32 weeks pregnant

Yay! I am officially starting the 8^th month of pregnancy!



32 Weeks and 1 day! We went to Liam's first SF Giants game that night.
 

     Today marks 32 weeks and 2 days of being pregnant. I know I say this a lot, but time is seriously flying by. We are now down to 8 weeks left and 54 days to go. The closer we get to our due date, the more my mind is filled with a million and one emotions. 

     The pregnancy is starting to become more difficult, especially physically. My bump is getting a lot bigger and breathing has become more difficult. I find myself extremely out of breath just by walking up the small amount of stairs in my home. I notice that sometimes I find myself waddling around as it is more comfortable for me to walk like that. Sitting on the couch is nice and relaxing, but it's another story when it comes to getting off the couch. Most of the time I have to ask Calvin for help if I'm lying on the couch and need to get up to pee. We always get a good laugh. Even last night as I was changing into my PJ'S, Calvin started laughing at me and I asked him what was so funny. He said its hilarious to watch me change because of how difficult is has become for me and how I do things differently now to accommodate my growing belly. By differently I mean, not so lady-like and lots of moans and groans because Liam is a heavy little thing pushing on my bladder or kicking me in the ribs. Thanks Calvin. I get so tired very easily and usually have to turn in for a nap in the afternoon. No matter how hard I try, I can't keep my eyes open and the next thing I know, I slept for an hour. It's funny how I can sleep nicely and without any interruptions during my nap, but sleeping through the night is a different story. If I'm not getting up to use the restroom, I need to turn because my legs are cramping up. Let me tell you, trying to turn from your right to your left side or vice versa with an enormous belly with a little human in it kicking and punching any organ he is near, is NOT easy! But nonetheless, I can't complain because soon my little Liam bear will be here!
 

     Besides getting everything ready for Liam’s arrival, the other thing that is constantly on my mind is the labor and delivery. Calvin and I have been attending the childbirth preparation class that they offer at the hospital I will be delivering at. We’ve learned quite a few things so far like breathing techniques and signs of preterm labor. When I attend the class, I feel like it is possible to try and do a non-medicated birth. Then when I actually talk to moms who have gone through this process, they always tell me to get the epidural. I obviously do not know what labor feels like whatsoever and it’s difficult for me to give a definite answer to anyone. At this moment in time, I just tell people that I would love to have a non-medicated birth, but I am not opposed to an epidural. You can only imagine the amount of crazy looks I get, which I’m sure many of you reading this will have that same look on your face too.

Why non-medicated? There are many reasons as to why I really want to do a non-medicated birth:

1. Longer labor which can cause more problems and could lead to a c-section
2. I want to be able to move around
3. Better recovery after birth
4. Safer for Liam
5. My body is made to give birth, why not let it do what it’s suppose to do

Why medicated? The main reason:

1. No Pain!

     Calvin doesn’t think I can do it and would suggest me getting the epidural. My doctor said it’s a personal choice of the mother and about 90% of women get it. She said that she would recommend a women get it if they can’t control themselves during labor like excessive screaming and tensing too much which could affect their labor and pushing. She suggest that if I plan on non-medicated, that I attend some classes to learn some meditation techniques. As long as I am in control of the pain, she won’t push the epidural on me. I have A LOT to think about and not much time to do so.
 

     I am now seeing my doctor every two weeks. My last appointment was on May 16 and it was literally a 5-minute appointment, which is great. My doctor is on vacation for 4 weeks so last appointment and the next one, I have and will be seeing one of the other doctors in the office. All she did was come in, ask how I’m doing, measure Liam’s growth by measuring my tummy, and check Liam’s heartbeat. When measuring my tummy she said “perfect” and Liam’s heartbeat sounded nice and strong. Then she said see you next time! The waiting period to see her was so much longer than the appointment itself, but we can’t complain since that just means everything is going well! The next time we see the doctor will be May 30!

     We also had our baby shower with our family and friends on May 11. I’ll write a separate post on that. My mom, brother, and I made a lot of the decorations and it came out amazingly! It was stressful going through the process and there were countless days where we all stayed up until 3 A.M. but the end result made it all worth it! 

Our little DIY Photobooth. Special thanks to our friend Jenn for the props!

      That’s it for my 32 week update! Next post will be about our "My Neighbor Totoro" themed baby shower.

30 Weeks Pregnant

Yay for finally hitting 30 weeks! Here's a quick Disney baby bump tracker for 30 weeks:

30 weeks. 10 more weeks and 70 more days to go!

So this week has been full of new things from physical changes to seeing Liam for the first time.

     Let's start with the bad stuff to get all that out of the way. The pregnancy has finally been catching up to me. I dealt with the morning sickness in the first trimester. The second trimester was so much fun and I was really enjoying it. Now we are at the beginning stages of the third trimester and the aches and pains have arrived. It first started earlier in the week when I got out of bed in the middle of the night to use the bathroom for the millionth time. When I stood up off the bed and stepped down with my right foot, I had this sharp pain in my lower abdomen, right on my pelvic bone. It would only hurt when I added weight to my right side when I walked. That happened on and off for the next day or two. I noticed it was if I was sleeping too long on my right side and got up to use the restroom too fast or if i was sitting or laying down in a weird position on the couch for too long. I figure its because Liam is probably laying on my right side. It's funny because I'm in a lot of pain, but I'm not mad. I just talk to Liam and tell him to please move over a little or tell him he's getting heavy and move on. As long as he is doing fine and he's healthy, I would endure all the pain in the world if that means his comfort.

     On Tuesday, my brother asked me if I would like to a mini pregnancy shoot for his class and I could take some extra shots to have for myself since we could utilize the studio he had at school. Of course I was all for this as I had wanted some nice professional shots of my bump to help remember this amazing experience and I've helped him a couple of other times and he's super talented. His class was from 12-3 so I knew I would miss lunch time and prepared myself. I ate breakfast in the morning, brought some snacks with me to try and hold me over, and a full bottle of water. Everything was going well. My brother had me sit while he set up with his classmate. He was even sweet enough to make sure I had a stool near me when taking the picture so that I could sit while he tried to get the lighting just right. Soon I started to feel really light headed and I kept yawning. I wasn't sleepy, but I just kept thinking that doesn't yawning mean I'm not getting in enough oxygen to my brain. So I kept sitting down whenever my brother was adjusting the camera or the lights. At one point I had to tell him to hold on because I couldn't stand up anymore. So I sat and grabbed my water bottle to make sure I was hydrated. I was feeling a little better and we got the first shot down. Then it was time for the second shot that he needed. Luckily my brother worked with me and I was able to sit for this shot. I don't know what it was, but I think the flashes were getting to me. Fortunately he got the shot he wanted at the last second where I couldn't hold out anymore. Right when he was done, all I saw was blurry spots everywhere and my head started to feel top heavy. All I kept thinking in my head was "oh my God, I'm going to pass out. I forgot my wallet at home and dont have my medical card or ID on me. My poor brother is going to see me pass out and will freak out. Just stay calm!". So I slowly got up off the stool, out of the lights, and sat myself onto a folding chair. I drank the remaining water I had left, ate the last of my snacks, and sat back with my eyes closes and just concentrated on my breathing. What made me feel a million times better was that I could still feel Liam. He was doing fine. He was kicking and rolling around which made me feel at ease more. I texted Calvin just in case I did pass out and had to be rushed to the ER. I hope I didn't freak out my brother, sorry brother bear! He was so sweet and asked if I wanted to do anymore shots to have for myself, he only needed two for his class. I really, really wanted to so that I could have nice pictures of me and my little bump Liam, but there was just no way I could get in front of those lights anymore without putting myself in danger. I was able to get at least two good shots and that's fine with me. 

29 weeks and 2 days!

Baby Love Liam in my tummy!

     I had my doctor's appointment on Thursday, so of course I brought up all of this to her. She is not worried about the pain I'm having and thinks its just a a ligament stretching too fast. Of course she said to keep an eye on it, but it doesn't seem too concerning. She also said that the almost fainting episode didn't seem too worrisome either. She thought it was probably because my blood sugar was low which is what I was thinking too. Again, she said to keep an eye on it and if it keeps happening, to go to my primary care physician so she can check my heart. Fortunately, there hasn't been anymore cases like that so far! I also found out I DO NOT have gestational diabetes!! Woohoo!! Overall, the appointment went great, the only thing of concern was my weight gain. Booooo! I have gained a total of 21 lbs at 30 weeks. My doctor initially gave me a range of 25-35 lbs, but pushed for me to stay at the 25 lbs. I have 10 weeks left and technically only allowed 4 more lbs. Yeah, not happening :(.

      My doctor said as long as everything continues to go the way it is, we will be all good! Now I get to see her every two weeks which makes me more excited and more nervous since it means we're getting closer to meeting Liam!

       Continuing on with our busy week, we has our first out of four childbirth preparation class. I was quite nervous in the beginning and didn't know what to expect. There were about 11 other couples in our class and we were in this auditorium at the hospital we are going to deliver at. The first class was easy and simple. Our instructor just went through some basic breathing techniques with us and how to identify preterm labor. I'm excited for next week because the first thing we'll be doing is going on a hospital tour of the family birthing center.

     On Saturday, Calvin's parents came over to drop off a present for Liam!

Our Stroller!!

The Orbit Baby G2 Stroller

     When Calvin and I started researching all the different baby products, we fell in love with the Orbit Baby G2 stroller. It is very modern looking, highly functional, and convenient. It's basically just completely awesome. We can't wait to push baby Liam in it! Thank you so much Grandma and Grandpa Tan! We love you! Liam will be riding in style :)

     Lastly, the most exciting part, we ended our week with our 3D/4D ultrasound! It was such an amazing experience. We were able to see our adorable baby boy and I just couldn't believe that I was looking at my son. I later told Calvin that it didn't feel real at first. I just couldn't believe this beautiful little human being was inside my tummy. I kept thinking to myself that the tech was just rolling this machine around my belly and I was just seeing an image of something else. I couldn't believe how lucky I was. At the request of my hubby, I am not going to post any pictures from the ultrasound. At this point Calvin would like to keep this special and private, but of course family and close friends who read this, we don't mind sharing with you. Just send me an email or text and I can send you over a picture if you're curious as to what little Liam looks like!

     We had quite a big group come that accompanied us to our appointment. It was Calvin, me, my mom, Calvin's parents, my cousin, my sister, my nephew, and my bestest friend. We wanted to share this amazing experience with important people in our lives and who will be important people in Liam's life. We are grateful that they wanted to share in this experience with us too. The session lasted about 20-25 mins. We noticed that Liam has daddy's nose and mommy's cheeks and lips. I just want to squeeze his chubby cheeks! The entire session, he had his foot all up in his face! At one point he had his big toe in his eye and then we caught him putting it into his mouth. It was just too cute! It's so awesome how far technology has come. Here we are, at just about 30 weeks, and we are able to see Liam! We could see and count his five little toes and see him smile. We loved every minute of it.

    We went to a place called Prenatal Peek in San Jose, Ca. If you live in the area, I suggest going to visit them for your 3D/4D Ultrasound. The tech who helped us was very sweet and tried her best to get the best angles for me. She even had me get up and do some marching exercises and stretching to try and get Liam to move around so we could see him better. It's pretty pricey, but super worth it. It's an elective ultrasound so it is not covered by health insurance and they do not do anything medical or answer any medical questions. There are different packages that ranged from 90-200+ dollars. The package we chose included a 20-25 minute session, 10-15 black and white photos, 6-8 color photos, a CD with all the images, a DVD of the session, and a coupon to come back and get Liam's foot imprinted to make a ceramic keepsake ornament. We also paid an extra $32 to get a plush bear with a recording of Liam's heartbeat inside. The best 32 dollars I've ever spent!

We appropriately named him Liam Bear since he has Liam's heartbeat!

     Phew! That concludes our busy week! I'm just exhausted rereading this post, but it was totally worth everything. The closer the big day approaches, the more we are anxiously preparing for his arrival. We seriously can't wait to meet little Liam!

Cloth Diapering

     Time is quickly flying by and we are desperately getting things ready for Liam! As Calvin is priming and painting his nursery, I am doing my research. One thing I had decided to do before I even got pregnant was cloth diapering. I watch a lot of mommy Vlogs on Youtube and had learned a lot about cloth diapering through those.

     When I first heard the term "cloth diapering", the image that came immediately to my mind was a cloth that you fold around the baby's bottom and pin together. Very old school. But when I saw what cloth diapers look like now, I am very surprised at how my perception was very off. The modern cloth diapers basically look like a normal diaper, but cuter! I started watching more Youtube videos on moms who cloth diaper and researching websites that explained the benefits.

     Of course with anything, there are pros and cons. From everything I have researched, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I am no expert and have not even tried cloth diapering yet, but through my research, this is what I have learned:

Pros:

• Saves lots of money in the long run. 
• We can easily save $1000 using cloth diapers vs. disposables. 
• We plan on having at least one more child and can reuse these diapers with our next child/children.

• Better for the environment. 
• Less diaper rashes.
• Less leakage.
• More comfortable for Liam's bottom with the nice fleecy lining. 
• Cute prints!

Cons:

• More laundry 
• A higher cost up front. 
• An overwhelming amount of different brands and styles. 
• There are brands like Swaddle Bee, Thirsties, Flips, Charlie Banana's, Fuzzi Buns, Bum Genius, etc.
• There are styles like All-in-ones, pocket diapers, pre-folds, etc.

     When I first approached Calvin on the subject, I wasn't sure how he would react. Surprisingly he was all for it with no hesitation. I did approach him with a bunch of information first before he could respond so I probably already answered his questions he had. But I know I'm very lucky that he is on board and willing to work with me to do what we feel is right for Liam!

     This will definitely be an experience for the both of us, but because we are willing to work as a team and to go through all the trial and error together, I don't see how we can't figure it out and make it work best for us.We also do intend on using disposable diapers for his first few weeks of life as his poop, the meconium, is a lot stickier and harder to get out of the cloth diapers and we don't want to irritate the umbilical cord stump he will have. Once the meconium passes and the umbilical cord stump falls off, we will begin the cloth diapering process. We also intend on using disposable diapers when going on long trips since it would be difficult for us to be able to wash all of his diapers in a timely manner. So we're not 100% against disposable diapers. Of course all of this may change once we start. We may actually like cloth diapering so much we will leave him in it 100% of the time. We want to do what we think is best for our child and what works best for us. Some people may not agree with it and that's ok. This is our son that we created and this is what we are choosing to do. :)

     Of course I will keep you all updated on our cloth diapering journey. This is just a small introduction as to why we are choosing to cloth diaper. We are planning on going to a baby store soon that has a variety of cloth diapers and knowledgeable staff who can help us more. They even have a one-on-one option for 25 dollars where we can learn everything we want to about cloth diapers and get all our questions answered from one of their staff members. They did have a class available, but we are busy the days that they offer the class. Plus for 5 dollars more, we get one-on-one attention which we think is totally worth it. So we will definitely be doing that and I'll be writing about that once we find the time to do so!