18 weeks

March 27th, 2011

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 18-19 weeks

Total weight gain: 4-5 lbs (finally eating but using different scales each time is difficult to calculate)

Maternity clothes: dresses & yoga pants (haven't bought any yet but need a bigger bra for SURE)

Gender: Have a good idea now since the last doctor almost blurted it out

Movement: felt flutters before but nothing now

Sleep: I wish I could sleep longer

What I miss this week: Everything! Exercising, traveling, energy, drinking alcoholic beverages, caffeine, not peeing every 5 minutes... what a lifestyle change.

Cravings: Anything healthy, salads, fruit, veggies

Symptoms: STILL gas & exhaustion, otherwise I wouldn't even know I was pregnant (besides my boobs, they get bigger by the day!)

Best moment this week: Nothing too positive about pregnancy other than people let you sit down more (it has been a rough couple of weeks)

I am back in Texas staying with my parents. The flight was fine, the jetlag and eating time change were really hard. I would wake up in the middle of the night starving which totally messed my stomach up again.

Plus my doctor visit didn't go so well, apparently Febe the fibroid caused some major complications when it comes to having a baby. So... to make a long story short the U.S. doctor is sending me to a Maternal Fetal Specialist for my 20 week scan and to measure my cervix for incompetent cervix or shortening from the fibroid surgery. Not sure what they will do if it is a problem, since one, I am determined to deliver in Singapore and two, I am really past the point for a cerclage.

I also had to deny some mandatory state regulated tests that they were insisting I have. I am sure I am "that" patient now. But I really don't see the point in having a Pap while pregnant, and I am positive I don't have an STD which doesn't really matter anyway because I am having a c-section.

So hopefully April 8th will go better with the specialist. Dirk will be by my side and since my family knows what gender we are having and we don't... we might just have to find out what it is. Plus I will have a specialist doing my anatomy scan instead of a ultrasound tech... last tech told me that my fibroid was still there 2 weeks after my surgery. Ugh, I hate medical drama!

Taken this past weekend, the dress fit perfectly! Just a small bump still.

Congrats to my Kappa Delta Little Sister! So happy for Shelley & John Hancock!

16 weeks

March 8th, 2011

I am copying this from a friend. But instead of belly pictures, you will have to settle for fun pictures of other babies :)

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 16 weeks

Total Weight Gain: 0 (finally back to what I weighed before pregnancy)

Maternity Clothes: Haven't bought any yet

Gender: ?? (Not sure we are finding out)

Movement: flutters, here & there especially after sugar

Sleep: dear Friends, I am not a nice person

What I miss this week: Being able to eat food without consequences (i.e. GAS! Killer GAS)

Cravings: sushi & dim sum (go figure)

Symptoms: Exhausted. Did I mention GAS??

Best moment this week: Watching Gulianna & Bill and being so Thankful that we were able to conceive naturally and with surprise. It truly is a Blessing.


Check out this monster... we might have one of these on our hands!

The Yellow Brick Road

OR... the Road to Conception

So... this road is a little bumpy and it took 2.5 years after ridding my body of contraceptives.

The first hurdle was Febe the fibroid. Weighing in at just under 2 lbs and 4 tag along friends, we are free of fibroids since February 2009.

Let. the. fun. begin.

Actually we really never "tried" to conceive. We both knew if we planned something like this, it either wouldn't happen or would happen right away. So we just kind of went with it. So in November 2010. It happened! And let me tell you... we were both shocked! I still loved to be surprised and with situations that are really out of your control, they are the best!

Dirk and I had been traveling a lot, first to the U.S. for a home leave and then I went with work to Cambodia. It wasn't until after our company Christmas party that I had a suspicion that something was up. Even in Cambodia I was exhausted and not feeling my usual self. My boss even asked me if I could have been pregnant....

So somewhere in between Cambodia and preparing for our trip to the Maldives... a little pink lined showed up on one of those famous pee sticks. At first it was so faint that I literally called my friend (who was another nurse, like I didn't know the answer) and asked how positive is a positive test?? Then I totally freaked out because I had about one million travel vaccines before going to Cambodia, including all three rabies injections. Thankfully they were all killed vaccines. So after the initial freak out Dirk and I settled into the idea of parenthood.

The first 3 months were rough, really rough. Dirk even said, maybe this will be an only child?? He was actually hoping for twins. HA! I lost 8 lbs and eating really has been a chore, even now. It is a total lifestyle change. But maybe this is just getting you used to all the changes coming ahead.

Let. the. fun. really. begin!!!