I've been horrible at keeping up with this, but with the anticipation of the baby, work, and the holidays approaching, I've been too busy, tired and distracted to sit down and write. Here's an overview of the past few weeks...
I'm nearing the end of my 26th week now and life is good.
I love being pregnant (except for a few minor things), but I can't wait to meet our little guy. With that comes the anxiety that I imagine all first time mothers feel. I plan on breastfeeding so that in and of itself is enough to freak me out. Although I've been reading up on it and I plan on attending a class, it still seems so foreign to me. I asked Matt if he was nervous, and he said not yet, but he's sure he will be as we get closer. He's been very supportive throughout my pregnancy and it truly has brought us closer than ever. I know he is going to be an awesome daddy!
About those few minor things that I don't love...
I thought I peed a lot before I got pregnant. I was born with a mild form of spinabifida that was not detected until I was 10 years old. I had surgery to correct it, but my bladder was the one thing that was affected. That said, I pee more than the average person, but my pee habits while pregnant take the cake. It's amazing that I get any work done at the office, but it is a great excuse for getting a break from boring meetings! While at the grocery store the other night, I peed twice in 15 minutes. I know, public restrooms, ew! Well, with pregnancy comes no shame. Though I imagine as I get bigger and less able to balance, squatting over that little hole is going to become more difficult. Sleeping has become a chore. Firstly, both pups sleep with us. When I get up to go to the bathroom, they take it as a cue to move into my spot. When I get back in, I have to wedge myself between them. Oh and then there's the squeaky bedroom door. I'm pretty sure the whole neighborhood knows it when I get up to go.
Matt finally felt the baby move on December 6th! I was so happy for him. He's been a little jealous because I've been able to feel him move for almost 2 months now. I can't explain how good it feels to watch Matt's face as he bonds with our baby.
On December 9th we attended the pregnancy orientation program at St. Lukes. They walked us through all of the classes and services that are offered, as well as what to expect when we come in for delivery. My favorite part was the tour, especially when we got to walk by the nursery. I am so impressed with the plethora of free information that is available for expecting parents and their families. In January we have a prenatal breastfeeding class to attend. At 32 weeks, we have to go in to pre-register. I have so may forms to fill out! There's one to make my reservation, my birth plan, one for the baby's birth certificate, insurance forms, yada yada yada. It's a bit overwhelming. I have an appointment for a glucose screening on Christmas Eve morning, so I'll let you know how that goes.
Many people have asked if we have chosen a name yet..the answer is no, though Matthew Chuan is a strong possibility. Chuan is my dad's Chinese name and we think it flows nicely with Matthew, but we haven't committed to anything.
We registered at Babies R Us last Saturday. You can view it here...our registry.
Other than that, time is flying. Thanksgiving has come and gone. Joe, Cristina and the kids were here. We got to meet Viviana who is adorable! I hope our baby boy takes after his cousin when it comes to sleep habits. She sleeps all night! Some highlights of their visit: we now own Rockband, Joe rearranged our living room, and I got a tutorial on how to use a breast pump!
Christmas is just 4 days away and I cannot wait. I have off all week. Usually whenever I have vacation, we are traveling. It will be so nice to just be home. I plan on sleeping in, doing some last minute shopping, wrapping, baking cookies, and whatever else I feel like doing. On that note, I'm off to Target with my sis and then we're going to watch It's A Wonderful Life.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
When the Stars Go Blue...
By now most of you already know that we're having a boy! If you don't, I apologize for the delay in posting this. We found out on Tuesday and have just been wrapped up in the excitement!
Tuesday's appointment was long. The baby was breech so it was hard to take some of the measurements, especially of the heart. When the tech first said that the baby was breech, I immediately panicked and asked her if we would still be able to tell the sex. She said we should be able to...whew! Matt and I had invited both of our families and some friends over for dinner that night to give them the news and I would have been devastated if we couldn't have found out. After an hour of rubbing that gooey probe all over my belly, the technician began to wipe off my stomach and I was like wait, aren't you going to tell us the sex?! Oops! She probed again and within seconds she revealed that it was a boy! The Dr. was in the room at the time too and he took one look at the screen, and said, "it's definitely a boy." Matt was so proud!
Our family started arriving around 6 and by 6:30, everyone was getting anxious. I had wanted to come up with a creative way of telling everyone, but as they often do, my good attentions get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, so I just said it. Boring, I know, but nonetheless, everyone was thrilled. Thanks to all of our friends and family for giving us such cute outfits, for making food, for helping clean up and for just being there.
I'm in my 19th week and there haven't been any changes. I still feel super, with the exception of this morning. I was a bit nauseous, but it passed after I had a delicious walking taco for breakfast. What is a walking taco? Well, it's when you cut open the side of a mini Dorito bag, crush up the chips, and then fill the bag with all of your favorite taco fillings! I was first introduced to this scrumptious meal in a bag at the Iowa State Fair. Last night, after Italia and I handed out candy, we made these for dinner. I ate four throughout the course of the evening. Then Matt, Tal, Ry and I watched Strangers, which was an awful waste of time...don't bother renting this one.
I'm off to the Carter's and Gap Outlets to see what I can find for our son :)
Tuesday's appointment was long. The baby was breech so it was hard to take some of the measurements, especially of the heart. When the tech first said that the baby was breech, I immediately panicked and asked her if we would still be able to tell the sex. She said we should be able to...whew! Matt and I had invited both of our families and some friends over for dinner that night to give them the news and I would have been devastated if we couldn't have found out. After an hour of rubbing that gooey probe all over my belly, the technician began to wipe off my stomach and I was like wait, aren't you going to tell us the sex?! Oops! She probed again and within seconds she revealed that it was a boy! The Dr. was in the room at the time too and he took one look at the screen, and said, "it's definitely a boy." Matt was so proud!
Our family started arriving around 6 and by 6:30, everyone was getting anxious. I had wanted to come up with a creative way of telling everyone, but as they often do, my good attentions get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, so I just said it. Boring, I know, but nonetheless, everyone was thrilled. Thanks to all of our friends and family for giving us such cute outfits, for making food, for helping clean up and for just being there.
I'm in my 19th week and there haven't been any changes. I still feel super, with the exception of this morning. I was a bit nauseous, but it passed after I had a delicious walking taco for breakfast. What is a walking taco? Well, it's when you cut open the side of a mini Dorito bag, crush up the chips, and then fill the bag with all of your favorite taco fillings! I was first introduced to this scrumptious meal in a bag at the Iowa State Fair. Last night, after Italia and I handed out candy, we made these for dinner. I ate four throughout the course of the evening. Then Matt, Tal, Ry and I watched Strangers, which was an awful waste of time...don't bother renting this one.
I'm off to the Carter's and Gap Outlets to see what I can find for our son :)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
What Was That?!
So I'm in my 18th week now and I have hit a major milestone in my pregnancy -- I felt the baby move! Well, at least I think I did. It was like a little spasm. It has happened pretty much everyday since last Friday, so I'm fairly certain that it's our lil one letting his or her presence be known.
Headaches and heartburn have paid me a few visits this week. In addition, the nighttime visits to the potty seem to be increasing. Matt's a bit grumpy about it because I wake him at least 3 times a night when I get in and out of bed.
Another reason I have trouble sleeping is because I am trying to sleep on my left side. Apparently sleeping on my back, which is how I normally sleep, is not conducive to optimal blood flow for me and the baby. It's hard to get used to. I wake up numerous times a night to Matt saying "on your side." Hopefully tonight will be better because my wonderful mom and grandma just brought me a body pillow to help me sleep on my side more comfortably.
On Sunday, we picked up the crib, changing table and dresser from Babies R Us. The color looks black on the site, but it is dark brown. I have chosen this bedding set if it's a boy. It has the cutest accessories! For a girl, I haven't been able to find anything yet that I love.
The countdown continues...
Headaches and heartburn have paid me a few visits this week. In addition, the nighttime visits to the potty seem to be increasing. Matt's a bit grumpy about it because I wake him at least 3 times a night when I get in and out of bed.
Another reason I have trouble sleeping is because I am trying to sleep on my left side. Apparently sleeping on my back, which is how I normally sleep, is not conducive to optimal blood flow for me and the baby. It's hard to get used to. I wake up numerous times a night to Matt saying "on your side." Hopefully tonight will be better because my wonderful mom and grandma just brought me a body pillow to help me sleep on my side more comfortably.
On Sunday, we picked up the crib, changing table and dresser from Babies R Us. The color looks black on the site, but it is dark brown. I have chosen this bedding set if it's a boy. It has the cutest accessories! For a girl, I haven't been able to find anything yet that I love.
The countdown continues...
Check back next Tuesday to find out if it's a boy or a girl!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Juliana's Birthday
I cannot believe it has been a whole year since we were blessed with Juliana! For those of you who don't know, Juliana is my precious niece, my sister Jennifer's daughter. She has brought so much joy to our family over the past year. I am amazed at how quickly she is growing and changing! To celebrate, we had a party yesterday. Everyone pitched in to decorate...even Matt!
The colors were pink and purple and the theme was cupcakes.
Juliana was so happy the whole day.
To continue the celebration today on her actual birthday, we took her to the Philadelphia Zoo. To see photos from the zoo and more photos from her birthday party, check out our Shutterfly Site.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Blogs, Babies and Apples
I must give credit to Rebecca Lewis for inspiring me to start this blog! Rebecca is my sister-in-law's neighbor and friend in Kansas City, MO. She started a blog a few months ago and I love reading about her beautiful family and keeping up with all of the KC happenings. Be sure to check out "The Lewis Family" blog. Guest appearances by the Midwest Leluga family are a sure thing!
Being that I am an aspiring freelance writer (by aspiring, I am nicely stating that I have yet to acquire any clients), I thought that I should start a blog. Since graduating from Kutztown University in December 2007 with a BA in English/Professional Writing, I have not been writing much except for poetry. Unfortunately, even that has dwindled to the occasional scribbling on scraps which just get lost on the desk I occupy at my "real" job.
In addition to using this as a springboard for my random ramblings, I plan on using this blog to keep my friends and family updated on the progress of my pregnancy. I'm 17 weeks in and I feel wonderful. No complaints. I've had zero morning sickness and I am very grateful. The only symptom I've had is headaches, but even those are infrequent. Oh and my skin is suffering a bit, but it's a small sacrifice for the miracle of life. My pants no longer fit and I had to break down and buy maternity jeans, which I love by the way. If you have never experienced a buffet while wearing maternity pants, I highly recommend it!
Everyone asks about the cravings. The only "craving" I've had is for apples and apple juice. A few weeks ago, I discovered the greatest apple ever to exist: the honeycrisp. The $3.00/lb. price tag is well worth every bite.
These sweet crispy spheres = love.
Other than that, basically I'm just eating more of everything. I attribute this to the fact that I quit smoking the minute I found out I was pregnant. Extra weight is well worth the benefits of quitting smoking. It was very easy to quit, which I was surprised at considering the numerous times I had tried to quit before I got pregnant. I believe that having a reason other than myself allowed me to do so. I just hope I don't go back after the baby is born.
Speaking of pregnancy and babies, my sister-in-law Cristina gave birth to Viviana Rose on August 20th. I can't wait to meet her at Thanksgiving!
I hope you don't mind that I borrowed this photo from you Rebecca!
Cristina and Joe chose not to find out the sex of the baby; however, we will not be following in their footsteps. Patience is a virtue of which I do not possess! Matt and I will find out the sex two weeks from today on October 28th. Who wants to place a bet? My guess is...
Being that I am an aspiring freelance writer (by aspiring, I am nicely stating that I have yet to acquire any clients), I thought that I should start a blog. Since graduating from Kutztown University in December 2007 with a BA in English/Professional Writing, I have not been writing much except for poetry. Unfortunately, even that has dwindled to the occasional scribbling on scraps which just get lost on the desk I occupy at my "real" job.
In addition to using this as a springboard for my random ramblings, I plan on using this blog to keep my friends and family updated on the progress of my pregnancy. I'm 17 weeks in and I feel wonderful. No complaints. I've had zero morning sickness and I am very grateful. The only symptom I've had is headaches, but even those are infrequent. Oh and my skin is suffering a bit, but it's a small sacrifice for the miracle of life. My pants no longer fit and I had to break down and buy maternity jeans, which I love by the way. If you have never experienced a buffet while wearing maternity pants, I highly recommend it!
Everyone asks about the cravings. The only "craving" I've had is for apples and apple juice. A few weeks ago, I discovered the greatest apple ever to exist: the honeycrisp. The $3.00/lb. price tag is well worth every bite.
These sweet crispy spheres = love.Other than that, basically I'm just eating more of everything. I attribute this to the fact that I quit smoking the minute I found out I was pregnant. Extra weight is well worth the benefits of quitting smoking. It was very easy to quit, which I was surprised at considering the numerous times I had tried to quit before I got pregnant. I believe that having a reason other than myself allowed me to do so. I just hope I don't go back after the baby is born.
Speaking of pregnancy and babies, my sister-in-law Cristina gave birth to Viviana Rose on August 20th. I can't wait to meet her at Thanksgiving!
I hope you don't mind that I borrowed this photo from you Rebecca!Cristina and Joe chose not to find out the sex of the baby; however, we will not be following in their footsteps. Patience is a virtue of which I do not possess! Matt and I will find out the sex two weeks from today on October 28th. Who wants to place a bet? My guess is...
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