Week 20

Today I had a check up with my OBGYN.  I had a list of questions/concerns to bring up during the appointment:
1. Pain on right side ribs: since the pain does not increase after eating, it is likely just the muscles stretching.  It does feel like a mild bruise when I press on it.  Not much to be done there.  Try to find the most comfortable position to sleep in, and it's ok if I end up on my back.  I have added a third large pillow to my sleeping arrangements for added support.
2. Constipation: it's back!  So um...  I am to take stool softener if all else fails.
3. Birthing center: doctor showed us on Google maps where the main hospital is.
4. Birth preparation classes:  start looking into it, doctor gave me a flyer with a list of classes available.  Need to call to get more details and enroll.
5. "Rash" on breasts: it's not a rash, looks like broken capillaries...  it's the beginning of stretch marks.  WWWHHHAAA...  so much for the Crisco-like butter!

Tomorrow P and I are going on a trip to Europe...  my last work trip!  I was having a hard time trying to figure out what to wear since everything fits funny.  Fortunately Huebo made me get a pair of black slacks so I will be wearing those with a stretchy shirt and my suit jacket over it (even though the button won't close anymore, or I could force it to close but it would likely pop very quickly).

Of course, I miss my Maja puppy SO MUCH when she can't come with me...  so it was a tough decision to go on this trip.  During the two trips P and I have taken together (one in November and Honeymoon) since getting Maja, we've had our friend Elaine take care of Maja.  Elaine loooves Maja, and Maja loooves Elaine, so it works out great.  Elaine takes Maja everywhere with her.  Maja even charmed her way into her bed (first time puppysitting this didn't happen).  This time Maja is staying with her uncle and the big dogs.  I have to admit it makes me a little more nervous as their house is large and not quite puppy proof, and the big dogs are usually free-roaming going in and out of the house as they please.  Also, the big dogs are very protective of their "bones" and space...  and Maja is quite fearless and will just jump at their faces because she just wants to play.

When we are apart, I mostly miss morning cuddle time with Maja Bear.  She was especially sleepy and cuddly this morning, which was adorable.

Honeymoon

Honeymoon wishlist: relax, sleep, read, warm weather.  After considering several destinations (Barcelona, Fiji, Panama, Caribbean, California [Carmel, Yosemite]) we ended up choosing Maui.  We had been there right before Xmas 2010, so we thought we would feel comfortable in more familiar surroundings and since we had already done some sightseeing before we wouldn't have to do any this time around.  More time for relaxation and sleep.  This time we stayed at the Westin Resort in Lahaina (last time we were at the Sheraton, next door).

View from the lobby at the Westin.

We managed to get a whole lot of much needed sleep.  Three relaxing massages at the spa in one week ain't bad!  With my belly, they put a belly cushion on the massage table for me...  a little odd at first but I was able to space out quickly.  Our first day in Maui was very very windy and overcast.  But with each passing the day the weather got nicer.  So we spent a few afternoons hanging out by the pool reading and catching some sun.  This brings me to my revelation of pineapple.  I am mildly allergic to pineapple, but I loooove the fruit so I still eat it when I get the chance.  Usually just a few pieces since one too many will make my mouth tingle and my head feel hot (as if I had been drinking).  But in Hawaii, I ate plenty of pineapple and never got any strange reactions to it.  Could it be that pineapple in Hawaii is just waaay fresher and good?

B and belly chillin' by the pool with a virgin daiquiri.

The pools at the hotel were awesome.  They even had a cool swirly slide.  And yes, I defied the warning sign and went down the slide three times.  It was waaay fun.  P could have just kept going down the slide all day, trying to go as fast as he could.

P jetting down the slide at the hotel. 

One evening we drove down to Wailea to visit my friend Chef Eric who works at the Grand Wailea Resort.  He arranged for us to have dinner at Humu where the food and the view are just fantastic.  Favorite dish of the evening was the butter fish...  Mmm.  I had brought Chef Eric some Sonoma honey as a gift, so he in turn gave me a jar of honey from the hives that are on the roof of the Wailea Ballroom.  Sweet!  Honey swap on the honeymoon.

Checking out the Grand Wailea grounds.

The one thing that was definitely better at the Sheraton were the buffalo wings, so one afternoon we walked there for lunch.  Both hotels are nice, the Westin seems more kid friendly (with the giant slide and cool pools), and the flamingos, parrots, and koi fish.  Also the fancy restaurant at the Westin has a nicer view and fantastic boullabaise (must get side of pasta to go with the sauce).

Walking along Kaanapali beach.

A couple of evenings I didn't have much appetite and nothing seemed good to me.  I knew I had to eat anyway, so I went with the most tasteless items on the menus: plain chicken soup, penne alfredo from the kids' menu, side of mashed potatoes.

Last evening we ventured out the downtown Lahaina to check out the touristy shops and restaurants.  Last minute we decided to stop at Lahaina Grill.

Dinner in Lahaina.

On the baby front, the pregnancy books and apps all warned of constipation coming back into the picture in the second trimester.  Well, it hit me on the morning we flew out to Hawaii...  but I had 3 potential culprits: 1. I had just started eating oatmeal again...  could oatmeal cause constipation?!?  2. Added stress from going on vacation (always happens as I am somewhat of a workaholic/control freak), or 3. Hawaii, lots of fresh fruit but not many vegetable options.  Anyway, the issue was resolved as soon as we got back home.  Go figure.

After the honeymoon, I am weighing in at around 127#, waist circumference 34".  My belly feels like it's going to explode, lots of pressure from the inside.  Running out of space I guess.  For the last few days I have been feeling a stabbing pain in my right side under the bottom ribs.  I looked it up online and it is not unusual, as the uterus is fighting for space.  It is most uncomfortable when I lay down, left or right side laying (as I'm not supposed to sleep on my back), so it makes it hard to find the right position to snooze in.  My belly also feels uncomfortable when I slouch, I guess that's a good thing.  I ran out of my shea butter lotion, so I have moved on to a small tub of belly butter Huebo got me...  but it's like slathering Crisco on my belly, ends up a little tacky.  20 week check-up on Wednesday!

Married!

P and I were married on March 1.  It was a small intimate gathering of just immediate family and a few close friends.  Everything was planned in about 1 week.  Score!  Thanks Hen for all the ideas!!!  And thanks to SL and SB for tips on local vendors.

Ceremony was at the Sonoma County Clerk's Office in Santa Rosa.  The room was very small, so the invite list was limited to only 16ish.  TG (P's bro) and Hen were our witnesses (although I didn't witness them signing the document as I had to run out for a pee break).  Fortunately we had the last appointment of the day for the ceremony and the judge was very nice and patient as my family was a little late rolling in.  Just added to the anxiety of the moment.

As soon as the judge started talking, I teared up.  The make-up artist had told me that if I felt I was going to cry, to look up and that would stop the tears from coming out.  So I tried looking up.  P rolled up his eyes to show me to look up.  But it didn't work, the tears came out.  Then Huebo yelled out "look up!" which only prompted me to start laughing.  So there I was again being silly, crying and laughing at the same time...  as the judge said "in this solemn occasion."  Oops.  I don't think anybody got video of this memorable moment.

After the very short ceremony we all gathered outside for pictures with the photographer.  Here is the first picture of the Gruner-Chial family:

In between ceremony and dinner, we had time to walk a bit in downtown Petaluma taking pics with the photographer.  Maja joined us for a brief moment for some pics with her.  It quickly got windy and cold and I was half frozen.  So as soon as I was allowed, I ran into the restaurant for shelter and a much needed break.

Dinner was at Central Market, our favorite restaurant in Petaluma.  Since the invitation was for 5:30 pm, we had the restaurant to ourselves for a bit.  It was nice to have a compact group so we could greet everybody, have a chat, and get pictures taken before sitting down for dinner.

I love the photographer's sneak preview.  Flowers look awesome.  I think I look a little weird, but I always do.  Will need to wait until first week of April for the final shots...  what torture.

It's a...

Today we had the detailed ultrasound in which the sex of the baby could be determined, given the baby was being cooperative.  The technician scoped around for a while measuring and identifying various body parts: head, cerebellum, spine, heart, arms, legs, liver, kidneys, etc.  Until finally the moment of truth came and though the blur of the image she said: "Are you ready?  It's a Boy!"  To which I yelled out: "WHAT?  How do you know?!?"  And she said: "Well, it is very evident to me.  This is the leg, this is be pelvis, and these are the genitals."  OH.  AH.  UH.  OK, got it.  Can you see it?

P and I are both super excited.  P wanted a boy to balance out the house (Maja and me being "his girls").  I was kinda hoping it would be a boy, I don't know why.

After this bit of awesome news, the technician was trying to get a better shot of the heart.  But baby was sleeping happily, head on placenta...  he's definitely a lounger.  Trying to get the baby to turn over for a better view, they jiggled my belly, had me lie on me side, then had me walk up and down the hallway.  Nothing worked, just like his daddy...  sleeps like a log.

A little ironic that today being International Women's Day, I found out we're having a boy.  Ha ha.

Week 18

Another milestone...  the belly has popped out.  From one day to the next, it was there, noticeable and a magnet for belly-touching hands.  I don't mind the belly rubbing as long as it's from someone I know well (i.e. family and close friends ok).  It's not big enough for it to be a magnet to strangers hands yet, not sure how I will deal with that one.

Weight up a little...  averaging 122#.  Belly circumference at 32" (measuring at the belly button).

No throw up from Feb 10 till yesterday.  Bummer.  I was caught off guard as I let Maja out in the back yard at work.  Fortunately it wasn't much and it landed on the grass.  Probably triggered by delayed feeding.

Getting the random bad zit here and there.  Had a nasty one on the right side of my nose.  And now P has one too...  sympathy zit.  Ha ha.  Also got a couple of skin tags on my neck.  Mom said with her first pregnancy her face broke out badly and she had lots of skin tags on her neck.  Yikes.  The pregnancy books say not to do anything about either of these ailments (nothing outside of just simple face washing) until after pregnancy.

My hair seems to be growing fast.  Didn't I just get a haircut?  It was about a month ago but I'm already feeling it's too long.  I'm not schedule for another cut till April with Armando (my hair hero) when I go to PTY to visit the fam, my last trip before I'm grounded due to third trimester.

I have finally purchased some pregnancy clothes!  Woa.  Thanks to Huebo and her patience to look through the racks at the store for me (I would have given up before even walking in the door), I now have 3 pairs of black pants (all different styles: flowy, leggings, normal), and 2 belly expanding Ts.  Today I'm wearing a t-shirt dress I've had for a year and had only attempted to wear twice because I always felt it showed my belly too much...  but now that I love to show my belly it's great!  HA HA.

For the last month or so I have been slathering shea butter on my belly and breasts twice a day.  Mainly to avoid itchiness (which is more prevalent on my breasts when I go too long without moisturizing), and hopefully to prevent stretch marks (although the literature says this is not proven to work and it's all genetics).

I have noticed (and as P has pointed out) that I have been talking a little more incoherently...  Things get confused in my head and I blurt out nonsensical blah.  I think it is due to the constant exhaustion.

Which brings me to sleep.  I have been able to sleep through the night better.  Doesn't take me as long to fall asleep if I do wake up at random hours to pee.  I do sort of sleep-walk to the toilet and back to bed.  Sometimes I feel disoriented and am glad I actually sit on the toilet and not on the floor (or who knows where).  But I always smile when I see Maja puppy bear curled up on my side of the bed waiting for me to get back in bed to cuddle.  My favorite part of the day.

-------

Update: a package was waiting for me when I got home from work today.  Thanks Suli for the cute top from Japanese Weekend!  Nice addition to the pregnancy clothes collection.  =)

15 Weeks!

We made it to 15 weeks!  WOOHOO!  And to show for it, the mini baby bump:

The nausea has subsided a little bit, I still get gaggy every so often, but I have not thrown up in about a week and a half!  Progress!  Headaches come and go, so I try to remember to stay hydrated although it keeps me going to the restroom very frequently.

Strange thing is I feel as if I am getting weaker.  Most weekends, I carry the trash and recycling bins up and down the hill from my home to the street.  But this time, I woke up with sore butt and legs...  from just going up and down the hill twice?  Can't be!  Maja also seems to be getting heavier to carry.  Well, she is heavier (14.5#), but shouldn't I be used to carrying her around by now?  And just now I was having a hard time holding a cookie sheet (with chocolate chip cookies) out of the oven and onto a cleared surface.  I have been doing a couple of exercises with my 5# weights every other day to try to re-tone my arms slowly.  And taking Maja for 15 - 30 min walks when it doesn't rain.  I end up out of breath from those.  Although many seemingly easy tasks leave me out of breath these days.

Star Trek

I grew up watching Start Trek.  I remember Pops would take us to the to the "American" tape rental place in Curundu on weekends, and he would pick up Star Trek (the original) tapes.  I know I saw all the movies, I just don't remember much about them (for those who don't know, I have very bad memory [like the time we watched The Abyss...  3 hours in into the movie I realized I'd seen it and I knew what would happen next]).  Eventually we moved on to Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Data was my favorite character.  Pops would take all the girls (S, L, X, Hen, me) to watch the movies at the theater.  "Life forms, you tiny little life forms... where are you?"

So I told P he couldn't become Pops' son-in-law without ever seeing any of the Star Trek movies!  Over achiever that P is, he said we could watch the movies from the very first one...  oh boy was that first movie slow and boring.  HA HA.

Last night we skipped all the way to Star Trek (2009), which I had seen at least 3 times already (cause it's so good!).  Imagine my surprise when I started crying in the first scene...  during which James T. Kirk is born.  WTF?!?  I cried and laughed (at the silliness of me crying) and cried some more.  And I'm not one to cry at movies.  In my whole movie watching life I think I've cried in 2 movies (Legends of the Fall, when the brother dies in war; and Passion of the Christ).  I asked P if I was going nuts, he just said "you're not crazy, you're pregnant."  =P