22 Weeks

So I'm a few days late for my update, began week 23 yesterday--though technically, if I think really hard about it, I am just now 22 full weeks, right? I suppose that would happen at the end of the 22nd week. huh. This baby stuff is all very confusing. Anyway, have some sad news--no hike through the smog to the HOLLYWOOD sign :(! My sister's friend (the organizer) had a last minute meeting with a client and called off the hike. So instead of going on the health-promoting 50 minute ascend, my husband and I went to Melrose for a yummy breakfast of french toast...battered, dipped in cornflakes and grilled (to perfection!). It was heaven on a plate. A fabulous way to ring in week 22...

Picture taken at my husband's cafe. The scale shows how much our baby girl weighs already--she's getting so big! We're so excited to meet her in just a few short months!

How far along? 22 weeks!

How is she growing: Almost a pound and a half!

Weight gain so far: 10 lbs (well, from the weight I lost in the first trimester--thank you morning sickness, makes the number more like 16 lbs--thank you red vines)

Stretch marks? None so far. I am addicted to my Bella B Honey Tummy Butter, but I have a feeling it won't make a difference either way. 

Belly button in or out: still in.

Wardrobe situation: I really need to let go of my favorite jeans, the rubber band trick went from "great idea" to "indecent exposure"...I think next week I will finally be hemming my maternity jeans. I can still pull off some of my t-shirts, but looking at this picture that also seems debatable.

Sleep: Outside of excruciating leg cramps halfway through the night, sleeping pretty well. Just miss my husband by my side.

Best moment this week: spending time with Joon, my sister, and brother-in-law this past weekend.

Movement: ...and lots of it! She does go through phases--some days she's super active and some days she's pretty quiet. Seeing and feeling her acrobatics from the outside is pretty amazing.

Food cravings/aversions: Sweets! Anything with sugar makes me drool these days. I wasn't so great at ignoring the bowl of skittles on the reception desk in my office a few weeks ago, but I'm doing a lot better now--I actually ate a salad! Vegetables are still pretty unattractive, but outside of that, have not had many aversions.

What I miss: Sushi, soft cheeses, and medium-rare steak--All of my favorite foods seem to fall on the no-no list for pregnancy. I'm already planning my meals for after baby girl arrives--I have a scary feeling most of my weight gain may come in the couple weeks after she arrives. I will really need to learn some self control. 

Mood: happy, anxious for her arrival, and sometimes sad when I think about how far away my husband is and that he's missing watching her grow.  I guess that's where the blog comes in :).

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing Joon again in March and holding our baby girl in June!

On the morning train to LA...

...In my head I wanted that to sound more like "Midnight Train to Georgia", but "LA" doesn't quite flow like the original track. But here I am, on a morning/midday train to the City of Angels to visit my dear sister and brother in law and, of course, my darling joon. Although I rather enjoy the convenience of trains (now equipped with wifi, which, to me, means stories about long lost loves and missed opportunities to purchase life-size robots on credit from the guy next to me happen much less often), I find I am less productive than I predicted and spend most of the time looking out my passenger window and daydreaming.  However, since today is a work day, I stopped myself quickly after the sun rose over the horizon and made an attempt at being productive.  Here is a picture I took of the sunrise over the San Joaquin Valley--sadly, it's the smog that makes it beautiful...

 

On a sidenote: train bathrooms are NOT made for pregnant women. If I were any more pregnant, not only would I not fit through the door, but I would easily be pushing my belly against the walls that confine the bathroom as I attempted to relieve myself. In this case, I honestly think a urinal would have been 100x more comfortable. 

Look out for the 22 week shot this weekend. Planning a hike to the Hollywood sign tomorrow morning; in the off chance I actually make it there, should make for a cool belly picture. I have a pretty good feeling I will be too big to even fit in the "O". Till then. Hope you are all well. Can't wait to see you joon! xx

La Fashionista

Only 22 in-the-womb weeks old and baby girl is already more stylish than her mommy and daddy combined.  Although in some ways we feel a little guilty for shopping so early, we were able to get almost all of her clothes at least 50% off retail--mommy might not be a fashion icon like baby girl, but she sure knows how to find a good deal! Or at least find her way to Zulily (such a dangerous site!). Here are a few cute items we couldn't pass up:

This scrubs set comes from a friend of mine who used to also work in internal medicine. His daughter fit into this for about a day--just enough time to take some adorable pictures. At the rate baby girl is growing, I'll be surprised if she fits in it at all!

21 Weeks Strong

I was surprised at how well I handled my husband leaving this morning. I expected to be an absolute mess, soaked in tears and unable to hold back my desire to pathetically beg him to stay.  Instead, as if I was overcome by either too much confidence or too much emotion, I resorted to an almost stoic state...nearly fist-bumping him to farewell. Then a couple of hours later, as if storm clouds suddenly covered the sun, it hit me that he had really gone. Frantically, I tried to distract myself with work emails, cleaning, and organizing...the second picture should give you a better idea of what I accomplished in an hour after returning home from work. Too early! my mother would say, but it kept my emotions at bay, even if just a short while. Everyday will get easier and he is just a train/plane/automobile ride away.  Here is our last shot before he left at 20.5 weeks:

And here was tonight's distraction:

20 Week Ultrasound

Today we had our 20 week anatomy ultrasound. Not the most comfortable procedure I've experienced, however I believe it had something to do with me misunderstanding the amount of fluid I was supposed to intake prior to the visit...apparently the goal was 32oz and I managed to down 64. So I learned the hard way that an extremely full bladder and an extremely annoyed baby do not mix. Yes, ouch. Regardless, the technician was able to get measurements of everything. Not with a smile on her face, that's for sure, but I suppose 8am is a little too early to be warm and peppy for most people. Baby girl measured in at 14oz (already!), putting her in the 80th percentile for weight.  I guess she is the one that's been getting most of the calories in all those Red Vines I've been eating. She has nice long legs (she must take after my sisters--lucky girl!) and a big fat tummy. The technician said a big tummy is a good thing, means she's getting everything she needs. She is already head down, really seems to like the space in my lower right abdomen, directly under the placenta--which by the looks of the ultrasound has functioned as a very comfortable Tempur-Pedic pillow for her. We won't get the official results until our Friday appointment, but things look good from what we could tell. Here are a few photos from this morning:

 

Joon leaves in a few days, having such a hard time thinking of him leaving. And pregnancy hormones do not help one bit--I seem to cry at everything, from paper towel commercials to writing this right now. It's pathetic. Someday, Joon, hope you can forgive me for being such a basket case. Love you.