27 weeks 5 days

Today was the monthly appointment with the OB.

My BP: Normal 
Baby Derrick's heartbeat: normal 
Fundal Height: 27cm- right on schedule with the pregnancy
My weight: 138 lbs- No weight gain since four weeks ago! :\

I eat as much as I can, as frequently as I can, and yet, no weight gain! So I got worried, but the doctor wasn't one bit worried because my fundal height was right on schedule with the pregnancy. The way fundal height is measured is from the top of your uterus to the bottom- doc pokes around the abdomen until she finds the top (mine was just below my rib cage), and then takes a measuring tape and goes just above the pubic bone. Today I measured a little over 27cm, which according to the chart, baby Derrick is growing well, right between 75-90 percentile. So- no worries.

However, when the doctor did a quick urine sample test, she found out I had low hemoglobin levels- she told me to get OTC iron supplements, 'ferrous sulfate' pills. She said I should take one pill in the morning and one pill at night, and I should be ok. No wonder I felt dizzy all the time- I had low hemoglobin levels. Other than that, I'm fine, the baby is fine, and we just have to wait until he's ready to come meet us!

Since we only have 2 more days left until our final trimester, here are the baby bump pics during 2nd trimester, since it popped out :]

Here it is- it's so interesting to see the progression of my growing belly :] This just means baby Derrick is growing well inside my belly.

Until the next post, keep us in your prayers, and here is a Bible verse that made me re-confirm that baby Derrick truly is a perfect gift from God. 

More baby products!

Husband's picks and purchases are arriving one by one! 

I updated the products that have arrived so far two days ago, and now more purchases are here!
All products purchased through diapers.com

Bugaboo Cameleon 3 stroller Neon Special, Peg Perego Siesta, BabyHome Dream Baby Cot, Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30

The much coveted Bugaboo stroller! We wanted this brand ever since we found out we were pregnant and we love the neon edition! So functional, easy to use, and it will cater to our baby's growth perfectly. The adapter we bought for the Peg Perego car seat works so well into the frame!

The siesta was such a great buy by the husband. It can be used as a infant seat, or a high chair with food tray for toddlers... great safety locks and wheels for rolling, and it seems so useful!

BabyHome baby cot- something we can rest baby Derrick in while we watch TV or relax, or just to keep him off the floor where the dog is...

Peg Perego car seat. A bit on the heavy side, but it seems so sturdy and safe! We both agree that safety outweighs the weight of the seat.

Now for the furniture...

Oeuf Classic Crib

 The husband put the crib together and it looks beautiful! The mattress can be adjusted to cater to the baby's growth. Looks simple and very classy.

Colgate Crib Mattress, Changing station 

It's organic, and also functional since one side is for newborns, and once the baby grows up, we can flip the mattress and it'll be softer!
And the changing station will go on top of the changing station dresser, which is not here yet, but it's very nice and safe with safety belt.

Bookshelf

Not too high, and heavy enough so that if the baby decides to stand, it'll withstand his weight. it's cute and functional since it has a pull out drawer cubby and regular cubby!

And kudos for the husband for ordering these a little earlier than most people think is necessary. It gives us time to figure out the mechanisms here and there, and gives us time to think about where to arrange what furniture where, and also where we will store them. It'll take some time to finalize everything :]

I hope baby Derrick likes his things, because we sure do :]

The Nursery Preparation

We are now 26 weeks and 3 days into our pregnancy with Baby Derrick, which gives us only one week more in 2nd trimester, and we will be finally entering our last trimester! MY HOW TIME FLIES!

Many things have happened since the last post, which was actually two weeks ago, so this may turn out to be a long post :]

Two weeks ago, hubby started to clean out our office for Baby Derrick's nursery. 

I helped with little things here and there, but he did most of the heavy work... Bye Bye office space, and hello nursery!

Then Grandma and Grandpa Kim from Korea were visiting, and they helped paint the nursery. I believe the color is Lemon Green from Behr. We were at Home Depot picking out paint colors, and one random lady said, get bunch of sample paint, and choose one after, because it looks different with the flooring and the lighting at our house. She was right! It took us at least four different samples.

Of course Guinness our dog and I stayed clear from the room, with the fumes and all. But huge thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Kim and of course my dear husband. 

First we tried the samples on the wall- as you can see from the picture above- then, they lined the floor with paper to catch any falling paint when the walls are painted.

Then the base boards and all the outlets were taped with painter's tape, so we won't get any paint over them, and let the painting begin! Grandma Kim rolled up her sleeves to paint!

Husband was on a roll! Derrick's Daddy instincts kicked in I guess? :] put a smile on my face.

Even Grandpa Kim got on the ladder to get working! :]

After HOURS of hard work, the nursery looked amazing.

And we love it: hopefully, Baby Derrick loves it too :]

Grandma and Grandpa Kim also bought us an adorable holiday keepsake!

 Also, Grandma and Grandpa Kim from Chicago are funding our nursery preparation; we have a $6000 limit! We feel so blessed and thankful that the two Grandma Kims and Grandpa Kims are well and can help us out.We can't thank them enough.

The husband has been behind all the furniture-baby necessities-electronics shopping, so I had really no idea what we purchased until they started arriving one by one! Here are the products that have arrived so far. One side note, all the products were purchased through diapers.com;  apparently husband liked this site because it had great reviews from parents around the nation, and you can get discounts. 

Baby Stuff #1: ergobaby organic bundle of joy baby carrier

Husband says this had the best reviews for the infant carriers. So it looks really small out of the box, but it has an infant insert that looks like a tiny cocoon, with a sturdy head rest, and it seems like a little swaddling bundle, and it fits snuggly inside the carrier. Once the baby grows a bit the insert can be taken out, and the baby can be carried just in the carrier. However, the baby probably will grow out of it by month 6 at most. 

Baby Stuff #2: motorola baby monitor system

Talk about high-tech! This baby monitor can be maneuvered to see the baby at all angles, the screen has the controls for moving and controlling the camera angles. The screen shows the image in color, and it also has a sound receiver, but also sound transmitter. So when the baby cries, we can turn the mic on, transmit the sound, and soothe the baby, until one of us gets to the nursery. Also, it has calming lullaby function, so you can play the song. It is just really awesome and loaded with all the techy stuff, but also really safe and of course this also had the highest rating of all the baby monitors, according to the husband. 

Baby Stuff #3: Adapter for Peg Perego car seats (for our bugaboo stroller)

Since husband wanted a bugaboo stroller, we needed to buy the adapter for the car seat that would fit into the stroller. The car seat he had purchased, which is the peg perego brand, is according to him, the safest and easiest to use, so all we have to have is the adapter, and it'll click in our bugaboo stroller. OK, I don't know what he's saying until I see it done, but I trust his judgment!

So these are some of the 'big' baby stuff that have come our way. We still have 'bigger' baby stuff coming our way, but the 'small' stuff such as onesies, socks, hats, and clothes, we will put on our registry and hopefully our guests for the baby shower will buy them for us :]

Husband is getting more excited than me, but I love how involved he is. He is always looking at reviews of products and such-I could really care less. I'm more into buying books right now, we already have 12 books- Classic Dr Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Sendak, Munsch.. I am still looking into buying 365 days Bible story book. But first I want to go check out my local library and see if they have it and read it before I purchase it :] Anyway, I love how we balance each other like this, safety of the products is just as important as education and brain development :] 

This is the end of the two week journey! Next week will be busy as well, what with Christmas and the next OB appointment coming up. We ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers, and the Kim family wish you a Happy and Merry Christmas!

the nesting starts!

Today marks 24 weeks and 2 days for this pregnancy. 
Ever since I entered my 2nd trimester, I've been very 'domestic'- meaning, I have the urge to do dishes, (RARELY happens), keep our walk in closet clean, constantly do laundry, and do projects. Even the husband noticed the change in behavior.
Husband: "is this your maternal instinct kicking in?"
me: "I think this is what they call nesting"

So I did some research on nesting, and apparently it amplifies in third trimester especially right before you're about to give birth, and those behaviors are some off the wall ones like cleaning the bathroom grout with a tooth brush.

I'm not quite there yet, but I have been making projects for myself and trying to finish them all. This, as a result, is making husband do things he never did growing up, and I think he secretly likes it :]

Project #1: Putting the Christmas Tree up

This wouldn't have been much of a 'project' since it is the holiday season, but the tree was up since the 15th of November. Yup. I was feeling the holiday spirit since then. So the husband, who's never had a Christmas tree growing up, got pretty excited himself. We decided we were going to do fake ones until our dog learned not to eat stuff off the floor, which probably would be never, but the real tree will come around eventually :]

I seriously think the husband had more fun decorating the tree than I did. Anyway, it's beautiful. Project #1 completed. 

Project #2: Knitting a scarf for the sister (still in progress)

Started this project beginning of November, and is still ongoing. I've been working on it little by little, still haven't finished it... hope this keeps her warm in cold Finland. But more importantly, I must finish this before the parents come so they can take it with with them when they visit her this Christmas!

Project #3: Christmas stockings for the fire place

This took 3 full days! This may be due to the lack of a sewing machine, but also because I got tired of sitting in one spot for more than an hour. But they turned out great, and the husband secretly loves them.

Project #4: Holiday Card writing

Started these after Thanksgiving, and FINALLY they are all stamped and ready to go! This year we just personalized the stamps, but once Baby Derrick comes, we will make customized family cards! Can't wait! Also realized: I'm getting to that age where most of the cards are addressed to the Yang family or Mr and Mrs Kwon. My friends are growing up and so is our family!!

These are the ones that I have started and accomplished so far, and I'm pretty sure I'll think of more projects to do. I'm thinking gingerbread house, and cookies... :]

And here's a little something I came across when I was doing my daily bible reading for Baby Derrick.

This pretty much sums it all up- doesn't it?

Until next time, keep us in your prayers! More to come!

23 weeks 4days happenings

At 23 weeks and 4 days we had 

1. Regular monthly OBGYN checkup

2.3D ultrasound

3. Gestational Diabetes blood test

I was pretty much beat by the end of the day, but oh boy, the ultrasound made up for it!

Monthly OBGYN checkup

Weight: 138Lbs

Fundal height :average

Blood pressure: normal

Derrick's heartbeat:140

Doc was worried I've only gained one pound for a month. I told her I eat a lot more than compared to the last three months. She just said that as long as I'm not LOSING weight, I'm fine. The baby is growing very well, and she said I have high metabolism. UM. NO doctor. have you SEEN me when I had freshman 50 in college??! 

My guess is I lost so much weight first trimester, it seems like I haven't gained much weight. I was 142 lbs when I was 7 weeks pregnant, then full blown all day sickness, lost 12 lbs by week 12 of my pregnancy, dropped to 130 lbs, and now I'm nearing my 24 week mark, I'm still way below average weight gain chart for my age and height at 138 lbs. 

Husband: "You gain a pound if you drink a lot of water" 

Me: "I know, what the heck, I ate like it was my job" 

Husband: "I know, I saw you eat a lot more, you're weird" 

Me: "I think Derrick just likes to take all of mommy's food"

Husband: chuckles

But- I feel fine, Derrick kicks all the time, and I exercise regularly, so I have no worries, and neither does the doctor. Doc still doesn't want me to work out too much: NO WORRIES DOC :] You don't have to tell me that. I walk my dog for 15 minutes and do yoga stretches including my kegel exercise for 15 minutes a day. That's my exercise routine. Nothing more, nothing less. 

We will have another monthly checkup right after Christmas. Time sure does fly. 

3D Ultrasound

Location: GoldenView Ultrasound

Ultrasound Technician: Allison? Alex? I'll call her Al... Sorry Al

By Appointment only.

Oh man, this was another first, and I just have to say, I had the best time. Of course husband was with me when we went, he has not missed a single OB appointment, or anything related to this pregnancy :]

The office was easy to find, and there was parking, which is really great, considering, there barely is any parking in Chicago. They have to buzz you in, and they tell you what to press and stuff via email after you make your appointment. The office was inviting, and the receptionist was so friendly. 

I had to bring my OB ultrasound to show I'm getting proper prenatal care, and they made a copy of that, and I filled out a general information sheet, and in no time, Al greeted us to the ultrasound room. 

I wish I had taken pictures of the room, it was really awesome, but I was too busy exclaiming over how nice it was and blah blah blah... that's why I couldn't quite catch Al's full name.... hehe

The bed that you lay down to do the ultrasound was so nice! Anyway, we started with the heartbeat, and they had surround sound system, and it was quite different from the one we hear at the doc's. Oh it was very loud and strong :]  

Al: Did the doctor tell you what you were having?

Me: yes, we're having a boy

Al: you want to double check?

Me: why not

Al: yup he's a boy

Me: aw look at his little penis!

The penis had actually grown a lot since 4 weeks ago, and even husband could spot it easily :]

Al actually started with a regular 2D, found where the face was, and converted the image to 3D! WOW... technology amazes me! And Derrick, oh Derrick, he is such a happy baby. He has a smiling face, and he was so active with his body and also with his face, even Al said he might talk faster because he's moving his lips so much already! 

Here he is

He's so beautiful, isn't he?

 Here he is sticking his tongue out! Looks like a cute little baby panda :]

 Here he is smiling again, he has his daddy's nose and mommy's mouth :] And saluting us with his hand! (upper left corner)

This is Derrick's modeling pose: Aren't I just the cutest?

And here he is just laughing away!! 

I was just chattering away" aww look at him babe! Aw! he's so handsome! look at his little face!!"

Husband just stared at the huge projector screen in awe. He was seriously even more speechless than his usual self, which is utter silence.

After we were done, he hugged me real tight and gave me a kiss. I think that was his way of saying 'honey our baby is beautiful' I teared up a little, I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff :]

So after our session, which I think lasted about 15-20 minutes, we got a bunch of black and white copies, 2 color copies, and a cd rom copy of all the stills. The total came out to $69, but husband and I both agree that it was worth it, and we're definitely coming back for our subsequent pregnancies :]

Gestational Diabetes blood test

Just a routine blood test, that tests for gestational diabetes- they will let me know in a day if I do have gestational diabetes or not. I have no worries; I have not OD'd on sweets like I thought I would this pregnancy- I actually don't really like sweet things as of now, so this was just a routine test the doc ordered. When I went, they made me drink something glucose thingamajig that looked like orange gatorade which tasted pretty nasty, and made me wait an hour. Then the lab technician withdrew two vials of blood and that was it!

Whew! All that happened, and I'm so happy :]

God has blessed us with so much and so far this pregnancy has brought nothing but joy and thankfulness to our family. 

We have so much to look forward to, with the holidays coming, and we couldn't be happier. 

Until next time, keep us in your prayers!

My virgin Prenatal Massage experience

Holy mother of pure bliss. @_@

If I had to sum it up in one word it would be: AWESOME

Ever since my baby bump had popped out of nowhere, it really took a toll on my body especially my lower back, my hips, my neck and my shoulders. I'd been meaning to get the prenatal massage way before, but I've read on some sites that I should stay away from prenatal massages during first trimester, since I was high risk. My last OBGYN appointment (second trimester appointment) I asked my doc if I am safe to get prenatal massage, and she gave the green light, so as soon as I got the ok, I booked it. 

After an extensive research, I came across Urban Oasis. It's only 5 minute drive from our house, and it had the best prenatal massage reviews. 

Here is the lobby/waiting area. It was VERY RELAXING and WELCOMING and the staff members were so friendly, I was already unwinding.

They had me fill out some basic information sheet, and after I was done, I found a helpful brochure.

 

I had only waited about 5 minutes and my massage therapist came to greet me and take me to the massage room. Her name was Laurie. 

My room was dimly lit and looked really inviting. The bed was inclined at about 45 degree angle, and there were wedges for different parts of my body to relieve as much pressure as possible when I get my massage done. The bed itself was entirely of memory foam, like Tempurpedic mattress, and it felt SO nice laying on the bed. I did NOT want to get up.

So before we actually got to the massage part, Laurie explained thoroughly of what she will do, what she won't do, what is considered safe, and what is a no-no for pregnant women getting massages. She asked if I had specific areas that needed attention, (YES, my shoulders, lower back!) and she told me to take my time and let her know if the massage pressure was too much. 

Before I moved to Chicago, I always got full body massage every week, so I told Laurie, you can go as hard as you can, but she warned me now that I'm pregnant, even the slightest increase in circulation can be bad for the baby, so she said she'll work with me. 

Prenatal massages DO NOT include the massaging of the breasts, the abdomen, pelvic region, inner thighs, extensive hand or feet massages. Those areas are danger zones that can trigger complications. So if you go get a prenatal massage, make sure your therapist stays away from those areas. 

So the bed stayed like that when I was on my back. Then I flipped over on my tummy, it's been 6 months since I've been on my tummy and it felt SOOOO relaxing! But the bed transforms. I wish I was able to take a picture, but I was in the middle of my massage... The face rest of course goes in, then there is a hole where your baby bump fits in, (a cutout cushion comes out), but the belly doesn't just hang, there is another very soft bedding that 'catches' your belly so it doesn't hang mid air. Laurie asked if everything was ok and verbatim, "my belly fits snug as a bug! oh my goodness this feels awesome"

She also gave me soft towels to put on either side of my breast to relieve pressure that'll be on them once I fully lay down. And of course the massage was GREAT. She went from scalp to toe. AWESOME. 

Here are some of the sensations I felt while I was getting my massage: 1. Derrick kicked non-stop. I was relaxed and happy and so was he 2. I felt hungry 3. My boobs felt they were growing on their own and they felt very tender and slightly uncomfortable

The whole massage was a FULL hour. She did not skimp out on my minutes. Bless her soul. Then after, I was offered a rain shower, or steam shower, and since steam shower is no-no for pregnant women, I chose the rain shower. 

And THIS TOO was relaxing. I get my own private shower, and all the amenities. 

Then when you walk out of the shower, you're not cold since there is a heat lamp. MMMMMMM

And here I am happy as a clam and relaxed to the max. With Derrick of course =)

It was so great, I just booked my next appointment with them before I left. The original price was $100, but I mentioned Yelp deal and I got $25 off, and ended up paying only $75 =)

And there it is, my first prenatal massage appointment at 23 weeks and 2 days!

Derrick and I are super relaxed, and we cannot wait for our next appointment. 

We had a great day today, and please keep us in your prayers for the upcoming events this week!

More to come!

22 weeks 3 days

So I've been wanting to get the baby bump already, and at week 20 I did get a tiny legit baby bump.

I got really excited; but little did I know exactly two weeks later... 

I woke up in the morning, brushed my teeth, looked at my reflection and I literally saw my bump had officially 'popped'!!! It really did happen overnight, like many have testified online forums.

The night before this happened I did feel a lot of pressure on my abdomen and I felt my skin stretching and my bones feeling a bit out of place. I told this to the husband and he probably guessed it was due to me eating more than usual for dinner; however, I only had about 4 bites, and I didn't even touch my food. It felt strange. I woke up the next day, and VOILA! Hello little D!!

I can still see my toes so we're not HUGE as people might say :)

Derrick is still kicking away happily, even more than usual, and I'm thinking it's because there's more room for him now ;)

Next week we have our 24 week OB visit and 3D ultrasound! Can't wait!

Please keep us in your prayers and more to come later!

21 weeks and 4 days

Crazy Dreams Galore....

I'm usually not the person to dream dreams, or remember them if I had one, but ever since I got pregnant, I've been having vivid and bizarre dreams.

So I decided to categorize them, and go into details for a few of my favorites. =)

The Ex Boyfriend Dreams
These started before I took the pregnancy test, and I was troubled. Why would they appear in my dreams? Husband was a bit peeved: why would you dream of your ex boyfriends? BEATS ME! I blame the hormones. I don't think about my ex boyfriends at all, after I started dating my husband, I realized he was the only man that I need to keep in my memories forever... Anyway, the hormones are to blame for this weird neurosis.

The Weird Animal Dreams
From giraffes to pandas... they just randomly appear. Some are so cute and cuddly and some are just downright nasty. Again, hormones, they do crazy things with my brain cells!!

The Hot Erotic Porn-Like Dreams
This is probably due to hormones AND the fact that the husband and I are no longer making love. Husband has sworn to abstinence as soon as we found out we were pregnant:"it's just really weird. our baby is in there and there is not way in hell that we are making love until we have our baby..." Sometimes I'll wake up horny, and I will notify the husband of this situation: "think of our baby"...... ok.....

The Cute Baby Dreams
Cute babies appear... I know they're not Derrick, our baby, but I have been just dreaming of cute babies  =)

The WTF Dreams
1. I had a dream that I was a witch, and I was attending Hogwarts, (yes the school from Harry Potter) and I was the president of the student council, and we had to do a fundraiser and we were conjuring up magic and other events and such.
2. I was in a car with a friend of mine, another car chases us, and then all of sudden, it turns into a car race, and I remember feeling that rush, kind of like the one you get when you're in a roller coaster
3. I'm at a buffet, and there are all the kinds of food that I was craving, but every time I reach for them, they move further and further away

I'm pretty sure I will have more dreams as this pregnancy continues, but for now, this pretty much sums up my crazy dreams. Other changes that are occurring are physical ones, enlarged breasts(went up two bra sizes) abdomen stretching, back aches, body aches.. I think my bones are rearranging themselves to make more room down there. My lower back bones and hip bones feel like they are at different places than before. I can also feel the ligaments in my lower abdomen stretching out. 5 more weeks left in the 2nd trimester and we will already be in our 3rd trimester!

We can't wait to see Derrick, and until we do, keep us in your prayers!

20 weeks 2 days milestones

This has to be recorded: Barack Hussein Obama is 44th president of United States. While little Derrick (Little D) is happily growing inside me, a historical event occurred- Obama is re-elected for another four years.

With that said, I am doing really well so far. Like most pregnancy related websites have so confidently declared, the nausea and the vomiting have subsided to a minimum, my food aversions have gotten better, and most importantly, my mood swings are not so 'swing-y'. 

The last OB appointment showed that I have gained 3 lbs, not as much as the doc would've liked to see, but still, I'm not losing weight, so that's good news. I think I'm slowly gaining weight, and I definitely notice a difference in the curvature of my abdomen :]

I have so many appointments to look forward to: I have the regular appointment scheduled with my OB, I have a prenatal massage appointment in two weeks, (I will definitely blog about that), I have a 4d ultrasound appointment in two weeks as well. (Will definitely blog about that, too)

On a side note, my parents are extremely worried that I am doing too many ultrasounds... but so far we have had one to validate the pregnancy, the NT screening ultrasound, the gender reveal ultrasound and that's it. So that's only three ultrasounds, and the OB has said that we will not have any more until I'm 30+weeks right before I give birth, so I have no concerns. 

Right now I really do feel like I'm in the 'honeymoon' phase of my pregnancy, and I am truly content and I feel so blessed. 

Here is a very long overdue belly pic at exactly week 20. 

Please excuse my dorky longjanes; my mom sent them to me and they are very comfy. 

And the husband and I have already started to buy many books for Little D.

We love reading to Little D and I hope he'll love reading too!

Keep us in your prayers, and more to come later!