout lack of good sleep before, but yesterday was probably the worst. It actually wasn't due to baby kicking, but rather, minor contractions mebbe? I'm not sure... or it could just be the Braxton Hicks thing. hah, the first time I had heard of that term was in an episode of "Friends" where Rachel is pregnant. haha

For some reason, I thought that contractions would be something like the whole stomach area cramping up... but so far, it's just been like those cramps that you normally get during your period. (Except longer and more often). They kinda started yesterday night while we were @ the movies. Then progressed through the night and most of today. Right now, I'm getting these supposed contractions for about 30 seconds every 12 minutes. But all my readings say that you don't need to go to the hospital til the contractions last about 60 seconds and are as close as 5 minutes apart. Man... that's not gonna be fun.

The vocab I keep running into these last few days have not been pretty... bloody show... mucous plug... cervix dilation... water breaking... pain... etc. I have like a million websites bookmarked although they more or less say the same thing.

So I think it's decided that our baby boy is gonna be named Cliff. It wouldn't be my absolute 1st choice, but I spose I can get used to it.

We're all set to go to our clinic. I've showered... taken off all my jewelery, have a suitcase packed, and a set of clothes I can change into in case the need comes in the middle of the night.

I don't know why, but I feel strangely calm. What's the point of being nervous, right? It won't help except make things stressful. Anyway, if I make an "I'm in pain face," Yi-Hua will get all worried and ask if I need to go to the clinic. Okay it's not funny, and I know I need to stop doing that otherwise it's gonna grow old real quick. So mostly I just try to take a couple of deep breaths each time these contraction things come along and not let anyone know.

Kinda sleepy now, but don't feel like crawling into bed just quite yet. Mebbe in a lil bit. ^^

Within 1 week!

Does baby have good timing or what? So last night, or might I say this morning, Yi-Hua got in around 12:30AM. And then this morning, there was some red on my knickers. I wasn't worried thought cuz there was no pain, and the OBGYN had warned me that that would happen near the week that labor might occur. But seriously, today was the first day that I'm finally feeling like this baby is ready to come out. And now that his dad is back, I'm ready for him to come out any time!

I did have my 39 week appointment today though. I am now @ 62.7kg and baby is @ 2734grams! That's a tad bit over 6 pounds! Woohoo~~ During the ultrasound, Baby decided to hide his face from us so we didn't get any good pictures. I think he's kinda running out of room inside. Hah.

Anyway, today I had to go into the "other" room to see how much I'm dilated. That's the second time I've been in there and it was just as uncomfortable as the first time. Anyway, I'm only 1 cm dilated. I've read that a lot of people are already 3-4cm dilated by like 37weeks. Hmm strange.

All in all, I'm just happy my hubby is back. Oh, but the only bad news is... I've got a cold sore! OMG, I don't even know if I've ever had one before. This sucks! Not only can I not kiss my own husband, but I won't even be able to kiss my baby for like the first two weeks after he's born! Talk about being GHETTO!

Officially 1 week left!

That's right! Our little baby boy has been in my tummy for 39 weeks now! He's been a pleasure to carry for the most part, but just been giving me a little trouble sleeping for these last couple of weeks.

It's been over a month since Yi-Hua's been back to Malaysia. I know he's just doing what he needs to do, but it still makes me sad he can't be here. It actually makes me hesitant on whether I'm going to want a second one anytime soon. 1 baby = 6 months apart (on and off). *sigh* sacrifices of running a business.

Anyway, the other day, I went shopping for baby stuff with my mother in law. Wow, initial investments can add up quick! There's all the baby undergarments, bottles, bottle warmers, bathtub, electronic thermometer, diaper wipes, diaper wipe warmer (for winter time), baby soaps, baby powders, etc. We basically went into a shop that sold baby stuff and bought things from the front of the store to the end of the store. Oh and I forgot to mention stuff like cribs and baby strollers, and car seats too.

I'm so excited for all the other sets of mommies and daddies to-be out there! Another baby is coming up in November, 1 in December and 2 in January!!!

Tomorrow I have another appointment. Hope Baby has grown between last week and this. Last week, he was still only 2524grams. It's in the acceptable range, but kinda on the small side. Hopefully he'll be at least 2600g by the time he's born.

3 more days til the husband comes back. Finally.

Meeting up w/ I Nong!

There hasn't been a whole lot for me to do here, so I always look forward to meeting up w/ friends. Here we are @ Taipei Main Station~~~~ I was lucky to be able to catch her cuz she's actually heading back to Seattle in just a couple of weeks! Lucky her!

A couple other things to look forward to during the next few days... Tonight: Gobby's coming over after work~~ Friday: My weekly OBGYN appointment~~ Saturday: Test trying the food for the month after giving birth~~ Sunday: Paying a visit to Tommy in Ilan.

Once Sunday hits, it means there are only 2 weeks left til Yi-Hua comes back to Taiwan.

Oh hurry hurry hurrrrrrrrrry!

36 week Appointment!

Yesterday's appointment was a little different. It started out with having the babies heart rate as well as my cervix being monitored for 20 minutes. Baby's heart rate ranged from 140-160 which is very normal, (determined by the OBGYN). As for my cervix... nothing too exciting going on there. Apparently once I'm closer to labor, then some major squiggle lines will start to appear on the chart. However today, it was pretty steady. That's good news to me, cuz I'm still hoping Baby will wait at least another 3 weeks before arriving!

My current weight is 61.4kg. And baby's weight is 2417 grams!

Just found out last night that even if I were to have Baby in the first week of Sept, Yi-Hua would not be able to make it back. He has to send his passport in to get his worker permit renewed. Lovely timing, huh? Gosh this sucks.

Still 21 days away before he comes back to Taiwan. Lame.

Just pregnant, not helpless!

OMG... so bored. I want a part time job. I'm just pregnant, not helpless. I hate how everyone thinks it's so nice to spend a whole month and a half not working and just relaxing. How can I get them to comprehend the meaning of time standing still? And I'm sooooooo not talking about the romantic way of "my eyes staring into your eyes and yours into mine... and the earth stood still"... but rather, this is the kind where every time I look a the clock, the minute hand has only moved forward by about 5 minutes.

Anyway, I went to tealit.com today. I looked through the classified to see if anyone is in search of some part time tutoring. Sent out a couple of emails. Hoping for at least one response.

~~~
As for Baby Boy... at least I know he's a nice and healthy one. He's sure been rolling around a lot especially during the night hours. Can't wait for tomorrow's ultrasound! At least I have something big to look forward to once a week!

Shopping Shopping

Oops, two shopping blogs in a row. =P Shopping really wasn't my plan for today, I swear... but after not leaving the house for the majority of the day, I was getting so antsy.

So around 4ish... I hopped on the bus to Ximen. Spent a very lovely 3 hours walking around and looking at clothes, accessories, etc. Dunno why, but I feel more energetic walking around than staying at home and doing nothing all day. Baby likes to go shopping too! He told me so!

*sigh* everyday... i feel like all I'm doing is waiting. I don't even know what exactly I'm waiting for. Mornings, I wait to see if there are orders to type up... Afternoons, I wait for the sun to go down so that life can be a little more bearable.... Nights, I wait for our Skype dates... and the rest of the time, I'm waiting for my husband to come back and for our baby to come out. That's a whole lot of waiting, doncha think?

Here is a pic @ 36weeks - 1 day. (This is how bored I was while I was at home today).

ONE MONTH to GO!

Yesterday I went shopping with Gobby and 小雅 @ FE21 (the department store, not Forever 21)！It is so fun to shop in department stores... however, it does make me wish that money grew on trees. Man, everything is hella expensive! All I got were three articles of clothing to be used after giving birth, and that cost me nearly a whole NT8000! I was bout ready to pass out!

I'm gonna have to have myself another 2 or 3 babies to make use of these purchases, gosh!

Our little baby's expected due date is in exactly one month! Please be a good baby and follow the schedule! There's something I don't understand. In Asia, the majority of people say the first baby comes two weeks prior to the due date whereas in the US, stats show that like 70% come on time or later.

I'm still not quite sure what being a good parent entails... but I guess we'll be finding out soon enough.

35 weeks

Oops, I've missed the last 2 and a half months. I'm actually pretty mad at myself for not updating, but you just gotta have the time and be in the right mood to write ya know?

Been back in Taiwan for almost 3 weeks already.

I have to say, the OBGYN checkups are going so much better. The nurses and doctors are so nice and patient here! And at the checkups, they actually record the whole scan on a DVD for ya. Yesterday, I went for a checkup. Baby is a whole 2266 grams! (5.00 pounds)! And mommy is at 61kg. Oh boy! That weight is going to be fun to lose.

I know I should be nervous, but I'm not really there yet. I guess I keep trying to convince myself that the baby won't come until Yi-Hua comes back to Taiwan. I really really really want him to be here for this. It's not one of those things that happen every day, ya know.

A little note to myself and my future Mommy friends. If you wear contacts normally, try to just wear glasses during the last 3 months of pregnancy. The doc says that during this time, your eyeball gets less oxygen, and it's best to give them a chance to relax.

What else... oh yeah, starting early in pregnancy, when you're at home relaxing, try to find 20-30 minutes and put your feet up against the wall or at least somewhere elevated. It will help prevent ugly spider veins and swelling. It's such an easy task, yet during these last 8 months, I may only have done it once or twice.

Recent thoughts now usually revolve around how painful it will be to breastfeed. For some reason, I actually feel a little more intimidated about that part than the giving birth part. I was talking to Yi-Hua's cousin's wife the other day... asking her how it was. I was hoping for "it was easy and painless" for an answer... but the actual response was not as encouraging. But it's okay, I can do whatever it takes (I think). All the studies show that there are a ton more benefits to breastfed babies as opposed to being bottle fed from the very beginning.

Losing my train of thought... so gonna stop here.

Next ultrasound is just one week away. Next week they're gonna attach some contraption to me to measure the heart rate of the baby as well as ... the progress of my cervix. I don't exactly know. It really doesn't help that I only understand about 60% of what the nurses and doctor tells me. It's all good, as long as our little baby is healthy~~~

Oh Baby Baby

How did the three day weekend go by so quickly? *frown* Just been back to work for 1 day, and I'm already ready for another weekend.

Anyway, random thought. I usually shed so much hair when I shower that I have to clean the drain out either every day or at most every other day. But recently, I haven't been losing much hair. But myth has it that a few months after giving birth, new mothers will lose hair like caaaarazy. Something bout hormonal changes and stuff. So basically right now, all those hairs are adding up all to be lost at once. I don't know how I feel about that. Kind of a scary thought.

Another random thought. The "pregnant glow" that people talk about. It's such BS. What it REALLY is is your face becoming more oily also due to hormonal changes and thus causing "the glow" and more zits. =P

Can you tell I'm learning a lot? hah

Anyway, here is a pic @ 6 months. I don't really know how the bump came to be. Seems like it came overnight. It's been fun so far. Knowing that there is something living/growing/breathing inside of you really does something to your outlook on life.


Recently, I've been thinking a lot about my favorite pair of jeans. I just don't know when I'll be able to wear them again. And my running a marathon by 30? I think I might just have to postpone it another 5 years. I can barely get up 2 flights of stairs w/out running out of breath, let alone run 26 miles. lol

Oh... and tomorrow... June 1st... I'm counting on finding out whether we're having a Baby B or a Baby G!

24 weeks~~~

There are good days, and there are bad days. Today was not so hot. Baby-wise all is well. I'm talking more along the lines of mental wellness.

Anyways, sometimes the fact that there is somebody growing inside of me freaks me out just a little bit, but then again, a bajillion other women go through the same thing, so it can't be that weird.

You know, being 6 months pregnant, I've gained a very decent 10-12 pounds. I haven't been having those major food cravings that people expect me to have. But I think it's just because I'm all riced and noodled out for a while. When I see this food, or even think about my next meal, this feeling that makes me a bit ill wells up inside. What I really want is PASTA, TACOS, CAESAR SALADS, CHEESEBURGERS, MUSHROOM BURGERS, a hell, just give me a big fat juicy STEAK!

I do wish my girlfriends were here with me. I need a dose of laughter and just to giggle over nothing.

Wonder when I will get a chance to visit home.

Week 23~~

I knew I would start to neglect the blog after a while. Everything has been going well. Mainly been keeping busy with work, I suppose. I've been gaining weight... like a lot more weight lately. I know scale obsession is absolutely inappropriate during pregnancy, but I can't help myself. Currently at 56.7kg now. haha actually it's still around the weight I was during my undergrad =P.

I can't believe it's almost June. Looking forward to our 2 yr anniversary.

And then July... because of my neglect... I turned a planned week-long visit from Eric into a very very short 1.5-2 day visit. I'm just lucky he's coming at all.

I'm enjoying every bit of this pregnancy so far, but part of me just wants to fast forward a couple months ahead. Although I have no idea what "being a Mommy" entails, I simply can't wait to become one!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my Dear Mom that is all the way back in Walla Walla. I really can't remember the last time I spent this special day with her. I'm thinking maybe it's been 5+ years already. It's okay... I'll make it up to her... someday.

Yesterday, Yi-Hua and I spent the day out @ Mid Valley. We ate a nice breakfast of porridge, yau char kuai, sesame balls and more @ "I Love Yoo." Lol I was really hungry when I got there and basically ordered everything on the menu... yeah, afterwards, I was a little sorry I had done that.

Then we were off to the movie theater to purchase tix for a double feature showing of Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2 in 3D. The movies didn't start til 3, so we had time to walk around the mall first. Stopped by Clinique cuz I was nearly out of my face cleanser stuff. I have kind of a strange skin texture, but Clinique seems to take care of it for me. We still had time to kill, so we sat back at Starbucks and shared a Strawberry Frap. That would be Yi-Hua's fave Sbux drink and it is finally here in KL. After we watched the movies, we ate dinner @ Kenny Roger's Roasters before we headed back home.

All day I couldn't help but think that on this same date next year, we will have an extra little person with us!!!!

20 weeks!

Went in for another appointment today. I was sooooo hoping to be able to find out whether we're going to have a baby girl or a baby boy, but alas, our little darling decided not to let us find out. Our baby is growing at a good steady rate! According to the scan, the EDD (expected due date) is going to be Sept 17! The baby currently weighs approximately 325 grams. Still less than a pound! hehe

The only thing that worries me for now is whether our baby will come early. I don't think Yi-Hua can go back to Taiwan until about a week before the due date. And I know that babies VERY often are delivered earlier. I don't know whether I'll be more sad or more mad if he isn't there at that time.

Baby Kicks!

haha omg, i'm sure of it! Our little baby has been giving me little kicks over the past week!!! Oh dear, I have a feeling he/she is gonna be a night owl though cuz evenings are when I'm able to feel the most movements. Then again, it might just be because it's the only time I'm really sitting still. I really wish Yi-Hua could feel it too. It's the most amazing feeling. But it's still a little bit too early. The books say give it another month or so and the kicks will be more distinct.

I can't believe it's May 1st already. Nothing too much planned for this month.

June will be our 2 year anniversary.

Eric may be visiting us in KL during July! Speaking of which I should really talk to him bout the dates. Yi-Hua and I will be flying back to Taiwan towards the end of July.

August 1st will be my brother-in-law's wedding!

Then for SEPTEMBER, we will be welcoming the newest addition to the family!!!!!! Also, I think my mom will be flying to TW in September too to stay w/ us for a while! =) haha OMG, she's gonna be a grandma!!

October will be both of our bdays. Yi-Hua is only turning 29 this year, however, in Taiwan (and perhaps HK), they count your 1st bday as they day you are born. So supposedly this year, he's turning the big "3 0." His Grandma wants to plan a big celebration for him this year... just not sure if we'll celebrate it in Sept or Oct. I know Yi-Hua's going to have to fly back to KL a week or so after our baby is born, but hopefully we'll be able to work something out where he can fly back to Taiwan at least one week per month? *Sigh* we'll see.

Halfway there!

Been experiencing some major writer's block.

What can I say... Ummm, everything has been going very well lately. I think... our baby has started giving me little nudges since a couple days ago, but I'm not 100% sure. Yi-Hua has put some "classical music for baby" albums on my MP3, so every night when I'm sitting around, I'll put the headphones on my tummy and have baby listen to music for an hour or so. C'mon, we want a smart one... perhaps one that can earn college scholarships in the U.S.? hehe j/k, I guess that's thinking a little too far. Anyway, hopefully by that time, we'll be living back there already. Yay for in-state tuition, ya know?

We still haven't purchased any baby stuff yet. Kind of have no idea how to get started. But I figure a couple major shopping sprees will take care of everything.

Current weight: 55kg and gaining!

Next ultrasound in less than one week!

18 weeks +

Omg, I've been so bad about updating lately. Our friends Lily and Danny were visiting and we had taken a mini trip to Bali with them! Oh it was so so so much fun, but now it's time to get back to work.

So my last ultrasound was on the 8th. Baby had once again nearly doubled in size since the last time. We could have found out whether it was a boy or girl had baby not been naughty and been in a curled up position. I guess we'll just have to take the suspense.

Baby has been so good to me so far! Not giving me any trouble at all! I'm working, playing, eating, sleeping just like normal! However, my husband and salesmen all take good care of me and make sure I don't carry heavy stuff and whatnot. LOL I could get used to that ;-) Nah, I actually feel a little guilty cuz I'm pretty sure I can do everything I would normally do, but I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry.

Haha not to sound vain or anything, but I love looking at my changing figure in the mirror. It's like I'm gaining weight around the stomach area, but it hasn't quite formed into "the shape." *waiting in anticipation*

At the last ultrasound, the doc told me that during the next couple of weeks, I should be able to feel the first of the baby kicks. I guess Mommy Veterans can usually feel them earlier. But I'm still waiting. Lol it seems like I'm just waiting around for a lot of stuff to happen... but believe it or not, we are almost halfway there.

Work has been keeping the both of us really busy lately. When we're not arguing over something silly, it's really quite nice to be able to do all of our work side by side. However, there are times when either one or both of us are so PO'd at one another that we could just strangle each other! Oh well, I guess that's what marriage is =P

Guess What! It's Wednesday again!

Week 16! 4 months down, 5 months to go! I've been waiting and waiting for "the bump" to start showing, but it must be hibernating or something. I've already told myself that next week, I'll start taking belly pix whether it's showing or not.

It's been nice having my husband back. I guess I'm just less bitter cuz now we're both stuck here instead of just me. Aren't I just the most unselfish person ever!

Honestly though, I've actually been really happy these couple of days. No quarrels yet! Just give it a week or so and it'll probably change.

Anyway, today we went to BR to get some ice cream! 31% off on the 31st of every month! (every other month). =P

Anyway, we finally have some visitors this weekend! Lily and Danny are arriving on Sat. Then the four of us are off to Bali on Sunday! I'm kinda bummed though cuz I might not be able to participate in all the activities... but I spose I wouldn't mind laying by the pool~~~

Hmmm

I'd just written nearly a whole essay's worth of crap regarding how pissed off I was at a someone... but why bother. It'll just make him sound really bad, and I'll feel guilty for having written it when I reread it later on.

Anyway, Yi-Hua helped me pick up my blood test from the OBGYN in Taiwan. I'm glad they're releasing the results to us so we can use them here, otherwise I'd have to do it again, and I am NOT a big fan of having blood drawn.

So next week is a big week for people traveling to KL... Yi-Hua gets back on Monday, my father-in-law gets in on Tuesday, Constance (from college) is coming in on Wednesday, and then last but not least, Lily & Danny are flying in next Sunday.

I should take my vitamins and get ready to crash. Didn't get much sleep last night.

Questionable judgement

hah check this out... writing third day in a row! ...ok, maybe i'm a little bored...

Yesterday night, my father in law asks if I can bring him to KL Sentral the next morning at 5:30. Of course I say "Yes!" We all know the first rule is to never say NO to the in-laws. lol but as it got later, I started getting worried that I would get lost going there and thus cause embarrassment for myself. This place that is only a 5 min drive away can be a 30 min+ drive when under my directions. So by 11:30 pm, I was so antsy that I decided to take the car out for a quick route run-through. Yay, I got there no problem. It was on the way HOME that I missed a turn... and therefore started my long journey of continuous wrong turns. I didn't freak out cuz I knew I just had to turn on the GPS. But for goodness sake, it wouldn't pick up any signal!!!! "Acquiring satellite... Acquiring satellite... Acquiring satellite..." That was all I got for 20 frickin minutes! Anyway, I did eventually get home in one piece, but boy what a night that was.

I'm hoping 小宝宝 will have wayyyyyyyyy better of a sense of direction than me.

It's days like today...

It's days like today that I would love to just sit back with a martini. I won't of course, but it can't hurt to wish.

Had a pounding headache since last night. Actually, it had gone away by morning, but came back at full strength a couple hours into work.

Ahhh the problems. I always get left with tasks to "take care of..." but when it comes to the actual "solving the problem" part, it's never something that I can solely decide or sign off on... so usually the original problem has to go back to the original person and the process begins again. Why even bother going through me?

Today, I brought the new salesgirl to meet some of my customers. I think it went alright. I'm just glad that I won't have to keep doing sales anymore. I thought I could take on 2 people's worth of work to save paying out an extra salary we can't quite afford... you know... do all the secretarial crap in the morning, and then run sales in the afternoon, but I was wrong. It worked out for a while, but upon further analysis, the time I have in a day divided by 2 is simply not enough to do a satisfactory job either way. I could never "completely finish" my office things before I had to leave for sales... and when I did my sales, I never spent as much time BSing with the customers as I should. You know... mebbe 30% of why salon stylists decide to buy your brand of hair product is because they like the product itself, but 70% of doing business with you is because they like you. I never was able to take the time to build that relationship with em... which I'm sure led to many missed opportunities.

...this all leads to one conclusion. this country sux. I'm praying praying praying that some day we will get the opportunity to get out of here cuz I will feel forever guilty if I have to raise my child here when I know there are so many better places out there.

15!

I know I'm silly, but I get so excited for Wednesdays. Today my calendar is marked 15 weeks!

It's just gonna be 小宝宝 and me this week. I sent off a group of 29 people at the airport on Monday, one of which was my husband. For the past half a year, we've been organizing for our customers to go on a trip to Taiwan to both attend a hair cutting seminar and sight see around Taipei. *sigh* I was sposed to go too... but something came up. Shan't get into details there.

However, I haven't been as bummed as I thought I'd be. Been pretty busy with work during the days, and evenings are spent tidying up our home... slowly. We're gonna have a nice visit from Lily and Danny early April!

You know... this pregnancy thing still seems to be pretty easy so far. I had heard so many horror stories from other mothers that I was kinda expecting the worst. But things seem overly normal with me that it freaks me out a lil bit. =P

In the evenings, I've been playing classical music nearly non-stop. Rumor has it that babies come out smarter yeah? Well... I sure hope so cuz I'm sacrificing my own ears. It was nice in the beginning, but I'm kinda getting bored? Maybe, I should just listen to my MP3 while baby listens to that music. hehe wonder if it'd send mixed signals.

Anywho, I also read that for the rest of the pregnancy, we should talk to the belly so that Baby can get used to hearing our voices. I thought it'd be easy... but when I tried it, I felt plain silly. Omg, I can't even talk to my unborn child! What a terrible mommy I'm gonna be. It's okay, there is a Plan B! Reading to baby works too. So every night, besides a couple chapters of Winnie the Pooh, Baby gets to listen to whatever other book I'm reading. Current book in hand: Julie and Julia.

Stretch Marks

What a peculiar thing stretch marks are. I never really thought about them til I started looking at other people's pregnant belly pics. Wow... some of them have these major red streaks all over their body.

So they say there are all these lotions and stuff u can use to prevent them, but at the same time, it's said that they may or may not work. Isn't that just a tad bit contradictory? But no matter what, it will all fade over time, right? It's not exactly like running around in a bikini is my kinda thing.

I AM excited to start gaining weight though! I am now in the 52kg+ range!!! Waiting Waiting Waiting for a real looking baby bump!

I'm gonna be home alone this whole week. What does that mean? No housework!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (not that I do much normally anyway). YAY! Plus I get to catch up on a whole buncha TV shows! (Been waiting to catch up on Cougar Town, Private Practice, and Grey's Anatomy) wooooo!!!! It's better to watch these shows sooner than later... they're not exactly the most healthy shows. It's okay... I'll cover up my tummy so the baby won't hear a thing.

What's In A Name

While Yi-Hua and I were eating lunch today, we were discussing names. Not baby names, but just names in general. I've noticed that a lot of his relatives and friends have changed their names before... as adults, and I'm curious to why.

I actually learned some interesting things.

Names of infants are chosen by the grandfather. (The parents can make suggestions, but ultimately the decision lies with the granddad).

The name of a person is actually sposed to determine the FATE of the person.

There are "experts" that you can consult to help u choose the most suitable name for the infant. I think factors such as time, date, place, year, etc are all taken into consideration.

As an adult, if your life is not going as smoothly as you think it should (whether it be job, money, relationships, etc), you can get your name changed officially! TWICE!!! This is a lot of paperwork and hassle we're talking about. I mean changing all sorts of documents, credit cards, passports, etc. Yuck!

There were some other things too, but I already forgot. But what I did also learn was that Yi-Hua's grandpa had gone to an expert in order to choose his name. I guess it worked out for him. lol

As for me, I don't know why, but my parents gave me a very boyish sounding name. I never knew that until I stepped into Chinese 101 frosh year of college. While the prof was taking roll, he called out my name, and when I answered to it, his reaction was, "you have a boy's name." Great, just what I needed.

Anyway, my Chinese name didn't matter much back at home cuz I never used it. But once I moved to Taiwan, 80% of the time someone asked for my Chinese name, I would get the reaction that it was a boy's name. So I learned to give the warning that it was a masculine sounding name before I actually told them what it was.

The most embarrassing time though was when we were taking our engagement photos. The photographer kept looking at Yi-Hua while saying my name, and looking at me while saying his. After a while, we just told him to call me Judy. =P

Still too early to think of Eng names for our 小宝宝. Definitely know we're gonna stay away from those terribly wacky celebrity baby names... =P

13 WEEKS!

Our baby @ 13 weeks!

I'm a bit bummed that hospitals in Malaysia aren't equipped with as nice of equipment as back in Taiwan. At our other OBGYN, we were given both a 2D and a 3D image scan, a CD of the baby and its movements, plus they would measure and tell us the length from its head to its heel! Here... well, I guess I can't be too greedy. I should just be happy to have found a decent place to do my follow up checkups until I head back to Taiwan.

But yes! We are happy! One healthy baby due in 26 weeks + 2 days!

2nd Trimester!

We've made it to the second trimester! I can't believe we are 1/3 of the way there. Sometimes I still can't believe this is all happening. Omg, we're gonna be parents!!!!!

So this Saturday, I totally got all freaked out. The original plan was for me to go back to Taiwan about a month and a half b4 the due date and stay for one month afterward. But then the family is saying that it's better to stay in Taiwan for at least 4 months after the birth so that the proper follow up care and procedures can be taken. But leaving my duties for four months is a long time... so they were saying I could leave my baby there and come back to KL. Seriously my heart just broke. I know all the relatives are just dying to help me raise my baby, but I kinda wanna do it on my own. Well, not completely on my own... but you know what I mean. Anyway, we're trying to work something out now. Maybe I can fly back to KL for 3-4 days at the end of each month to take care of the paperwork... or maybe I'll just have to teach Yi-Hua how to do that stuff. It's not hard, but it's just time consuming. Plus he's usually got his own stuff to do, and paperwork isn't his kinda thing.

Today there's talk from his parents that they want to help us hire a maid. I don't know whether to be thrilled or worried. I've never really thought bout it too much b4, but I guess it would be nice for someone else to do the cleaning...? heh btw/ I haven't cleaned in ages... that's something I really gotta work on.

Right now, we're in the process of hiring another salesman to take on my area. It was already exhausting before doing office stuff in the morning and the running sales in the afternoon. But now, even the thought of it drains me. However, for now, I still have to make my sales calls. But if my delivery is too heavy, at least Yi-Hua will help me carry it in.

It's strange... I haven't been able to gain weight yet. And for some reason, my face, (as observed by other people) has been getting pointier. So when they ask me if I'm losing weight, I say NO!!! I'm 3 months pregnant! I'm praying that all the fat is moving to my tummy to create a nice lil home for our baby.

Seems like I've been waiting for this next ultrasound forever! I simply can't wait til the profile of the baby and the heartbeat appear on the screen again. It really is an amazing thing.

12 weeks

I can't believe it's already been 12 weeks! 12 weeks and 2 days to be exact. Time has been passing by ever so quickly. I'm still in search of a SAFE place to do ultrasounds here. We've been asking around and have a few places that we need to check out. I've heard so many scary stories about sketchy practices that I'm kinda freaked out.

Cheese cravings have hit me all of a sudden. Been eating cheese in any way I can lay my hands on. By the slice, in sandwiches, melted on rice, on pasta, etc.

I've been wearing these jeans that have a stretchy top. They are the most amazing thing ever!!!! Man, it's a good thing I never lay my hands on these during college, otherwise I woulda gained even more weight, (esp. during those cold winters).

Ahh... I still really need to tell all of my friends our big news, but I'm just so paranoid. Just one more ultrasound... then I'm promising myself I'll make the big announcement. I wonder if I could get away w/ not telling ppl til the baby is here. =P

Back to Work~

Got back to KL a couple days ago. 10 weeks into pregnancy, and I throw up for the first time the day of our flight. Luckily, it was just a one day experience. Hopefully it doesn't mean morning sickness will all of a sudden decide to give me daily visits.

It's such a big climate change between Taiwan and KL. Going from 8 Degree weather to 40 Degree weather is rather unpleasant. Wish there was some middle ground.

Life is moving right back into the busy stage. Work work work... but I guess that's the only way we will ever afford future college tuition.

My mother in law had bought me a whole bunch of pregnant women clothing. I'm definitely feeling a lot more comfortable now. Not that my baby bump is big enough to show yet, but I can definitely feel the thickening waist line, esp. while wearing my jeans.

So all these Chinese superstitions of what to do and what NOT to do are being thrown at me from left and right. Some of them are so random that I find them hard to believe, and actually kinda funny. Like... NO, I'm NOT going to sleep with a knife under my bed, thank you very much. =P However there are these other things that are a little more believable (but with no scientific back up). Like I've heard from so many people that I shouldn't intake a lot of soy sauce, otherwise the baby's skin will be darker. Or I should eat such and such in order for the baby's skin color to be more fair. Shouldn't rub the stomach that much because it will make the baby over-demanding when he or she grows up. I dunno, the list goes on. But seriously... if I believed in everything, I might as well never leave the house. Well, that is... unless there is any kinda drilling or construction being done by the neighbors. Then I'd have to move my butt outta there as fast as I could. Hearing any kinda drilling is a big NO NO for the well-being of the baby. lol this morning at the office there were people drilling in the office above us. I nearly had myself a heart attack. I actually have to admit that I packed my bags and got ready to head downstairs to wait it out. But they actually stopped shortly. *whew*

Anyway, I still have to find time to call my friends up... but that's gonna have to wait til the weekend.

2.22.2010

It's been 2 years since we've been officially married. (Not the day we use to celebrate, but the day the actual papers were signed). So happy (early) anniversary to us. =P Things didn't quite go as planned today, however nothing could make me more happy than seeing our little baby again!!! We went for another ultrasound and this time the pics came out much clearer!! Our little darling is now 3.38cm long! That's nearly double the length from a week ago!

3D Photo @ 10 weeks!

Anyway, we're going back to KL tomorrow.

I just have to keep reminding myself... just think happy thoughts.

...

Today was rather disappointing. It was the only day with nice weather and we didn't have a chance to do anything outdoorsy. *Sigh* In just 1 day and a half, we'll be on our way back to... the place... This was a good vacation in that we got to spend a lot of time with family... but as for shopping, eating and playing in Taipei, I'd have to rate it a 1 out of 10. God, nearly every single one of our meals were either hot pot or some type of 7-10 course meal. I mean, substance-wise, it was great, but if I stomached any more of that food, I know I wouldn't be able to keep it down (and that wouldn't be due to being pregnant). All I wanted was some simple street food. Anyway, it's past midnight again... tomorrow is going to be a long day. Please let tomorrow go smoothly.

Rainy Day Taipei

Uber cold and rainy. Bleh. For lunch, Yi-Hua, 小宝宝, and I went to get some LuRouFan. Oh it was such a simple but pleasant lunch. The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent at our home w/ the cousins. Played MJ... Lounged around... ate Hot Pot, etc. You know, I normally try to do the dishwashing and cleaning up afterwards, but now that they know I'm pregnant, they insist I just sit back and relax. Hmmm... I could get used to this... however, I do feel kinda guilty. I mean, we're just 2 months in... nothing has really changed... I'm still capable of doing normal everyday things. Anyway, the forecast for the next few days is more rain and more cold. Hopefully by Sat, we'll be able to get out of the house and head into the city. I need to do some shopping and visit some friends I haven't seen in forever. 1 week left in Taiwan.

In The Know

As for the night before yesterday, we told our news to everyone at dinner after Yi-Hua passed out the Hong Bao to the young ones... Well, it was a surprise to most of the fam... except for Tommy's dad (who has secret magical powers), and had already guessed it 3 weeks ago when he saw some of the pix we had posted on FB. I had promised myself I wouldn't tear up... but dammit I'm weak. =P Later that evening I told my parents... and of course they were just thrilled. But yeah, I'm gonna be getting a lot of nagging these following months. "Don't do this... do that... don't eat that... eat more of this... etc." We're gonna tell the rest of the fam in Taiwan tonight... but it's kinda already leaking out. haha I am still planning to wait til I get back to KL so I can call some friends before I make the big general announcement on FB, but I think people with good FB researching skills are gonna find out beforehand. Btw/ my wonderful husband gave me a cute boquet of chocolates yesterday for Valentine's Day! That was sooooo the unexpected of all unexpected. lol

It's the Year of the Tiger!

This morning we got to sleep in for a lil bit! Didn't have to be in Sanchong til 7:30!!! We also took the car today instead of scootering which made it more comfortable (less cold). But actually, the weather was rather fantastic today. So after we "bai bai" @ the house and ate a great vegetarian breakfast, we headed out to the temples. That was great fun~~~ In fact, my dear husband captured many moments with his camera!

After temple visiting, the boys went back to Zhonghe to play some bball, and I went shopping @ Wufenpu with Gobby. OMG, all I can say is that it was HELLLLLLA crowded! Yes, the clothes are incredibly cheap, but I don't know if I want to sacrifice my comfort or my toes again. It was kinda hard to find clothes cuz my target was summery clothes with a relaxed fit (for growing tummy) that would be decent enough to wear to work. But most of the clothes there were either for autumn/winter or tiny little things I would never be able to squeeze into (even normally). Anyway, I did walk away with a pair of shoes and some pants and some other clothing items. All for a price of 1200NT. I'm a cheap spender. I didn't like the fact that I couldn't try on any of the clothes before buying. From previous experience, I've found that clothing ALWAYS looks better on the mannequins than on myself. But luckily I've just tried on all the stuff, and I don't find the need to discard anything immediately.

Anyway, I'm gonna crash early tonight. I was sposed to meet Yi-Hua and the fam after shopping, but I decided to take the MRT/bus home instead. I was way too tired and would have been a party pooper. No... I wasn't lying bout being tired. I fell asleep on the MRT and ended up at the last stop. Someone woke me... then I had to hop back on the MRT to the stop I missed. Yes... embarrassing... but I didn't care.

Btw/ Yi-Hua has taken it upon himself to refer to our little baby Ichiro for the time being. lol I wonder if I should be worried. =P

Bet they didn't see that coming.

so... we're gonna tell everyone tonight at dinner.

I hope I can actually make it through dinner without passing out.

It's been so tiring scootering around town (especially in the rain).

Back in KL, I'd been crashing as early as 8:30 or 9:00pm. That's so not happening here.

Happy New Year to everyone... and Happy New Year to our 1.8cm lil bean too~~~~~

Our First Ultrasound!!

The last couple weeks had been hella hectic, and I'd been pretty down... and cranky as well. I actually apologized to my husband for my behavior and thanked him for trying to cheer me up all the time. He said the sweetest thing, "It's my job!" Anyway, we're back in Taiwan now, and life can be good again. It's a little colder than I expected, but I'll take this over the scorching sun any day! So here's the news... we went to the OBGYN... and... we did it... the ultrasound! It was a lot simpler than what I expected. Just a lil gel stuff on the tummy + a little stick apparatus pushing against my belly... and there it was on the screen!!!!! Our 1.8cm of a baby!!!!! Then we saw the heartbeat! A very steady and rapid beat. Okey, so when I saw it,I teared up... no, I actually cried. I mean I know little baby has been inside me the last two months, but seeing the pix and the heartbeat made it so much more real!!!! I can't wait to call up my parents and my brother tomorrow. And then we're planning to make the announcement @ the New Year's Eve dinner tomorrow night!!!! I think I'm gonna have to wait til I get back to KL before I make phone calls to my friends. I've been dying to tell everyone and it's been soooo hard to keep this big of a secret just between the two of us. I've actually managed to not go on Gmail just to avoid accidentally spilling the beans. We're going back for a more detailed checkup next Monday. I think with a blood test, we might be able to determine if it's a boy or a girl... a Phoebe or a Phoebo. (Friends fans, you know what I mean).

Standing outside the clinic w/ my new handbook!!!

Happy Happy Happy~~~~ Our family of 2 will soon become a family of 3!!!!

Exhausted

Out of a 24 hour period, work has been consuming a good 12-13 hours per day this whole week. So no, the laundry is not put away, no the floor is not vacuumed, and no the dried goods are not stored away in the cupboards. At least the dishes are washed though... I don't want any nasty little ants or whatever other critters to be crawling around our home.

We are still super excited for 小宝宝 to join our family, but I'm just trying to work out how I'm going to raise our little darling when we have such busy work schedules.

*sigh* It's Friday night, and we still have another FULL day of work tomorrow.

I'm crossing my fingers that we can do some kind of "baby stuff" shopping on Sunday. But who knows... we'll probably end up working.

Exhausted.

How time seems to be flying! It's already been one week since the pregnancy test. Seems like my thoughts are all revolving around 小宝宝. The other day at McDonald's, besides my normal Extra Value Meal of chicken nuggets, fries, and coke... I had porridge and water instead. (Yes, they serve porridge here @ Micky D's in Malaysia). Today, we were unloading a shipment of products from the container from Taiwan, and I had to do everything I could to try to help out all the while avoiding any lifting/pushing/pulling action of any sort.

I've still been having to go to the bathroom like a mad woman! Toilets here are mostly the squat ones... and if not, they are the kind where u don't want anything to be touching the toilet seat. *Sigh* peeing might just be the hardest part of this pregnancy.

Work has been so extra freakin busy that it's been hard to get enough rest. Yes, I may be online for all waking hours when I'm at home, but that is only because I need some kind of way to zone out everything from the day. Let's just say I have to charge my cell battery every one - two days, and about 90% of the people on my phone list are my customers, other businesses, people I've never met, or people who I want to kick every time I speak with them.

okok... must stop stressing out.

Today is the first day of 小宝宝‘s 6th week! This week, little spots will be showing up where his/her eyes and nostrils will be. Plus buds will appear where the ears will soon bloom! Yi-Hua and I are working on cutting down on the swear words. It's difficult... but we're working on it. =P

2 nights of endless random dreams. Really hoping/needing to sleep well tonight.

Changing Habits

Dearest 小宝宝, I'm trying my best to keep you safe inside my tummy cuz it's a harsh world out here. So just hang in there!
~~~~~~~

Now I realize that I've never really taken care of my own body really well. I lift heavy things, give myself the occasional bump and bruise, inhale a terrible amount of unhealthy foods and drinks in a day, let many things stress me out, etc. But ever since we've found out about 小宝宝, I've been extra extra careful not to do stupid things or let stupid people/things get to me. =P

1 month down! 8 months to go!

Infants Fly Free!

Yi-Hua and I seem to fly a lot, so I decided to look into infant flights. Infants 2 and under fly FREE FREE FREE! (well 10% of adult fare + taxes). However, there is all this other stuff such as crying, feeding, changing, etc to think about. I'm not worried bout the short flights between Malaysia and Taiwan. I'm just thinking how it will work when we fly 小宝宝 on a 13 hour flight to the U.S.

Our friends are getting married some time next year. I'm crossing my fingers it's going to be later on in the year. Perhaps then, our family of 3 can fly over to attend the wedding as well as visit my parents in Walla Walla and our friends in Seattle.

Info from Eva Airlines: Traveling With an Infant or Small Child

• When traveling, infants and small children under 2 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
• Within the first 7 days after birth, a baby is not strong enough for air travel and will not be accepted as a passenger on an EVA flight.
• EVA requires that a medical information sheet certifying readiness for air travel be provided for premature babies.
• For safety reasons, whenever two infants or small children are traveling with one adult, one must be able to sit in a seat using an approved car-type infant seat.
• According to CAA regulations, an aircraft shall be equipped with a seat for each person who is over two years of age.
  Beginning Nov. 1, 2004, infants who reach their second birthday while traveling on an EVA Air flight must, in accordance with safety regulations, begin to occupy their own seat. The applicable child's fare must be paid for all sectors flown after the child reaches two years of age.
• If you would like to order a baby meal and/or diapers, please contact our reservations office at the time you make your booking. We will do everything possible to assist you.
• Baby bassinets are available aboard all EVA Air aircraft, but for safety reasons, height and weight limitations apply. Please advise us of your baby’s date of birth, height and weight when you make your reservation.

It's still just the beginning...

Just as I was thinking I might be lucky enough to not experience many of the "pregnancy symptoms," I realized that I thought too soon. Yesterday, during the middle of the day, this insane sweep of fatigue came over me. I told Yi-Hua I was just gonna nap a lil and then wake up and finish the rest of the housework. That soooo did not happen. I passed out for 3 or maybe it was 4 hours. The only reason I did actually get up though was cuz he made me. He was worried if I napped any more, I'd never be able to fall asleep at night. Fatigue I can deal with, but this having to go pee more often is really starting to annoy me. I've been waking up in the middle of the night needing to use the bathroom lately. I didn't think anything of it at first... but now it's alllll making sense. Oh gosh, what's next? Morning sickness!? I've been doing a lot of reading on that... and it doesn't sound fun at all. *fingers crossed* Please let me be in the 25% of women that don't have to experience this.

I'm starting to think about turning our guest room/storage room into a baby room. *sigh* it's got so much stuff inside though. One of these days, I'm gonna have to do a major cleaning out in there. I think I'm gonna end up having to toss a lot of stuff out. But the bed... what to do with that queen sized bed?????

Here are some *dream rooms* that I would love to give our 小宝宝。

Definitely just "DREAM" rooms.

It's a Secret!

This "not telling" thing is driving me crazy. I love my family and friends and always want to share news w/ them ASAP... but we both feel it's better to be safe and at least get the results from an ultrasound before we make the big announcement. This brings forward a bit of a problem though. We are actually planning to wait til we go back to TW to do the ultrasound just because it is the better option as opposed to finding someone to do it here. Hopefully Yi-Hua can help me schedule an appointment in for Feb 13th. If all goes as planned, we will make the big announcement the next evening at the CNY dinner. So it's a whole 4 more weeks to keep this secret.

Current thought: "Is Baby gonna love chocolates as much as Mommy?" =P

The Stork!!!

As far as I know... the stork is gonna bring us our baby. I hope it knows we are planning on waiting for it in Taiwan, NOT Malaysia!

We've got to start Baby off with a dual Taiwanese & U.S. citizenship to avoid any future hassle for if and when we move back!

Still Such a New Feeling!

This whole idea of having a baby is still such new news to us! There are so many things to think about... what to do... what NOT to do. I know you're sposed to learn a lot of this with experience, but as you know, this is a first for both of us. (Unless Yi-Hua has some hidden fam that I have yet to find out about) hehe Anyway, I have been doing a lot of research on the net, but it's nothing like reading and flipping through a book. Yesterday, we went to the bookstore and I bought a guide that will hopefully serve as my bible through this. It's called Your Pregnancy Week by Week.

So far it's been pretty interesting. I'm mainly concerned bout whether or not I'm eating the right kind of food in order to provide the nutrients and vitamins that the fetus needs. I want a big fat cute lil baby with rosy cheeks! Ahhhhh... I'm still dying to tell everyone, but alas I mustn't. Shopping has automatically become a little different. I notice we are both lightly scanning the baby isles now. Diapers... strollers... clothes...bottles, etc. Omg it's like a whole other shopping world out there. Also, I never used to notice babies or little kids when I shopped, but now they're like everywhere! And sometimes I'll think awww... she's/he's cute... and other times, it's like OMG... you kidding me? But no no no, I must stop thinking that way. ALL BABIES are BEAUTIFUL... right? =P All I remember is the episode of Friends where Ross and Rachel are in the OBGYN office and Ross says to Rachel, "Ugly baby judges you." Ok, that probably makes no sense to whoever is reading this, but it just cracks me up. =P

Just preparing by purchasing some photo albums!

Anywho, I think the biggest lifestyle change I must work on is sleeping earlier. For some reason, I am a fan of desperately fighting fatigue til 1 or 2 AM every morning. So yesterday, it was like 10:30pm and I told Yi-Hua to tuck me in. He's like, "U serious? You're gonna jump outta bed like in 20 minutes or less." I stubbornly told him that I could fall asleep... for the good of the baby, ya know? Minutes later, I was still awake and totally alert. Of course I couldn't give my husband the satisfaction of telling me "I told you so," so I waited til at least half hour before I walked back out giggling... hehe my bad. Anyway, I'll work on that. So yeah, it's day 2 of week 5! Supposedly this little 1mm-grain-of-rice sized baby has some totally miraculous stuff happening to it. Little ittle ittle baby, WE LOVE YOU THIS MUCH ALREADY!!!!!