Baby Showers

We were very lucky to have 3 baby showers hosted for us by our wonderful family and friends. We felt so much love and support and are very blessed to have such generous and loving people in our lives.

Our first baby shower was hosted by my sisters (Betty and Diana) and was held on February 9^th in DC. We had fun with our bib decorating contest and beer bottle chugging contest.

Phill, Esther, and Sam’s parents hosted our baby shower in Philadelphia on February 23rd. Esther did an amazing job decorating and we enjoyed a feast prepared by Sam’s parents. The games were great and we enjoyed opening gifts from our generous friends and family.

Beth and Nina hosted the last baby shower on March 3^rd at Sierra’s Grill & Taqueria. I was overwhelmed with the love from my co-workers. The food was yummy and I enjoyed the love from so many people.

(Pictures to come)

Also, this weekend Sam and I finally celebrated our baby moon together in Annapolis, MD. We had a very relaxing weekend together with lots of delicious food and massages. It was wonderful.

Here is my 37 week baby bump picture.

Weeks: 37

Baby Size: Winter Melon

Sleep: Sleep is becoming more elusive. I’m often waking up with my hands or legs numb, which is uncomfortable. But I think it can be a lot worse so I’ll try not to complain.

Best moment this week: Celebrating our baby moon with Sam in Annapolis, MD.

Miss anything? Feeling comfortable

Movement: Baby’s kicks and movements are much stronger now. I think he’s running out of room because I feel like I can feel every movement.

Food cravings: junk food (ice cream, chips, milkshakes…)

Mood: excited!

Looking forward to: the baby to get here already

Anything else? Nursery pictures to come soon

Labor, Delivery, and All That Jazz

I’ve always known I wanted to have kids. However, the thought of labor and delivery has always been terrifying to me. I’ve been pretty fortunate to have an easy pregnancy thus far.  But as the day approaches, I’m getting more anxious and nervous about the whole thing. How much will it hurt? Will I be able to handle it? Will everything go smoothly? What if something goes wrong? My yoga instructor broke her tailbone giving birth. Will that happen to me? Many of my friends ended up having to get a C-section. Will that happen to me? What if Sam is completely grossed out by it and won’t ever find me attractive again? So many questions…

Two weekends ago, Sam and I took a Labor and Delivery Class at the hospital we plan on delivering at. The class did put me at ease a little, but it also scared me too. Forceps, vacuums, epidurals, episiotomy… the list goes on.  How many things can go wrong during a pregnancy? I know I want to give birth the natural way. However, I’m completely terrified that I won't be able to handle the pain. At yoga, we practice techniques to help us cope during labor and I’m hoping that it will help. I know that women have been able to do naturally for many many many years, so there is no reason that I can't do it too. I just wish I had more courage. I just need to remind myself that it will all be worth it in the end. I can't wait to meet him. 

Weeks: 33

Baby Size: Durian

Maternity Clothes: Clothes still fit but it’s starting to bother me when clothes are tight.

Sleep: Sleeping well. Kicks and peeing wake me up though.

Best moment this week: The baby shower my sisters threw me last week and having a long weekend due to the snow and President’s Day

Miss anything? Italian hoagies

Movement: When I felt a kick the other day, I pushed his foot back. His response was to kick harder. I think we are going to have a feisty baby.

Food cravings: Chipotle! Sam had to go get me some the other day. YUM!

Mood: Excited, tired, nervous

Looking forward to: Baby shower in Philadelphia

Anything else?:  I’m getting really big. Eek! 7 more weeks to go…. How much bigger can I get?

30 Weeks at 30 Years of Age

Last week I got to celebrate my 30^th birthday in the best way I know possible… with my husband, who just arrived back from his Study Abroad trip in South America. We had a wonderful, quiet dinner and it was perfect. In celebration of being 30 weeks pregnant and 30 years old, I thought I’d share 30 random facts. I hope it doesn’t bore you.

1.     I hope and pray that I will remain thankful, happy, and at peace once I become a mom. I don’t want to be one of those worn out moms/wives that nag all the time.

2.     My Vietnamese name is Bich Tram. Growing up I had a lot of Vietnamese friends, so my AIM screen name was bichTramster. Unfortunately when I got to college, all my friends thought I was calling myself a bitch and a tramp.

3.     I drink a lot of water. People who know me can attest to this.

4.     I think soda is the worst thing you can put in your body. I haven’t touched it since high school and always yell at people when they drink it. Just Google alternative uses of coke. … and you want to put that in your body?

5.     I have abnormally large hands and feet for my height.

6.     The first couple of times I tried snowboarding, I hated it. I couldn’t understand why people would put themselves through so much pain to learn something. But that only made me more determined to learn. I’m still awful at it, but I feel like I get a little better every time I make it out there.

7.     I’m very competitive, but am not athletic at all. So, I channel my competitiveness in board games.

8.     I love teaching 3 year olds because they give the best hugs.

9.     Teaching is hard… very hard. I can’t believe I’ve been doing it for 8 years now and still love it. When people ask me how I do it. I always tell them that you have to learn how to balance work life and home life. After a certain point you learn that you do the best you can with the time that you have allotted. That’s the best you can do. It’s important to invest time into your home life.

10. I’m not a big TV person. Which is probably a good thing since I live with Sam. If he could, he would keep it on Sportscenter all day, everyday.

11. I always knew I would be a mother. It’s my life calling... I know it. And I can’t believe it will actually happen in roughly 10 weeks!

12. I want to run a marathon one day. It has always been a life long goal of mine.

13. When traveling, nature-made sites > man-made sites

14. I hate video games/phone games. I’m very thankful that Sam has no interest in playing them. I hope our kids are the same way.

15. Yoga people use to freak me out. But now I love yoga. I recommend everyone try it. Especially men and their tight backs and hamstrings.

16. I haven’t touched a golf club since last year but if I could ever break 100 in a round, I would consider myself very accomplished.

17. I love maps. http://asheepnomore.net/2013/12/29/40-maps-will-help-make-sense-world/

18. Because of how I was raised, I’m usually pretty thrifty with money. For the most part, I try to save when I can… except when it comes to travel. Travel enriches us and is almost always worth the expense.

19. Nothing makes me happier than being able to cook for the people I love and then being able to share that meal with them.

20. Teaching 3 year olds with special needs can be very frustrating, yet very rewarding. To me, it’s like my students are puzzles. And I have to keep trying different pieces (strategies) until one day, something clicks and fits… and that is the most rewarding part.

21. Every year I make my husband a yearbook for our anniversary. In the yearbooks, I have records of things that have happened and places we have been. I’m excited to see how our lives will change throughout the years.

22. Growing up, I never thought I was a huge city person. But now I love living in the city. If we ever move, I don’t want to be far from a city.

23. I don’t have favorites and hate when people ask me about favorites. Why do I have to choose a favorite color, food, city, etc… Can’t I like them all?

24. I don’t like driving. I didn’t get my license till I was 23 because my parents didn’t have time to teach me and I didn’t have a need to learn (I had great friends). Now that I can drive, I would almost always rather be passenger than driver.

25. I’m much more of a listener than a talker.

26. I hate when people mistake my kindness for weakness. Just because I’m nice doesn’t mean that I’m weak or that you can walk all over me.

27. I have 2 sisters. I’m the middle. We are nothing alike.

28. Now that I’m 30 weeks pregnant. I feel huge. I hate to admit this, but I didn’t realize how vain I was until I got pregnant. I feel like I’m constantly comparing myself with other women and always am so hard on myself when I look “more pregnant” than them. I know this sounds ridiculous. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing and I should embrace and be blessed that I have a healthy baby, to date.

29. I would not consider myself as someone with much fashion sense. My wardrobe isn’t very extensive. Actually, I hate shopping.  I don’t know much about hair, makeup, or shoes. I wish I had a personal shopper/stylist that could help me out.

30. Finally! I’m at 30! I’m very thankful for the past 30 years, which have shaped me into who I am today. I love my life right now and couldn’t be more excited for this coming year and the adventures that are in store for us. I do not consider myself old at all. 30 is a great year! And I’m ready to take on the 30s… older, yet wiser.

Weeks: 30

Baby Size: Cucumber

Maternity Clothes: I’ve resorted to wearing Sam’s clothes to bed. Boxer shorts and T-shirts!

Sleep: I still sleep well through the night. Still waking up every couple of hours to pee though.

Best moment this week: Celebrating my 30^th birthday at work and at home with my husband.

Miss anything? Having a glass of wine.

Movement: Yes! Usually in the evenings after dinner and almost always at the top left part of my stomach.

Food cravings: nada

Mood: stressed from work L

Looking forward to: the baby showers planned for February

Anything else?: I found out I have PUPPs. I rash that is common upon first time moms that are having boys… It’s very itchy and was frustrating me. With the doctors suggestions, it has gotten a lot better and isn’t nearly as itchy though.

Full on nesting mode..

Animals do it all the time. From cats, to hamsters, to birds, animals have this maternal instinct to get their homes ready when they are expecting. This past month, I have picked up this instinct like many other mothers-to-be. It's been full on preparation for out "nest" and the arrival of our baby. 

According to Urban Dictionary,

nesting

Nesting is a ritual performed by pregnant women in ridding the house, the "nest", from anything potentially harmful to the soon to be born child.

And Dictionary.com

nesting

The tendency to arrange one's immediate surrounding to create a place where one feels secure, comfortable, or in control. 

All this is very true. Hahaha. Did everyone else experience this when they were pregnant?

Over winter break, Sam and I were set out to accomplish as much baby stuff as we could because we weren’t sure how busy Sam would get once school started. We finished our registry, moved out our guest room furniture, bought baby furniture, built it, and set it up. I was on a personal mission to go through all of our stuff, reorganize, and throw away everything we didn’t need. It was quite a task, and I proud of what I was able to organize and throw away. It’s funny how much stuff you accumulate over the years. It’s also funny how I say this every time I move, which has been 4 times now since I’ve moved to DC. My next task: deep clean everything. It should be fun.

Post prenatal yoga belly shot...

Weeks: 28... less than 3 months to go o_O

Baby Size: Eggplant

Maternity Clothes: In addition to pants and shirts, did you know you outgrow undergarments and shoes as well?

Sleep: I gave the maternity pillow a couple extra days and now I love it. I can’t even sleep without out. It helped out a lot with back pain and I can comfortably sleep through the night (minus the whole waking up to go to the bathroom thing)

Best moment this week: going to my prenatal yoga classes. I’ve been doing a lot of yoga, but mostly from youtube videos I found online. Well, I finally signed up for a class last week and loved it. It was surprisingly much harder than I expected, but afterwards I felt so stretched out and relaxed.

Miss anything?: Italian hoagies (lunch meat…)

Movement: Wow! Our baby is so active! I talk to many expectant mothers and I feel as though I feel our baby moves ALL THE TIME compared to other mothers out there. Sometimes, it even hurts… but I don’t mind ;)

Food cravings: some of that hard Philadelphian bread that we can’t get anywhere around here in DC

Mood: lonely… Sam left me to go a 2 weeklong study abroad program in South America… I’m missing my husband

Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery. I really like how it looks so far. I can’t wait till we get finish the little details and see how it turns out.

Anything else:? I think the hardest part of preparing for this baby is picking out a name. Sam and I can’t seem to agree on any names and it just seems so permanent. I can like a name one week and then completely hate it the next. I guess we’ll just have to wait till the baby is born to pick one out.