39.5 Weeks

And I wonder if this pregnancy will ever end. Though my doctor assured me that, at some point, they all come out. I am a little skeptical.

My husband took this shadow picture during one of our evening "come on baby...drop!" walks.

How far along? 39.5 weeks!

How is she growing: As my OB says, she's "good size" (apparently a little bigger than average)...I am hoping she clocks in under 8lbs.

Weight gain so far: About 33 lbs...and I was so proud of myself this morning when I turned down cream biscuits and jam.  For pancakes. Wait, that probably doesn't really work, huh? dang.

Stretch marks? So shocked the answer is still no...especially since everyone says my belly is gigantic.

Belly button in or out: Still no where to be found...

Wardrobe situation: I think the past two days I've only managed to feel comfortable in a pair of underwear and my husband's black t-shirts. Maternity clothes at this point are kind of a joke.

Sleep: Sleeping okay, but definitely fighting some mid-night contractions.

Best moment this week: Spending time with joon...so nice to have him home. And seeing one of my best friends get married! :)

Movement: Less movement this week, but still my little fighter.

Food cravings/aversions: I had a huge pizza and ranch dressing craving earlier this week--and it was just as delicious as I imagined. Fruit is still number one though and I'm sure my digestive system thanks me.

What I miss: I should not admit this, but I kind of miss work. haha. or maybe it's the people I work with that I miss :).

Mood: Last night I threw a huge fit because I found a spider in our bed and I refused to go to sleep until the spider was found. If that says anything. My poor husband.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting our baby girl. Please come soon!!!

37 and 38 Weeks

And definitely feeling it. From the emotions to the complete shift in my center of gravity. Can't believe I'm already full term! Whoa mama is right. Sometimes it feels like I've been pregnant for seven years and sometimes it feels like the time went by so quickly. However, these past couple of weeks have been the hardest. I'm so excited for our baby girl, but somehow I manage to tear up over something everyday. I think the distance from joon has effected me much more than I expected, especially in these last few weeks. I have a profound respect for women who go through this process without spouses, significant others or a support network of people. As joyful as this time is, it brings with it a whole new world of worry, responsibility, and rapid transformation. Joon has decided to book an earlier flight to spend a little time alone with me before our baby girl arrives. I think this will be really good for both of us as our life is about to change dramatically in less than two weeks.

Can you believe baby girl will be in this in just a few short weeks?!

One of the only baby projects I've completed...but at least she'll always have a clean diaper :)

How far along? 38 weeks!

How is she growing: Still my little green watermelon...just a little heavier. I'd say she's close to 7.5 lbs. Though, at times it really feels like I could be completely wrong and this baby will be the next Guinness World Record baby...especially when I convince myself to take the stairs.

Weight gain so far: Over 30lbs! I should really keep the ice cream out of my shopping basket.

Stretch marks? None! Only have to hold out a couple more weeks. Though, someone scared me the other day by saying the stretch marks show up after you give birth. Seriously?! All that daily lathering for nothing?! I really hope this person is completely misinformed.

Belly button in or out: Ha! I think it's safe to say mine no longer exists.

Wardrobe situation: No comment.

Sleep: Been sleeping well when I can sleep, but I keep having these crazy dreams that my water breaks and I wake up suddenly ready to jump out of bed and go to the hospital. Only to be disappointed that, yet again, it was a false alarm. Can you tell I'm ready to deliver this baby??

Best moment this week: Training Lucas to like his crate again...

Movement: She was pulling out all her ninja moves earlier this week. I even caught some of it on tape and was able to send to joon and my sisters.

Food cravings/aversions: Summer fruit--Nectarines, peaches, apricots. And, of course, chocolate ice cream. But the other day, something very strange happened...I ate broccoli. And I didn't hate it! I think my taste for vegetables may be finding its way back to me.

What I miss: The old me. and my husband. And the old us together.

Mood: I could go on and on here, but I'll spare you all. I am, however, INCREDIBLY excited/happy/overjoyed to meet our little girl and be a family again.

What I'm looking forward to: Wednesday morning :).

36 Weeks

days left!!!

How far along? 36 weeks (only 28 days to go)!

How is she growing: So fast! She's 6.5 lbs! At least I hope, but girl could be eight five for all I know--maybe taking after her favorite Titans RB, Chris J.

Weight gain so far: 29 lbs! I weigh the same as joon. haha. hopefully not for much longer. 

Stretch marks? Nope. Yay! Hope it holds out for another few weeks.

Belly button in or out: At this point it's stretched so far that it doesn't even look like I have a belly button.

Wardrobe situation: Two more maternity pants into the storage bin. At this rate, by the time I reach delivery, I will be resorting to an over-sized moo moo (likely borrowed from the elderly Mrs. Johnson down the street).

Sleep: and a lot of it. However, in order for me to get in a decent (6-8 hour) rest, I have to go to bed around 7:30 or 8 at night to make up for the hourly bathroom visits and 2am contractions.

Best moment this week: Seeing my darling joon. Even though we argued incessantly the whole weekend because we're both so frustrated with being separated, it was still, hands down, the best part of my week. Miss you like crazy baby. Can't wait to be together again.

Movement: Still squirming around in there. I think she is starting to descend into my pelvis, as I've noticed my belly shifting down. Yay! Means she is getting ready for the big day we've all been waiting for :).

Food cravings/aversions: I LOVE summer fruit...maybe even more than mint chocolate chip ice cream and hot fud--wait wait, what am I saying?! That can't be true. Fruit over ice cream? Yeah, these hormones are totally screwing me up.

What I miss: My favorite foods. Oh I can't wait to dig into a yummy medium rare steak, a side of sushi, and a salad topped with blue cheese.

Mood: Happy. Sad. Mad. Happy. Frustrated. Anxious. Confused. Lonely. Happy. And that was just in the past hour.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting our beautiful daughter! Only a couple more weeks!

35 Weeks

And apparently my new nickname is "watermelon."  Last weekend I stopped by a health fair at a local barbershop and one of the patients started calling me "watermelon." "Hey, watermelon, come over here," he said. So, now a growing number of people at my work are now calling me "watermelon." I'd have to say, it's hard to argue with them. I decided for my 35 week picture I would do a comparison shot from week 22. Here I am in my EB t-shirt at 22 weeks and now at 35 weeks...wow. Watermelon is right.

 

How far along? 35 weeks!

How is she growing: About the size of a juicy summer watermelon.

Weight gain so far: 29 lbs! 

Stretch marks? Nothing yet. I just ordered more Bella B Tummy Honey Butter. I go through this stuff like pound cake.

Belly button in or out: An outie for sure and you can now see it through my t-shirts. Attractive.

Wardrobe situation: Really really need that pair of pajama jeans. I found some boxers that are too big for my husband and they truly have been a lifesaver this week. If it were up to me, I'd, without hesitation, go about my day in a roomy sports-bra and large boxers from old navy. But apparently that's inappropriate...even on casual Friday.

Sleep: Just exhausted...super super exhausted. I get really tired now just driving the 10 minutes to work. Somewhat surprised I make it through the 8-hour work day.

Best moment this week: Watching Lucas play with my nephew, Liam. He was so sweet with him, I was reassured he will be good with Natalie too...as long as he doesn't try to sit in her lap :). 

Movement: A ton of movement the past couple of days. Feel like she's burrowing her way into my pelvis. Which means even more frequent bathroom breaks.

Food cravings/aversions: Forced myself to eat eggs this morning for some protein, but they have definitely made my aversion list. Really missing my love of vegetables, can't wait to get my taste back for salad and broccoli. But, on the bright side, still loving every kind of fruit and manage to get in 4 - 6 servings a day. 

What I miss: Just me...missing my old self. I think I've cried enough in the last couple of weeks to last me for the next couple of years.

Mood: The last few weeks have been challenging for joon and I. We both seem to want the same thing: to feel more connected. But, with his schedule and my exhaustion, its been hard to make that happen. We decided, not matter what, we're sticking together if any kind of move comes up for one of us in the future. I am a fan of this decision.

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing my husband this weekend and watching my brother graduate from high school! Congrats--go Mustangs! :)

34 Weeks

And our little ninja baby is getting stronger and stronger everyday. She's really running out of room in there, and by the strength of her blows, there isn't much amniotic fluid left either. Only about a month before baby girl joins our family, can't wait to sign cards with "Love, The Caos"--wait, that looks a lot like we just misspelled "chaos"...haha, which may, in fact, be more accurate once we become a family of four.

How far along? 34 weeks!

How is she growing: About the size of a basketball (and I have the picture to prove it!). Despite what could have been perfect timing, sadly, we will not be cheering on our Rockets this year :(.  

Weight gain so far: Almost 30 lbs! Everyone says "It's all baby!", which I think they mean as a compliment, but all I can think is "It better not be all baby!".

Stretch marks? Nope :). Though someone scared me and said all her stretch marks showed up the week she gave birth. Apparently they can just pop up spontaneously right when you're about to give your belly a break.

Belly button in or out: Oh, so so an outie.

Wardrobe situation: Unless its made of spandex or offers a generous elastic waistline, its not happening. In fact, I seriously contemplated purchasing a pair of pajama jeans. But, I have a feeling Stacy and Clinton would not approve. Mairin, maybe this is our ticket to the $5,000 wardrobe!

Sleep: So very tired and sleep is nearly non-existent. Nature definitely has its way of preparing you for a baby.

Best moment this week: My first sort-of "Mother's Day" :):

Sweet card from my sister and soon-to-be auntie Kieran :)

Movement: Lots of big movements, punches and kicks...she's really fighting her way out of there.

Food cravings/aversions: Marinated flank steak with potatoes and sauteed spinach and onion. And mangos. And chocolate cake.

What I miss: Eating foods without worry. I have a feeling I won't be so careful with baby cao #2.

Mood: Still very tough without my husband. The distance has felt much further these past few weeks than ever before. I'm trying to remain in good spirits, and baby girl is a wonderful distraction.

What I'm looking forward to: Bringing the Cao family back together, with one very exciting addition :).

33 Weeks

And baby girl is really packing on the pounds. She's like those growing dinosaur toys we had as kids that when you put them in water, they expanded to 200x their original size. We really did have such simple amusements back in those days. On another note, Joon met me in SF this weekend for a Birthing From Within class. The class was super helpful and although it prepared me for "what to expect," I'm still feeling rather overwhelmed with the actual labor and delivery part. Since I have decided not to have an epidural, regardless of induction or no induction, I am a little more than terrified to dive into these uncharted waters.  Of course I say this all now, and won't be shocked if during transitional labor I find myself choking the doctor and screaming, "Give me the juice!" Okay, okay, here is our 33 week shot:

And here we are in the exact same spot, 10 months earlier...crazy, right?!

How far along? 33 weeks!

How is she growing: Weighs in at about 4.5 lbs--the size of a giant melon. 

Weight gain so far: 26 lbs and counting...I step on the scale again Friday and I have a feeling I'm getting close to 30 lbs. In fact, joon and I weighed ourselves and I'm about 10 lbs shy of trading jeans with him.

Stretch marks? Nope! Woot! Woot!

Belly button in or out: An outie all the way.

Wardrobe situation: Growing out of my maternity clothes is not only getting expensive, I am resorting only to the clothing items that fit, which really makes for some interesting outfits. Did you know lime green and navy match?

Sleep: I'm EXHAUSTED, but can only sleep about one hour at a time before my baby girl or my bladder wakes me up with a killer braxton hick's contraction.

Best moment this week: Taking Birthing From Within class with Joon. Here is a picture from the art session:

 

Center pictures: "Womb with a View"; Outside pictures: "The Opening"

Movement: Still my little ninja.

Food cravings/aversions: Fruit--mangos and kiwis. Really not liking eggs anymore.

What I miss: My body...don't get me wrong, I love feeling our baby, but I really miss being held close by my husband and sleeping on my belly. I think that's one of the first things I will do after I deliver, just lay on my belly for hours (haha, like I will have hours to lay down with a newborn).

Mood: Things have been pretty hard lately without my husband. I hope they get better soon.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting our little one and being a family again.

Maternity Pictures!

...as promised :). We were so fortunate to have my dear friend and photographer, Ayumi Pantell, take these photos (she is also responsible for our incredible wedding album :)).  Photos were taken on the Santa Monica Pier and nearby beach.