Four Month Check Up

Noah had his four month check up this past week and his doctor said that once we/he is ready, we can start him on solids! How exciting! So, we thought we'd give it a go with rice cereal.

Apparently rice cereal isn't very tasty. Noah's expression on his first try said it all. I think he's just adjusting to the taste.

But this morning he ate a little bit of it and was more responsive and less reactive. He actually ate some of it and didn't just spit it all out. So we'll start looking at trying new things in the coming week. Bananas and some other fruit.

On a much cuter note, we also celebrated Halloween this week and dressed Noah up as a little Jack-o-Lantern. It was mainly for Akira and I to exploit our child to get some free candy from our neighbors. We didn't stay out very long, but it was fun to take him out. Next year, when he is walking it will be even better.

Sometime this week Noah also decided that he doesn't want to sleep through the night anymore, which is a bit disappointing. We going to work on that this week and weekend, hopefully. There will be a bit more crying in the Kaneko house the next couple of evenings....

Baby's First Roll Over

He rolled over!! From front to back! And it was nice because we were on Skype with Akira's parents so they got to see it. All the crying from tummy time is finally paying off!

We'll just have to see when he is able to do it again. He's not quite four months yet, so he is doing pretty well. Mommy is so proud : ).

Baby's First Cold

After about three weeks at the sitter, Noah got his first cold. It started with a slight cough then became a wheeze, so we took him to the doctor after a few days of his wet cough and runny nose. It's amazing because Noah gets a cough and Akira is ready to instantly take him to the doctor, but Akira gets shingles and he it still takes him a good kick in the pants to go to the doctor.

Yes, a week before Noah got his cold, Akira got the shingles, which is also why we were extra cautious when Noah got sick. We wanted to make absolutely sure that he wasn't coming down with the chicken pox because that would have been disastrous. It was just a cold. And the cough is lingering a bit, but he'll survive.

He still has been a pretty happy kid considering he's sick. But he's been getting up once a night because of it. Oh well, we'll rework on getting him sleeping through the night once he kicks this cough.

3 Months and Back to Work

Noah is just over three months old now, I have been back to work for three weeks and he has been at the sitters for two weeks. Life is an adjustment.

I have to get up by 5:15 to get myself ready for work, then feed Noah around 6, drop him off at the sitter by 7:30 to make it to work by 8. Phew! The only problem is, I still nurse Noah for his 6 a.m. feeding and he is such a slow eater. He'll nurse sometimes for almost an hour. So I feel like I have to rush him or cut him off early in the morning. The good news is he has adjusted to the sitter really well. He seems to be doing just fine, which is a HUGE relief!

Dropping him off on Mondays are hard though. I miss that cute little face and wish I could spend more time with him. Especially since he has become so much more expressive! He loves to coo, squeak, smile and laugh too.

The babywising seems to have worked also too. He naps at the sitter and at home on the weekends too after about 20 minutes of crying. AND the most important thing, he, for the most part, sleeps through the night. There are nights here and there that he wakes up once, but most nights he goes down around 8-9 and gets up around 5-6. Phew!

And the boy is growing! His 3 month onesies are all fitting him just right and some are a little tight too. He's also too big for the size 1 diapers and even the '1-2s' are a little tight, so here we come size 2s! He's growing like a little weed!

Last week home and falling apart

This week marks Noah's 11th week of life and my last week home with him. It was also probably one of the hardest week's for me with him because I feel like I totally fell apart. On Monday, I spiked a fever that hit 102 and lingered until Wednesday due to a mastitis (clogged/infected milk duct), which also caused my boob to be tender and sore as well as having a lump in it. Then on Wednesday because of the fever and general ill feeling, I got a cold sore on my lip. Ugh. It was that much harder to enjoy my last week with my baby when I felt like crap. 

I felt much better by Wednesday, but am still not feeling 100% yet. Hopefully the antibiotics fix all soon!

So back to work I will go. It is definitely bittersweet because there is a part of me that is eager to get back to work, but so sad to leave my baby. At least I will be leaving him home with Akira next week, then to the sitters the week after. Hopefully all goes well!

He is becoming a better sleeper. He's getting better 'adjusted' to babywise and is learning to soothe himself. While not all naps are perfect, he is getting the hang of it and he even slept from 8:30 p.m.-4:30 a.m. last night. 8 hours! WOO HOO!

An Endless Pit

So breastfeeding is supposed to burn somewhere around 400-500 calories a day, which is pretty spectacular when you think about it. That is a serious workout! Which would also explain why on some days (like today) I feel like an endless pit and don't feel satisfied. I just had a snack and I still feel hungry!

At 10 weeks, Noah is continuing to grow and grow and has reached almost 12 pounds, doubling his birth weight. While he is still on the small side for the norm, we're happy that he is growing and excited to see him change and become more expressive. He smiles more, coos more and is just more fun as he is more playful. Which will probably also make it that much more difficult for me to go back to work in a few short weeks.

We just started transitioning him from the Pack N Play in our room the crib in the nursery, which has been a bit challenging. BUT, even though on the first night he woke up like 3 times, I swear, that first 3 hours of sleep was the deepest sleep I got since pregnancy. The second night he only woke once, so I think he's getting adjusted.

Since Noah has been a pretty good and his overall demeanor is mellow, we thought he could handle a 'stay-cation' with us. Labor Day weekend is the Okinawan Festival, and we had a $130 credit for a free stay, so we stayed in Waikiki with him. He was really good the whole time and actually slept well with us at the hotel. We were able to hang out with my family, enjoy the festival (except the bon dance because that was too loud) and just relax.

The photo is from our stay.

To Babywise...

Many of my girlfriends had babies before me and swore that a book or method often referred to as "baby-wising" ("On Becoming Babywise"), would save you. The method of babywise is to teach your baby to sleep on their own and your baby would be able to sleep through the night. And the way to teach your baby to sleep is by keeping to a schedule for baby and letting them "cry it out" for their naps so they learn to self-soothe. The concept makes sense and every mother I have spoken to that has "babywised" their child insists the method works and is a life-saver. And since I am getting ready to go to work, I thought, what the heck, I will give it a try.

This past week was "Mission: Babywise Noah." Let me just say that it was the hardest week of parenthood for me so far. Letting your baby "cry it out" is torture for a parent, especially for a first time parent. While he cried, I cried. I was constantly texting and calling my other mother friend's who had done this before to make sure this was going to work and everything was okay. By the third day, the crying wasn't as bad and he was still only getting up once a night. 

It hasn't been a full week yet, so Noah is still learning and I am still struggling, but we are pushing through. I know the methods of putting your baby on a schedule and allowing them to cry it out are controversial, but if both Noah and I are able to get 8 hours of straight sleep a night, I think it will make us better. We'll see how week 2 goes...

Little Baby, Big Boogers

Since Noah's birth, we have gotten compliments and comments on his nose. He doesn't have a "typical" Japanese nose that is kinda pug with no bridge. It's a fairly substantial nose and he has pretty big nostrils too. And what I found out is big nostrils=big boogers. Man, this little guy gets adult-sized boogers that are sometimes bigger than mine. This is an Akira trait, by the way. The hardest part is getting those suckers out of his nose. I have to use the nasal aspirator and tissue and then he cries. Ugh, oh well. More (unexpected) joys of parenthood.

Watching baby grow- 6 weeks

It's fascinating to watch little Noah reach these seemingly small, yet significant milestones. The small actions of him pushing his arms up and holding his head briefly, following objects or people as they move, or smiling when we give him a kiss, are all so exciting. And makes us look forward to all the other more exciting milestones to come.

What is also exciting is the last four nights he has gone with only one late night feeding! He will sleep from 9 p.m. for about four or five hours and wake at 2 a.m. and then sleep another three or four hours until 5 or 6 a.m. This is really helping me feel more like a normal person and less zombie like during the day. I don't even really need the afternoon nap...but I still enjoy taking them since once I go back to work naps are not an option.

When I am supposed to run the garbage disposer?

Okay, so all the websites, magazines, baby books, etc. tell you that when you are at home with your newborn to leave the housework and just take care of baby or take a nap when he's napping. So seriously, when the heck are you supposed to get the housework done if you do this? And if you leave the housework, it's still you that's going to be doing the housework, just later and you'll have more of it because you left it. When your hubby comes home he could help with the housework, but that means he'll be busy with the housework and not helping you with the baby or he'll help with the housework and you'll be taking care of baby, just as you were all day. Do you see the dilemma here?

So my question really is, when the heck am I supposed to run my garbage disposer? It's loud as heck and I don't want to run it when he's napping and never remember to do it when he's awake. Oh well, I guess besides having a messy house, I'll have a clogged sink until I remember to run that stupid disposer.

What is with the finger nails?

So I had heard that baby's sometimes are born with really long finger nails that need to be trimmed at birth. Noah was definitely one of those babies. He had these soft, long, sharp nails. When we got him home, we used our baby manicure set and filed them down (I didn't have the guts to use those nail clippers and risk clipping his finger off). But man, those suckers just keep on growing like weeds. I feel like I am filing them every other day. I had no idea how quickly they grow...

Poop, Pee and Spit Up

In his short life of 5 weeks, Noah has managed to spray poop at both Akira and I, pee on me on more than one occasion and almost spit up in my mouth (I was going to give him a kiss and there it came). Oh, the joys of parenthood. And I know there is much more of this to come in the months and years ahead.

His life still pretty much consists of sleeping, eating, pooping and crying. There has been more crying recently, but I can't really complain because he is still a pretty mellow guy. I hope he stays that way...don't want to jinx myself. But again, everyday is different. He grunts and groans a lot, which is definitely better than crying, but sometimes he sounds like a.....I can't think of it....some kind of grunting animal.

He is now 8.5 pounds and 19.75 inches long- still a small guy but he is gaining weight. And hopefully I am loosing the weight I gained by breastfeeding. Not even close to my pre-pregnancy weight, but at least I can squeeze myself into my fat jeans. It's hard too because I'm so fricken hungry after breastfeeding and I also now get to enjoy all the foods that I couldn't when I was pregnant- sushi, runny eggs, cold cuts, wine, etc.

Well, time to feed my little peanut.

Three Weeks Down...

Noah is three weeks old today.

So, what have I learned in three weeks?

• That everyday is different. 
• Just because he slept all day does not mean that he will stay up all night and just because he was up most of the day does not mean he will sleep all night. 
• The bouncy/vibrating chair is my friend. It helps him nap and gives me time to do other stuff- very quickly, I might add.
• The baby carrier is also my friend and allows me to do other stuff.
• I can only do things (chores, nap, etc.) on his nap schedule, which means in spurts of about 1-2 hours.
• There is a lot of crap on daytime t.v., so I tend to stick to reruns or Netflix.
• Babies don't always pee and poo in their diapers, it sometimes get all over their clothes and other stuff.

I also found out that even if I am able to get a decent night's sleep I feel like a frigin zombie. I drive, go to the shop, whatever and feel like I am in a daze. Maybe it's the lack of interaction with people. Despite trying to read the paper daily to stay abreast of the world around me, I somewhat feel like the world around me has kind of stopped and I'm a bit of social retard. Just dazed. 

I have to say though, Noah is still pretty good in the sense that he doesn't cry a ton and it really is because he wants something- he's hungry, needs to be changed, is gassy or tired. 

Okay, the cries just started, back to parenting...

Day Four/Five

It really is amazing how much one can learn in a  few short days, especially as a new parent. Here is my summary of his first few days of life:

Birthday Day: Wow! I have this amazing baby who is so cute and seems pretty calm. He sleeps a lot and doesn't cry too much. He isn't very fussy and I think I'll be pretty lucky.

Day Two: (At Night) Okay, so the nurse said that baby's first nights are usually easy because they are so tired from labor. The second night on the other hand, not so much. He is up and crying all night. Hmm...I think I spoke to soon on the being lucky with a not so fussy baby. He was good during the day though. He seems to have jaundice, so we'll have to monitor.

Day Three: Going home from the hospital day. Pediatrician said if he is really hungry, don't feel bad about about supplementing with formula to get him full and satisfied. Okay, will make note of that, but let's try to see what we can do without it. Took him home and had another sleepless night. He was not a happy camper. Succumb to using a pacifier to soothe, which only worked a little.

Day Four: No sleep. Very tired. Rethinking this formula thing since it still seems like my milk has not come in. Decided to supplement and the moment we gave him some, he got the first good sleep since Days One and Two. What kind of drugs do they have in there? Supplemented before bed and we even got a few good hours of sleep. Thank the lord. He seems like that pleasant baby I met on Day One again.

Day Five: Baby's first doctor's appointment. Milk has come in, so don't feel the need to supplement with formula and he actually gained weight from when we left the hospital. He was born at 5 pounds 14 ounces, left at 5 pounds 8 ounces and is at 5 pounds 11 ounces. Jaundice is under control. Don't need to follow up until his one month appointment.

Lesson learned: As Doctor said formula and supplementing with it is not the end of the world and is meant to help you. There is way to much emphasis on strictly breastfeeding, and I admit I got caught up in the hubbub. If it means my sanity, I'll take it. Also, a baby that isn't crying all the time is way cuter than one that wails all night and keeps his parents up.

I peed. Nope, I am having a baby.

I was worried that I would totally miss the on coming signs of child birth and be one of those people that just barely made it to the hospital, which I guess wouldn't be all bad because then you'd miss most of "process." I had just heard about an other woman that worked the entire day and didn't realize she was in labor until a few hours before giving birth.

Anyway, just before the end of my work day, I thought my water broke because everyone says they think they pee themselves. I was pretty sure I didn't pee, but at the same time I didn't think my water broke-- too early. When Akira picked me up from my office I felt another little gush and started to get concerned, so I called the doctor who told us to head into the hospital. Good thing we had moved to hospital bag to the car earlier in the week...

The hospital pretty much confirmed that my water did indeed break and I would be checking in. It was all pretty surreal and I don't think it really hit either Akira or myself that we would be having the baby within the next few days until he came out. The overnight stay was filled with waiting for the pitocin to kick in, which would start contractions. In the morning, when the doctor came in, she broke whatever was left of my water bag and the contractions started rolling in. 

Akira had to run home to pick up a few things, since the doctor said it would still be a at least several hours. And of course, once he left, the contractions became pretty intense. He was gone for less three hours and my pain level went from a two to a seven and had dilated from about 4 cm to 7 cm. I needed that epidural, but was supposed to wait for Akira. When he arrived, they were getting ready to insert the needle. I could not believe how intense the pain was. I have to admit I was not expecting it to be that painful and there is no way in hell I could have done it without the epidural. And the breathing did not help. I could go further into the pain and that ring of fire and such, but I think those details are better left unsaid.

By around 3 p.m. Thursday I was at 10 cm and the doctor wanted the baby to continue to drop. By around 4:30 p.m. it was push time and by 5:40 p.m. he was born. Noah Ryusei Kimo Kaneko was born at 5 pounds 14 ounces and 18.5 inches long. He's a little guy, but probably because he was a little more than 2 weeks early. 

Here is the before and after. Looks like his dad.

 We are all home now after 3 long pretty sleepless nights at the hospital. Not that we are getting much more sleep at home. We are figuring out our routine and continue to get settled in with baby since although we were ready for his appearance it was still earlier than expected. We all thought he would at least make it until July. But I guess, like mom, he prefers to be early than late. 

So far we have determined that he has Akira's nose, mouth and ears, my chin and we can't quite figure out the eyes. But from the pic to the left, I think he has Akira's eyes too. We'll see as he continues to grow and I will try to continue and update. I'll be off with Noah for the next 11 weeks, so hopefully I'll have some time.

Any week, any day, any time now...

Today I had my (now) weekly appointment with my doctor, which pretty much freaked me out. Despite my eagerness to be a mom and have this little guy, the reality of it all is starting to really set in. Apparently, the baby's head is down, which is good, and I am already 1-2 cm dilated, which is also fine at this point in my pregnancy. However, as per my doctor, it is unlikely I will make it to my due date. No real complaints here. But it also means that I should be ready at any point to have him.

My doctor did tell me that last week and said to have everything ready to go, but there are just a few essentials that we need. I guess I just assumed I would have at least until the end of June. And I may, but after my appointment today, I really think I should be prepared for anything.

I think for both Akira and myself the anxiety is more about not being ready to take time off work. There are still loose ends that we need to tie up and take care of, and if he comes too early, neither of us will feel prepared to leave our jobs. That's probably not the first concern of many new parents...

On a side note, I am glad I had my "big" shower this weekend with family and friends. Got lots of goodies from my registry and heard more pregnancy old wives tales. Apparently, my skin is "glowing" because I am having a boy, but I am carrying small, like I should be having a girl. To the right is the cute baby buggy diaper piece that I got. It's way too cute to take a part and use! The diapers are size 2, so I can enjoy it for a little while longer.

So here I am at 35, going on 36 weeks....

I think I am just good at hiding him or he's good at hiding. Weight gain is fine so far. About 25 pounds. And my back aches just enough to feel those 25 pounds.

Hopefully, I'll have a few more entries before baby boy arrives...

What's the difference between the size of a cantaloupe and honeydew?

So apparently between last week (week 34) and this week (week 35) the baby has gone from the size of a cantaloupe to a honeydew. I don't really know what the difference is between these two fruits besides one is orange on the inside and the other is green on the inside. This whole comparing baby to produce thing has been rather confusing for me.

Weight wise he went from about 4.75 lbs to 5.25 lbs, which is clearer and I understand better- that's half a pound. I'm really good at math. I actually just double checked that on my calculator to make absolutely sure, which is why I am in PR where you need to be better with words than numbers.

Oh and I can still see my feet! But for the first time, I really feel pregnant. My "symptoms" are still aren't too severe, but I am just feeling heavier at this point. It's just a little harder to get myself out of bed. Literally. I feel like I have to give myself an extra push because of the weight. And my back has been a bit achy from sitting for too long. When I get home, I just want to lay down. Fortunately, we have a bunch of those big balance balls around the office, which eases some of the pressure.

Starting next week, I will be going to the doctor every week, which means I am that much closer to having this little guy. And honestly, I am pretty happy about it. As I have said previously, I excited about being a mom to this little guy more than I am about the pregnancy.

The nursery is just about in order- we just need the mattress for the crib (more on that later) and curtains. The only other essentials are diapers and the baby! Everything else we "need" are the "luxuries." I know, that's a bit of an oxymoron. 

So about the mattress, we bought a crib, which I really love. It has the changing station attached to it (which you can't see because it's rather big) and it will grow with baby to be a toddler bed and eventually can be used as a headboard for a full size bed. But I digress. We bought the crib and were putting it together the other weekend and found out that it doesn't come with a mattress. A $350 crib doesn't come with a mattress? I probably should have read the description better, but I just assumed it came with a mattress. Is that common knowledge that it doesn't come with a mattress? So now, we have to go buy a mattress.

This week, we also (apparently) made an "unofficial" Facebook announcement on the pregnancy and baby. When we announced the pregnancy, it was only to family and friends via email (and those are the same people that I sent the address for this blog, which is why so few people read it). I'm not a big "Let's announce our news to a bunch of people I kind of know and like on Facebook"-person. (And I say this now, but watch, when baby is born, I am sure I will post something announcing his birth! HA!) So we had a friend from Japan visiting last week and we took a picture of Akira, her and me with my pregnant belly. She then posted it on Facebook and all the comments on the photo were congratulatory remarks from friends. Oh well. One of the comments from a friends was, "You guys were so discreet about it..."

So that's where we are now at 34, no 35 weeks. I can't keep track. One month away. More to come...

I Can Still See My Feet

Apparently, I most women at this point in their pregnancy, 32 weeks (8 months) with 8 weeks to go, can't see their feet. So I guess I am still pretty small, considering, though I have gained about 20 pounds putting me at a weight I won't disclose because then you could calcuate my pre-pregnancy weight. But it is heavier than my shrinking husband, who lost 10 pounds after a week-long flu.

I hope to catch the type of flu that I can lose 10 pounds after the baby is born, and after he has his immunizations, while someone else is watching him and before I go back to work. Ha, fat chance of all of that working out like that. But in all seriousness, I wouldn't really want that to happen, in case my humor wasn't properly conveyed in my words.
I'm supposed to be counting kicks according to the books, doctors and other moms, but I usually lose count. 10 in an hour or something like that. I know he's moving around more than 10 times an hour though, so I am not too worried. I keep asking myself if I should be more worried? I sometimes think I am too blase, casual or not paranoid enough. I feel like I should more excited about the pregnancy and want to talk about it all the time, but I kind of don't. Not that I don't care that I am having a child, I just don't need to talk about the kicks, him moving, if we decided on a name, if we chose a pediatrician, blah, blah, blah, all the time. A bit of baby chit-chat is fine, I just don't need more than 10 minutes of talking about pregnancy a day.

I know there are tons of women who love being pregnant and talking about their pregnancies and all the wonderful things about being pregnant, but I don't I fall into that category, obviously. I don't think it will make me a bad mom, just a bad pregnant lady. No one gets pregnant to be pregnant, they get pregnant to be a mother. That is what I am looking forward to.

I know I sound like a serious grouch, and I really shouldn't be because with the exception of 6 weeks of morning sickness, it has been pretty smooth sailing. Most of the things that women complain about (swelling, stretch marks, leg cramps, heart burn, etc.) haven't really happened to me, with the exception of being really hot. Though, I still have 2 months to go and I may have just jinxed myself.

Now that things are getting closer, I am having a little anxiety about all the things we need to do before he comes. But I'm sure it will all work out...

10 More Weeks...

30 weeks, 7.5 months along in the pregnancy. 10 more weeks to go. Yeah!

I haven't been updating my blog very often, I think because after the first trimester things have been pretty uneventful. I have been feeling pretty good, but just entered the third trimester, which is when more "pregnancy symptoms" kick in. This trimester I can look forward to leg cramps, getting bigger, difficulty sleeping, heart burn and more. So far, I have had a few leg cramps and a bit of heart burn, but nothing major.

I've been waiting for the weird cravings, but those haven't come either. I will just crave something and want to eat it until I get it. Totally random things too, poppy seed muffins, fruity pebbles, spam musubi, etc. But I am trying not to over-indulge, even though I really want to.

I'm just ready to be done being pregnant already. I don't really understand these women that just love being pregnant. Even though it's been relatively smooth sailing the last few months, I miss wine, caffeinated coffee, soft cheese, sashimi, etc. Which is also why I am hoping this baby will come just a little early, so I can partake in just a little of the aforementioned for my birthday.

Fortunately for me, since I am not really big there has been limited tummy rubbing by random people, but we'll see how the last few months go. On that note, no stretch marks so far either.

We are trying to get the baby's room ready, but have some work to do- repainting and work on the ceiling. From there, we'll set up the crib and start decorating. Hopefully all will be done by early June. I've been looking on Pinterest for ideas on the baby's room, but man those people go all out. I don't even know what my "theme" is. Blue, I guess.

The baby is apparently the size of a cabbage and weighing in at almost 3 pounds. And here is what I look like...

I Need Some Good Antiperspirant

Okay, I have heard about how hot pregnant women, but this is not what I was expecting. I mean, I don't feel super hot all the time, but I am sweating like I am hot all the time. I can't wear anything with sleeves without getting pit marks. It's gross and I am NOT enjoying this.

I sit in air conditioning all day and I still can't stop sweating. I remember seeing in Japan the "maxi-pad" type things for your pits and am thinking I may have Akira speak to the in-laws about getting some for me. I hate having to go to client meetings because i have to consider what I wear so I don't look like a hot mess. Literally. 

Week 24: 6 Months

No photo this week since Akira is off to Vegas again at a conference. Will upload one next week and see if there is any growth in the belly. I'm still not very big, but I guess I shouldn't complain about that.

This Thursday I can look forward to my gestational diabetes test and the following Monday a follow up ultra-sound. I really feel like this trimester has been a bit of picnic with no morning sickness, and so far minimal backaches, leg cramps, etc. Besides the getting up and peeing at least once a night and peeing almost every hour during the day, I feel pretty normal.

However, I am noticing that I feel like my heart is pounding super hard. It's a combination of pounding harder than usual and louder than usual. I was laying in bed yesterday and felt like all I could hear was my heart pounding. It was kind of annoying. I wanted to put ear plugs in, but am sure it wouldn't have helped since it's in my head/body.

Anyway, this week baby is about 1.25 pounds and the size of an ear of corn. So I guess he's long and skinny. Will post again after the second ultra sound and gestational diabetes test.

Fruit of the Week: Papaya or Cantaloupe?

So, I am at 22 weeks, which is just shy of 6 months and the baby is now the size of a papaya. Which seems weird because another app says it's the size of a cantaloupe and somehow I don't think of those two fruits being about the same size. I guess it's just a small cantaloupe and a large papaya. Anyway, baby is weighing in at about 1.2 pounds.

I must say the second trimester has been nice. I haven't been feeling as tired, run down or sick as I did in the first trimester. I am starting to feel the baby move, which I thought for the longest time was gas or my stomach gurgling. Since I am feeling better, I am also starting to miss all the good things in life that I can't enjoy- poke, sashimi and wine. So, I have been kind of avoiding Japanese restaurant to avoid the temptation.

The one thing I have noticed in the last few weeks is more peeing than ever. I didn't think it would be happening this early. Man, if I get up only once in the evening to pee I am stoked. I feel like I pee and less than half an hour later I have to go again. And I know this will continue on for the duration of the pregnancy.

We are still tossing around names and Akira has decided he wants to incorporate the 'dragon' kanji and a character from his dad's name for baby's middle name. Nothing final yet, maybe Ryusei, Ryuji, Ryo-something. We'll see.

Slowly cleaning up the two extra rooms to get ready for the nursery, which is what we spent this weekend doing. Fun stuff. Maybe next weekend we'll head to Babies R Us to get some ideas of things we want and need. Ugh, I am kind of dreading it.

Here is the first photo I am posting of pregnant me, still not looking too pregnant.

It's A....Baby

The weeks prior to finding out the gender of baby, I was having dreams about the baby and what the sex would be. It was a girl. So, I either have amazing intuition or just the opposite. We found out the sex on Friday, and apparently I have terrible intuition. It's a boy! Akira claims to "have known it all along." 

All else looks good according to the doctor and ultrasound. The baby is 9 ounces, which is typical at this stage. We got to see the baby in the new 4-D images, I don't really know what that 4th dimension is. Looks pretty 3-D to me, but what do I know. Anyway, the images look a little freaky, to be honest. Definitely an alien baby at this point. 

I've been feeling little flutters in my tummy, which I thought was just gas or something, but apparently, it's the baby. I guess between the flutters and finding out the gender, it is slowly sinking in more that I am actually having a baby. 

I can't button any of my pants anymore, but still just look bloated and like I have a tummy versus looking pregnant. Once I have a more pregnant belly, maybe I'll post a picture...

Oh and before I forget, pregnancy app says 18 weeks 2 days and baby is the size of a mango at 6 inches and half a pound.

Where did you come from?

I swear, just over the last 4 days I feel like I grew like 3 inches around the waist and am starting to show more. Not the point where I look obviously pregnant, but where I am definitely getting a bump in the tummy region and can't fit most of my pants. Probably all of my pants, but I didn't try them all on to confirm that.

I finally feel like a normal human being besides the bulging tummy. No more morning sickness, thank god. Though, I still get up at least once, sometimes twice or three times to pee. Which I am sure will continue through the duration of my pregnancy.

I am currently 17 weeks and the baby is about the size of a turnip according to my app. I don't think I've ever bought a turnip and I don't regularly eat turnips, so I am not 100% what the size of the baby actually is. Oh, well.  What I do know is that next week Friday we will be finding out the sex. And yes, we will be finding out. My doctor keeps on asking me "No surprises?" No, no surprises. I want to know what this baby will be so Akira can start painting the baby's room.

So far, most people have told me they think it's a girl...we'll find out in a week!

Day 100, Whatever that Means

According to my 'What to Expect' iphone app, this is day 100. Which doesn't really mean anything, except that I am 14 weeks, or 3 months along, and into my second trimester, which is suppose to be the 'honeymoon' trimester. The most important thing for me is that I feel better and don't feel hung over all day and am hoping my energy levels will start to pick up.

At my prior appointment, on January 12, I got to hear the baby's heartbeat, which was pretty amazing. Something so small, yet already has a strong and audible heartbeat.

My jeans are getting tighter and some I don't even bother buttoning or wearing some of them anymore. It makes me sad because I feel like I am just getting fat at this point, not creating another life. Obviously, the fact that I am pregnant and having a baby hasn't fully sunken in yet.

I started looking back at the 'What to Expect' book and feel like, so far, I am having a 'Textbook Pregnancy.' It was like everything they said would happen and the time they said it would happen, has happened to me. 6 weeks, morning sickness, 12-14 weeks morning sickness gone, 12-14 weeks headaches, bloating/can't button your pants. I know every person and pregnancy is different, but it's somewhat comforting to know that all the things are happening in the time they should.

On a side note, it's really nice and comforting to know that I work for a place that is supportive about my pregnancy. When I informed them about my pregnancy, it was nothing but congratulatory remarks from everyone. And soon after, I got a promotion. Yeah!

The doctor says things are progressing nicely and life is treating me pretty well so far this year. Looks like the year of the dragon may be a pretty good one.

Baby is the size of a navel orange this week and will be able to determine the baby's sex next month. So far most friends think girl. We'll find out soon enough!