38 Weeks

August 11th, 2011

What happened to the baby bump??

Baby Dunlap couldn't wait...

36 weeks

And the count down begins...

The stripes are an illusion...

Going to change it up a bit! This might make me more positive...

How much longer to go: 2-3 weeks

Going to the doctor every week now. Next appointment they will look at the fetal activity and give the steroid shot for the lungs

Weight to lose after pregnancy: 30 lbs. We stop here :)

Gender: Still a boy or it has 3 legs??

The fight club for room inside the womb: still active but running out of room, kicks are stronger but haven't been that bad... My stomach can contort into different shapes with the movement.

Cravings (something that I usually don't like): oranges... have eaten one or two a day since last week... weird!

What new symptoms happen this week??: Ok, the only thing constant in pregnancy is change, this week it is acid reflux, indigestion, restless leg (STILL), insomnia, every hour to the bathroom at night, and knee pain... that is just this week...

Things I cannot LIVE without right now: Tums, Gaviscon, BODY PILLOW (dirk wants to draw a face on it or put his picture on it, I take it everywhere and use it all the time... think he is jealous??), my fruit man at Holland Village (I buy $50 worth of fruit every week), and Crystal Light

Best moment for me this week: having my live in helper cook me dinner, clean the house, walk the dog, and doing all the heavy lifting and bending over... she is awesome!!

Best moment for Dirk this week: knowing he only has to put up with me for 3 more weeks :)

So my co-workers had a baby shower me and another nurse. Natalie is due August 2nd. We had a nice little lunch with everyone from the clinic, doctors, nurses, receptionist... it was great!!

Look at all these knowledgable moms I can go to for help!

This is Natalie's fourth child, I keep joking with her that I will drop off our little one at her place and she wouldn't even notice..

The loot!

35 weeks

Getting BIG!! I think the waddle is almost in full effect... almost :)

How far along: 35 weeks

Weight gained: 30 pounds, yep, maybe we stop calculating here...

Maternity clothes: Not in this picture, this is an Anthropology dress that still fits for the most part. I did have to resew the flower on better before wearing though.

Gender: Boy, still don't have a name... if you ask Kai Bjorn.

Movement: Yes, getting much much stronger, to the point that they wake me up. Also hiccups every morning. Plus much more pressure on the downward end, he is definitely lying low.

Sleep: This is a sore subject... not enough

What I miss: Another sore subject, I am getting to my wits end, the count down has begun.

People always tell you that you are going to miss being pregnant, I am not sure, I really just ignore all the movements and don't find it fun being jabbed in the ribs all the time. It is nice feeling a little special and people move out of your way when walking in the mall. But I think I would rather have the baby on the outside... this may change and I might just eat my words :)

33 weeks

Since now I am playing catch up, I think this was around 33 weeks... A horrible picture but you get the idea. And yes, still not wearing maternity shirts... the forever 21 specials work better.

How far along: 33 weeks?

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained: about 26 pounds... i think?

Maternity Clothes: Yes, always on the bottom, usually big non-maternity shirts on top.

Movement: Movin & groovin in there! Getting stronger and stronger everyday.

Sleep: Still sucks... i thought this happened after the baby! Luckily I have a live in helper now and can nap all day long. She has been a great help so far.

What I miss: Bending over, turning over, missing my body immensely now.

Symptoms: I won't go into it, too many to count now...

Cravings: FRUIT!! But it seems my liking of different foods has changed throughout the pregnancy. I used to like vanilla pudding... no so much anymore.

Best Moment this Week: I should delete this line. But I have had some nice experiences with my fellow Singaporeans who appreciate a pregnant woman and her strife. A bathroom attendant made me go into the wheelchair bathroom because the line was long for the normal one. And when Dirk broke down and needed a drink one night, the bar attendant brought me a special comfy chair just because I was with child. The little things make ALL the difference :)

32 Weeks

So I broke down and took some more pics. It is better now that I have an actual bump instead of just looking awkward.

the bare bump

How far along: 32 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 23.5 pounds. I think the pounds are going to start piling on now. I feel more hungry these days but still can't sit down to a proper meal. I think I could totally be vegetarian after this pregnancy, no craving for meat at all... seems too filling.

Maternity Clothes: Yep, but was surprised to find that most of my non-maternity shirts still fit. I am glad I didn't buy too many maternity clothes.

Gender: All boy, or that is what they keep telling us. There is no mistaking it either.

Movement: Lots of movement! He almost has an attitude already, knowing what positions he likes me to lay in and lets me know when he is uncomfortable. I can't hold anything on my stomach or he really starts moving a kicking.

Sleep: Still not going well, no one is getting good sleep. Even the dog is tired all day.

What I miss: Not feeling so heavy, bending over, being active in general. Singapore is too hot for me to be out during the day... I can't run errands with Dirk like I use to on the weekends because I get too hot and my feet swell out of my shoes.

Symptoms: Restless Leg Syndrome- keeps me up at night for sure now, swollen, sweaty, and HOT hands and feet- they were so bad the other day I was trying to take finger prints for my new visa and the lady couldn't get them... too hot she said.

I thought my rib was better but the other night it must have slipped back out. I can feel it when I breath in and out now. I think Dirk was able to massage it back in but boy does it hurt!! I think it will only get worse as I get bigger.

Cravings: FRUIT!! The fruit here in Singapore is amazing, I can't get enough of it!!

Best Moment this Week: Several friends had the start of the summer babies... So excited for them all.

30 Weeks and growing...

How far along: 30 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 21.5 pounds. I am now able to use my own scale every morning so I have been able to keep better track of my weight. This number definitely changes through out the day with the water weight.

Maternity Clothes: Yep, still wearing the same stuff and maternity clothes are still a little too big, but as you can see the bump in growing :)

Gender: "Chip" is his womb name, have a couple of family names picked out but still aren't sure. If you ask Dirk, he will say his name is Kai Bjorn... I think he is tired of people asking.

Movement: Tons, I can feel hands and feet at the same time on either side of my stomach.

Sleep: Not going so well... this does not make a nice Christina.

What I miss: Workouts, Running, Sleeping, Sleeping, Sleeping, Energy, Cute Clothes, Shoes Fitting... I could go on and on... I don't think being pregnant is high on my likes list.

Symptoms: Restless Leg Syndrome, Swollen (feet, lips, face, hands, knuckles, legs!!!), Joint pain everywhere...

Dislocated a rib in my back the other week, luckily it only took several sessions of physio therapy to manipulate it back in place... man that was painful.

Cravings: None really, liking more sweets but can control it with sugar free stuff

Best Moment this Week: Fixing my back... I thought I was a goner after that pain.

27 Weeks (Crack is whack)

May 25th, 2011: Dr. K.K. Chow in Singapore

Lets play the game... how many doctor's can I see during one pregnancy?? Four so far...

Also crack is whack!! This is in reference to... different interpretations of EVERYTHING! You know how you go to one doctor and they tell you don't drink caffeine, it can kill your baby? Or don't eat lunch meat? Or crack is whack? There is so much out there for interpretation... I have heard more than once during this pregnancy, the only thing I should really stay away from is crack... I won't mention any names, but all have the initials M.D.

This is kind of how I feel everything in pregnancy is. Turns out two different Singapore doctors think chip and I are A OK. No fluid around chip's kidneys, no placenta previa, no worry about sugars. Everything looks NORMAL even the dreaded glucose tolerance test.

Dr. K.K. Chow described in detail why little boys sometimes have fluid build up in the kidneys... google it. He looked at everything in detail and says it is all normal. I do have some excess amitotic fluid but not because of sugars or kidneys... "just something to watch" they both say.

So we are good, no crack here. We have the all clear to take a babymoon and hopefully can find someplace great to spend our last time as just a couple of crazy kids :)

Week 26

So my last couple of posts were really detailed with medical stuff, sorry... just want to remember everything, it hasn't been an easy or comfortable road.

Pregnancy Highlights

Taken at 23 weeks- Baby Shower in Houston

(And yes, my boobs are huge! I think Sarah is a little shocked in this pic)

How far along: 26 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 19 pounds. I hope to keep that under 25 lb., will be easier without the temptations in Texas. I haven't gained any weight in 2 weeks plus added some much needed walking to my routine. Realistically, it will be under 30 lb. I never knew how lazy this could make me...

Maternity Clothes: Pants and leggings for sure, maternity shirts and dresses are still too big. Why is maternity wear so ugly?? I mean really, you already feel huge and then they go and make you look like a tent with horizontal stripes... i mean really??

Gender: "Chip" is his womb name, this will change hopefully soon.

Movement: Lots of kicks and summersaults. I think Chip is a little confused with the jet lag, he isn't moving around at the normal times as in the U.S.

Sleep: I can thankfully still sleep well, except the jet lag. It usually takes me a week to get over because I do it naturally and don't push my body.

What I miss: All the fruit I had to cut out because of my sugars and remembering to add lean protein to all my meals. The last thing I want to see is meat... going with dairy and nuts for the protein.

Symptoms: Restless Leg Syndrome, ugh this stinks!! Thankfully it is in the early evening and not in the middle of the night.

Cravings: Watermelon AND SNOW CONES!! (sugar free that is)

Best Moment this Week: Never feeling alone... he is always moving which keeps me company. It is a great feeling.

Week 24

May 9th, 2011: Back to Dr. Sue Palmer- Maternal-Fetal Specialist

Turns out doctors really want to see this baby in detail! I am fine with this as long as things are still going ok. I went back to the specialist to check on my placenta previa, maybe they just said this so I wouldn't get upset, because that was fine. The placenta is still really close to the cervix but it doesn't matter anyway because I am having a C-section. If I didn't know better, a C-section seems like the way to go? I was also told he has a very large genetically induced head... another plus to the section thing:) Must be all those Dunlap brains.

New diagnosis: polyhydramnios due to the kidneys of the baby. So again, cut out more sugars and eat a better balanced diet. My cup of coffee and banana for breakfast did NOT impress her, I don't think I could be diabetic. Did anyone else get told this with their boy?? It seemed like if it was a little girl and the kidneys were doing this, it would have been devastating, but since it was a boy, that was normal?? I need to read up on my Maternal Newborn Nursing book.

Otherwise everything was good. I started to prepare for my long flight home with some 81mg Aspirin. Oh the joy of flying for 24 hours...

I haven't uploaded any ultrasound pictures, we have so many now... coming soon though.

I got some fun stuff from my shower though! I am sure this will get used on many game days!! Thanks Auntie Mel, one of the coolest aunts so far :)

Week 20

April 8th, 2011: 20 week scan with Dr. Sue Palmer

So since I am doing this at week 26 instead of when I should be updating... I am so bad about blogging right now! I do have some very good reasons, I promise!!

I will recap our 20 week scan which took place in the U.S.A. So this is when Dirk flew in from Singapore... I had to drag him back to the States... basically for this scan and to see some dear friends get married. Anyhow, we found out that we are having a BOY!!!

So, right, I said we weren't going to find out. AND we weren't until the OB/GYN in Texas almost spilled the beans and therefore I was 95% sure it was a boy, so then my mom knew too because she was the one that went to my appointment with me before Dirk arrived. Basically my whole family knew before Dirk got into town, which led to some of my friends that were throwing me a baby shower to know as well before us... Yes, this was kind of weird but kind of fun too??

We totally thought it was a girl and went on and on about the name we had all picked out. Actually, it didn't really matter what it was. We both just wanted a healthy baby. I am happy we found out, it really has allowed us to connect with the baby more, especially Dirk. My friend Ashley said this in her blog, and I would totally agree. It is no longer an "it", he is "chip", and I promise that is only a womb name.

So the 20 week anatomy scan went well, we have all appendages plus 10 fingers and 10 toes... crazy what they can see these days. No incompetent cervix, THANK the LORD!! Not sure what they would have done anyway?? But a new diagnosis... marginal placenta previa. Anyone know what that means?? Basically no fun for awhile, fun times. Also, they are saying "chip" had some fluid around his kidneys and basically told me to cut out all liquid sugars. I have heard this is normal in little boys, but since this is a maternal fetal specialist... we took it serious. Do you know how hard it is to find sugar free stuff in the U.S.A?? I never knew how much sugar we drank, much less ate, until now. Sugar free snow cones have become my friend :)

I feel like I have rambled enough about this week. I will leave you with a happy couple picture, not sure what week this was?

Week 19

April 4th, 2011 We purchased our first item for the baby. To come this far without buying a single thing, is interesting... But we managed to clean out the condo and make room, so I guess that is the important part. So the first item is.... a CRIB!

Dirk found it in Singapore too. Someone had imported two from the U.S. because they had twins but only used one of the cribs. I was actually really worried about the crib... our other option was to get one from IKEA. Don't get me wrong, I love IKEA but I have a little more safety concerns when it comes to a crib...

So Dirk comes into the country this week and we go to our 20 week scan Friday. Plus, the shopping spree will commence.

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!

14 Weeks

14 weeks

The last couple of months have been rough, really rough! The nausea, heartburn, restless nights, exhaustion, back pain, joint aches.... I could go on and on... I sat down with a colleague at work to discuss all these symptoms. Currently there are 3 of us at work pregnant at the same time. Although these women are on their 3rd and 4th babies... Anyhow, I found out I am not alone. I know, so many of you probably said the same thing, but I didn't realize all this would happen so soon in a pregnancy. More the breathlessness, backaches, and trouble eating. It really helped to know that my friend was having the same issues, which she had never experienced before in her other pregnancies and she is only 8 weeks along.

So my misconceived notions of a pregnancy where all you did was gorge yourself on food, well, that is out the window. I eat every 2 hours, really small portions and don't eat anything after 6PM. My stomach just doesn't tolerate much these days and it seems later into the evenings it gets worse. So... pregnancy, great diet?? who knew?

I did get to see the little stinker at the 13 week exam. In Singapore, where health care is AMAZING and supportive of the patient's needs... we get an ultrasound EVERY TIME we go to the doctor, and guess what, the DOCTOR does all the scans AND measurements right there in the exam room. PLUS! They talk to you about ALL your concerns! Off soap box. Anyway, back to the stinker. It was awesome and amazing and every other word in the dictionary to see it moving around, waving its arms and legs... WOW! I have been feeling "flutter" in my stomach most nights, everyone at the clinic seems to think that is the baby, I on the other hand, think its gas. BUT how COOL if it is the baby? I think I have been feeling it for awhile now. My colleagues seem to think it will be a big baby. Dirk was over 10lbs. and I was just above 5lbs. If it takes after Dirk, THANK THE LORD for a c-section.

I will get to give the U.S. system another try. I will be back for my 20 week scan, AND since I fired my last OB/GYN, I will be looking for another one in the medical center.
So as life gets easier and I can finally eat more... I might be relaxing into this so called pre-motherhood state. We aren't sure if we will find out the gender, life doesn't give you many surprises these days, and we aren't too worried about what the gender is anyway. Healthy is what we are all about!

Ok, belly pictures?? First of all I really don't have a belly yet and second, am I really that kind of girl?? Time will only tell...

But isn't this mobile cute, gender neutral and all?? I think this may be the first purchase???

Dirk says the black sheep is very fitting for the Dunlap family. Hey, isn't different interesting??