The Three Week Mark

Today marks full 3 weeks since Baby D was born.
In Korea, the third week, or sahm-chil-il (3-7 day) is when the baby is out of the 'danger' zone...
I think it's Korean way of making sure the newborn baby isn't exposed to too many things all at once.

ANYWAY-
The feeding schedule is pretty simple; the longer he stays at my breasts, the longer the breaks in between are. I'm a little worried because he spits up a lot and he seems to have digestive issues- he seems to be gassy, even if I make sure I burp him. Hopefully he won't turn colic; have my fingers crossed.
His sleep patterns are still erratic, but we do love the swaddle me swaddles. Once Baby D is wrapped up snug in his swaddle, he goes to sleep for good 3 hours, which is better than 2 hours and which is far better than1.

We have our first official pediatrician check up visit since his birth, so I will have to ask these questions
1. why does he spit up so often, and is that ok
2. he sneezes a lot, is that ok
3. he seems to be quite gassy, is that ok
4. his skin is flaking too much, is that ok
and for all of the above, 5. what can I do to make it better

Can't wait to see how much he grew and how chubby he got :]

FOR ME:
Everyday is a struggle in its own. My body is aching all over, more now than ever, my nipples are sore, my joints ache, my wrists are forever shot, my arms are getting butch, I haven't showered in two days, I haven't pooped in two days, I'm a wreck.
My c-section incision seems to be getting better, I took all the steri strips off, but it still looks heinous and I get SO distraught every time I look at it. what's even more sad is that since I cant really bend over that much, I have to take a pic of it and THEN look at it. I know my husband says it's a glory scar and I should be proud of it, but seriously makes me sad every time I look at it. :[

I think I over did myself yesterday by watching the Syracuse v. Michigan basketball game, which turned out to be a loss of my team and a waste of 2 hours which I could've slept through instead. So what do I do? I don't hear the baby cry and just sleep at 2 and 4 am: thank God my mom heard him and bottle fed him my expressed milk....

I feel so overworked and sleep deprived; I didn't know breast feeding could be so TIRING and DRAINING. I got really moody and hormonal today, lashed out at the husband, woke the baby up because we were both yelling at each other, bawled my eyes out.

Later on this is what the husband laid out for me and it's become crystal clear-
hubby: "i'm sorry you feel miserable, but it's not about you or me anymore. it's about our baby, and it's only about him. so you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and get over it."

it was really harsh at first, but he's right. it IS about baby Derrick.
BUT- a girl really needs some TLC in her own right, whether she's a mom or not. and even though I know my husband is right, I couldn't help but feel a little be let down. Oh to be a mom.

a little bit about breast feeding:
Some days, it's a breeze, other days, it's so difficult. Some days I'll be over flowing with milk, other days I'm lucky if baby D feels satisfied. Some days baby Derrick will latch on perfectly and it won't even feel like he's sucking, other days baby Derrick decides to give major rug burns on my nipples no matter what position I use. it's really a trial and error system, and I really do think moms get numbed in their nippular area so much so that they don't mind the pain. But I'm pretty sure the pain will linger on.

to sum up:
I'm physically, emotionally, mentally miserable- not gonna lie, it is DAMN difficult. BUT. like my husband reminded me and what I feel everyday is this: it's about baby Derrick, and I'll just have to grit my teeth through it all. I just hope my body feels better sooner, and my OB check up is in 10 days, hopefully by then I'll feel semi human again.
And MAYBE my husband and I can go back to feeling lovey dovey again. maybe. I hope we don't become those couples that solely focus on child rearing.... I really hope so.

Until the next post, please keep us in your prayers, mostly for Baby Derrick but also for myself and the husband...

The Post Partum Woes and Throes

Today marks Post Partum Day 14. Full two weeks have passed since the c-section.
I am going to categorize what's been happening to me, baby Derrick, the husband.... Get ready for the good AND the bad. It ain't all sunshine and smiles, but is it all worth it in the end? YES :]

THE WOES

MOMMY

Physical:
Still in pain. Walking has become slightly easier, but there are times when I get sharp pain in my abdomen. The pain travels, sometimes on my side, sometimes lower abdomen, sometimes near my pubic region, sometimes above my navel.... I've been doing a lot of hind search and reading up on other mom's experiences post csection, and some have jumped back to their normal state pretty fast, within weeks time; some have said it took them 6 months to a full year for a complete recovery.....
I still feel like I've been beaten to death and resurrected. Makes me think of what Jesus must have gone through... but much worse. Thank you Jesus. ANYWAY, to sum it up, I'm still in pain, but each day it's getting better.

I woud love to exclusively breast feed, but baby D loves playing with my nipples instead of suck. So what happens is there will be plenty of milk coming out of breasts, but all he does is fondle it so all the milk just drips out of his mouth and he falls asleep at my breasts..... -_- So we are bottle feeding him expressed milk. Pumping my breasts every 2-3 hours is also very annoying and tiring, but I'd rather do this than not have baby D eat.

Mental:
I got the baby blues- Not too serious, but definitely hormonal. I am stressed out because I'm physically weak, I have a lot of drama around me, and even though my mom who's here to help and my husband try to make me feel better, there are times I just feel like I have to cry. This too, however, is getting better by the day.

Spiritual:
I try to pray as frequently as I can, but there are times I'm so worn out physically and mentally, it's really hard to keep my spirits and my faith up. I only pray that I will get stronger as each day passes by.

Familial:
THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE HARDEST PART. PARENT/PARENTS IN LAW are giving me and the husband such a hard time. They want to be involved so much so that they are fighting US and each OTHER. MOTHER IN LAW HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST RIDICULOUS person right now. She is mad at me and the husband for not calling her everyday about the baby.... please, we barely have time to talk to each other, what with the nightly feedings and lack of sleep....She's also mad at the fact that we raise a dog, WHICH WAS A ISSUE THAT WAS DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY... and she's also unreasonably mad at my mom who's been here to help with the household work , because she feels that my mom gets to see the baby only. HUSBAND and I ARE so SICK and TIRED of her ANTICS. WHY DOESN"T she CALL US? WE NEVER TOLD HER THAT SHE COULDN"T VISIT... SIGHHHHH.... husband and I are so worn out that we're not even trying to mend this situation. She needs to get over herself. we are not getting rid of the dog, and we are not going to report to her everyday about our parenting. she needs to give us space because now we are parents and we need some respect.

Daddy (from what mommy could tell)

Physical:
husband is a deep sleeper, and it is extremely difficult for him to wake up at night to feed baby D. I try to give him some slack since he has to go to the store and deal with all the drama there; but there are times when I just need him to feed the baby, and when I wake him up, he has SUCH a hard time, and then when he's feeding the baby, he's falling asleep while he is doing so. Poor hubby. But at least he's trying, and he's so involved.

Mental:
it must be so hard for him to deal with his issues with everything that I have discussed above, plus the drama from the store, plus dealing with my hormonal ass, I'm sure he's going a little crazy himself. I'm so proud of him for keeping it all together, even though he sometimes loses it, and we end up arguing a bit, but that's a given, I think.

Spiritual:
his spirits are definitely down; but he gets recharged when he sees our baby. Also, once the weather stays consistently warm, he can go golfing, I allow it :]

MOMMY and DADDY 
we need sleep. we don't get more than 2-3 hours of sleep, if we're lucky 4 hours. baby D eats every 2-3 hours. they say it gets better around month 3. we're not even through month 1 yet. we are constantly @_@.... 

Baby Derrick:
He is a pooping, peeing, eating machine! He's a great baby so far though. He doesn't get too fussy, he still is trying to figure out his face, his arms, his legs. some of the things that surprised us:
1. He's trying to lift his own head up already.
2. He has a strong kick and punch. (I already knew this, he was a kicker/puncher in my belly)
3. When he's not bottled right away, he will automatically turn his head towards my nipple and start sucking over my shirt!
4. he HATES being naked, this makes bath time really difficult....T_T

THE THROES

ALL THE WOES ARE WORTH IT BECAUSE...
of this little guy....

Baby Derrick makes it all worth it for mommy and daddy to be tattered to the ground by everything else. Mommy is a bit more tattered since daddy doesn't do some of the things, but, regardless, both of us are so blessed and thankful....

Also, a shoutout to aunt Grace aka my younger sister. The five days she was here visiting us, were blissfully helpful. It was so great to see her in a year...

The little time I have in between feedings, when baby D is usually asleep is when I get my things done, basic things such as: showering, pooping, eating, pumping, resting, napping, trying to sleep.... none of which could be possible without my husband and my mom....

Well, I gotta wrap this up before Baby D wakes up!
Until the next post, keep us in your prayers!

Derrick's Birth Story Part 2- The Journey Home

Oh room 217. The room I had to stay in for 3 nights and 4 days. The nurses were great and so were the hospital staff, but man, by day 2 I wanted to go home. 

Recovery: EVERYTHING hurts, EVERYTHING, and on top of that they bring the baby to you to breastfeed. I see other moms in other rooms doing fine since they delivered vaginally. ME- I'm dying; I"m crawling usually. I didn't even have my catheter for my urine taken out until day 2. I'm bloated, I feel heavy, I feel groggy and drowsy from the meds. I'm still not eating the day of the surgery. 

So March17th- NO FOOD and they bring the baby to breastfeed. Still everything is so surreal

March 18th Day2- fluid only diet. omg. when can I eat real food?at least I can drink fluids. GULPING everything down. After 3 full days of starving, since my water broke, anything tastes good.

OW my incision hurts, and since they had to push aside all the organs to get to my uterus to take baby D out, I feel like I've been punched inside out severely. I look and feel gross.... and they bring the baby to nurse with me. I'm producing colostrom ok, but I need to be producing real milk for baby D to eat. 

At the end of Day2 they run bilirubin test on baby D. The numbers were too high from the first 2. Mommy isn't producing enough milk, they say, so we need to supplement with formula. OK. 

Day 3 March 19th- Catheter comes out, I need to pee on my own and pass gas on my own. I'm on soft food diet, thank God, but still, it's not like real food. They said I can shower too! Ok. Getting in and out of bed to do stuff was extremely difficult. Who knew your abdominal muscles were used for pretty much everything? My wrist and arms are shot from all the weight I put on it. Meanwhile, husband has been sleeping over in the little corner with the recliner. He has not been sleeping well. And since they've brought the baby to us to stay and only take him when they need to run tests, we need to take care of him. Since I'm kind of stuck to the bed, hubby has been helping nonstop. 

Had to pee but I had to breastfeed baby D so I held my pee and breastfed him. BAD IDEA. Felt like my bladder was rupturing and my insides were burning with pain and I couldn't even get up fast to go to the bathroom which was literally 2 feet away. Seemed like 2 miles. peed, cried, asked for meds, passed out.... 

They tell me to get up and try to walk. ok. it makes me sweat. I'm crying with pain. no they said walking will help you get better. OMG walking is so painful. 

I take a shower with the help of my mother- and it feels good, but it hurts to take a shower. I couldn't look in the mirror, I wasn't ready to see my scar. Then I turned around and saw it by mistake. It was horrendous, I started crying..

Husband comes back from the store. Told him about it. Cried again. My body will never be the same. Everything still hurts so much. 

PASSED GAS FINALLLY!

Day 4. They want me to poop. I can't poop. I haven't eaten anything solid... Today I'm on hard food... They give me prune juice, warmed up. I take it. In about half and hour I take the most painful and possibly the biggest dump I have in my life. Baby D's bilirubin results came out real bad so we have to leave him at the hospital for phototherapy for God knows how long and I get discharged tonight. Hubby and I are upset. 

Day 4 March 20th, home at last without baby D. We tried to get some sleep but I'm in so much pain still and hubby can't sleep since Derrick isn't home with us. 

Day 5 We go see baby Derrick the next day with my breast milk pumped. March 21. Poor little thing.  Still high levels. Still phototherapy needed. We need to leave him again, still can't get much sleep. 

Day 6 Baby Derrick can come home to us! In laws will stop by to see Derrick home. We come home with Derrick and the in laws don't even ask me if I"m ok they go straight to the nursery with the husband. My mom and I are left alone- I feel so sad that I start crying. I'm upset- no one cares about the mom, only the baby it seems. The husband also seems like he cares only about the baby. I feel all alone. I'm so depressed. I cry. 

BABY DERRICK IS HOME AT LAST!

Stay tuned for Derrick's adventures at home :]

Please keep us in your prayers- especially me; I'm physically worn down and still healing, emotionally unstable, and mentally burdened. Also please pray for the husband and me as we are now parents and we have so many conflicting views on parenting; and on our marriage, as it seems to be so focused on who's right in raising the baby in what way. It's because we both want to be involved, which is great, but also we need to come to a happy medium. 

Please pray for my mom, who is having a difficult time physically, who has come to help me and the husband, and is risking her own health in doing so. 

Derrick's Birth Story Part 1

It's been a while since my last post, and there is a reason why.
Baby Derrick is now officially a part of our family!

Last update was about a scheduled c-section due to Derrick's oblique breech position. It was on the 18th of March, when I would turn 39 weeks.
Because of this scheduling, my dad had to postpone his flight, which was almost an impossibility since he had to be back to his work for urgent NK matters... (more on that later)

So we were all preparing to go in for the c-section when...

The night of 15th (Friday night from 8-11PM), I started getting stomachaches. I thought it was because I had too much to eat for dinner. Couldn't get comfortable AT ALL....
Finally fell asleep, when all of a sudden I feel a POP, and a gush of water between my legs (12AM, Saturday, 16th) I jolted up screaming, "My water just broke!"
Hubby:"Are you sure? you've peed yourself before... why don't you go check"
Me: "OK"

So I go sit on the toilet, but this was not like regular pee where I have control over my bladder, it was more like incessant faucet that wouldn't turn off. MAJOR volumes of water gushed out... I stood up, and I looked into the toilet, and the water looked like it had very tiny chunks of cottage cheese like substance in it. HM.... I thought when your amniotic sac breaks it's supposed to be clear?

I put a pad on and I say, "I don't think it's my water". Just as soon as I said that, MORE GUSH. Entire pants got wet, hubby saw it and was calling triage at our delivery hospital, I woke my mom and dad up from the guest room, told them water broke, they were like, "but you have a csection scheduled"
Me: "Well mom and dad he's coming today!!"
Then Chaos. Guinness our dog was barking, mom and dad dressing, I'm already at our elevator door, husband is getting my ID and insurance card ready, I'm yelling "OMG MORE WATER IS GUSHING OUT HURRRRYYYYY" This was 12:15 AM March 16th

Got to the hospital, went to the emergency room, told them "my water broke" security guard comes right away with a wheel chair, wheels me to family birth place, and by 12:30 AM I'm admitted- triage nurse wants to check to make sure if it indeed was my water breaking- told me to change into hospital gown, strip ALL clothing off. sure. I did it, came out of the bathroom when. GUSHHHH all over the triage check up room...
me:"um yeah i think this is my water breaking?"
nurse:"Oh yeah honey your water broke"
me: "am I delivering tonight? I was scheduled for a csection..."
nurse:"the on call doctor will check you out first, and we contacted your OB"
hubby:"holy crap Derrick's coming out?"
me:"I guess...?!"

I'm in one of labor and delivery rooms. IVs are hooked up. I'm feeling cramps on and off, irregularly. My mom and dad are in the waiting area. Husband calls in laws. On call doctor comes in, asks me why I was scheduled for csection, he would like to do an ultrasound- maybe we can deliver vaginally!
Me and husband in utter shock. Our OB told us there is 0% of that happening!

On Call Doc: "yup the baby's head is in the right position- completely thinned out, and 1 cm dilated"
hubby and me: ".....?!"
On call doc: "we will just let you wait for couple more hours for your contractions to pick up and go from there."
Me:"I don't feel any..."
On call doc: " oh it takes time."
Me:"even when my water is gushing out?"
on call doc:"yup"
This was 1:30AM 16th of March Saturday

Then the waiting game begins.... cramps come and go, painful ones, not so painful ones, excruciating ones, weird ones... and it all shows on the graph from the monitors....
at 4AM 3/16/13
on call doc: "cervix is extremely thinned out but no dilation progress... we are going to call your OB and get you started on pitocin to induce contractions..."
me: " can I get my drugs first then"
on call doc:"you don't want to wait?"
me: "how long do I have to wait?"
on call doc: "well the anesthesiologist has 4 csections scheduled from 7 am so probably not until after 10am?"
me:" @_@.... I don't think I can wait that long.... can I get it as soon as I can?"
on call doc:"I'm gonna call your OB and check with her first and get back to you."
husband:"yeah you should get it" (by this time, i was groaning and crying and moaning and gasping for air and muttering over and over again save me, help me, make it stop, I can't do this.... but surprisingly, i didn't scream. just like a dying cat sound over and over again. husband was so terrified and scared for me...he didn't know what to do.)

At 530AM
pitocin is doing it's thing, I'm getting regular VERRRRYYYYYY painful contractions, i'm crying and saying please save me.
a nurse comes in and says "I'm gonna give you something called stadol through your IV you'll feel good and sleepy. Rest up and hopefully you'll be dilated!"
oh man and it hit me so hard- I was tripping, twirling, woohoo! I was saying some nonsense... hubby says I was sleep talking and it was like I was Alice in Wonderland.

At 7AM
My OB comes in, does an internal, says: " So the baby wants to come out today?"
me: " I guess"
internal exam
OB: "completely thinned out, 5cm dilated"
what. it felt like i was like 8. oh no. does it have to hurt MORE?
OB:" HM. it's weird. baby's head is bearing down the right direction, but the rest of him is still breech"
me: "what is he DOING in there?"
OB:"OK let's wait and see.you want epidural?"
Me: "Oh yes please"

At 8AM
Anesthesiologist comes and gives me epidural, I feel numb for about 2 hours, then all of sudden, i feel EVERYTHING, i mean EVERYTHING. I start crying and whispering softly to hubby i can't do this anymore..... hubby calls nurse we try increasing amount, frequency, NOTHING WORKS, and

10AM
Anesthesiologist comes again, and takes out old catheter, does a NEW ONE, and
I try to get numb, but I can't, I'm thinking maybe it's supposed to be like this, but it's unbearable, hubby is all :"I thought you were supposed to be numb?"
me: barely audible whisper:" save me. please"

no one comes to my rescue.... everyone is busy it seems. i mean they did have 4 csections and it was saturday and they only had one on call anesthesiologist...

Time goes by.
no one comes helps me
i'm screaming now
hubby is in tears
i'm in tears
i want derrick out
time ticking by......
I'm losing it,
I don't know who's around me.

10 PM
I"m half dead- nurse says," ok we're gonna check you agian ok?"
me: "diuew#$%" (something incoherent)
nurse: "Still only 5 cm"
me: WHAT.
hubby: WHAT
nurse: "you want stadol again?"
me: "yes please"

1215AM (March 17th Sunday)
OB: "Ok your water broke for more than 24 hours and you are not progressing anymore. baby is tired, you are tired, there is a risk of infection for both of you. do you want to still try to give birth vaginally?
me: in tears "I don't know what do you think? (to both husband and doctor)
hubby: "babe it's up to you but I don't want to see you in pain anymore"
me:" I don't know if I can do this any longer"
OB: "well at this rate we're looking at more than 10 hours of labor, which in that case, there's a definite risk of infection, so I say let's go for a c-section"
me: "......"
hubby: "......"

OK LET'S DO IT

1220AM
In the OR.
Epidural didn't take so we are going for spinal tap.
the spinal tap anesthesiologist is a different one. maybe they rotated out?
getting major contractions.
it's hurts. they say bend your back. i'm naked i'm freezing in the OR, i can't freaking bend my back cuz of my baby damnit. I try my best, the guy can't find the right spot in my spine, they poke me 5 times in the back, finally got me numb.
husband comes in, he's shaking, i'm laying down on the operating table, all naked, i'm like Jesus on the cross, spread out.
OB: "can you move your toes?"
i can
OB: "can you feel this?"
yes
OB: "how about this?"
um....
OB:"how about this?"
hm....
then i feel tugging pushing pressure more pressure more pressure more pressure
at 12:54 AM march 17th, husband and i hear Derrick's first scream!
OB: it's a boy!
hubby: emotional- OHBABE he's OUT
WAAAAAHHHHHHHH
me: delirious- is he out? does he have all toes and fingers?
hubby: oh wow babe he's not small he's big!
me: oh i'm so cold,
hubby: oh he's so perfect
me: (something incoherent)
nurses bring the baby close to me to kiss him and say hi to him.
hubby: good job babe good job
me: i'm so cold i'm so cold my shoulders hurt
OB: it's called referred pain- since you don't feel pain where you should, your brain is sending signals to compensate for the pain...
me: i'm cold i'm hurting in the shoulders.....

about 40 minutes later.. hubby is pushed out of the OR, i'm rolled into recovery room
about 2 hours later, i'm semi awake, hubby comes in and says babe are you ok?
GROAAAAAANNNNNN i'm in SO MUCH PAIN...
worse than the contractions?
oh.... I don't know. maybe. maybe not.

finally at 4AM March 17th, I'm rolled into my own room...
nurses brought baby Derrick to me to nurse for the first time....
and oh my he was PERFECT.

Happy birthday Derrick!
St. Patty's Day Baby :]

So to sum it all up-
Scheduled c-section>water broke>tempted to deliver vaginally for 24+ hours>emergency csection>BABY DERRICK BORN AT 38WEEKS and 5DAYS

My Dad cried, my mom and in laws were smiling, I was half dying, husband was overwhelmed with emotions and we were all delighted by our little bundle of joy.

More about Derrick's journey as our family in the next post!

The C Section Decision

38 Weeks and 2 days.

Baby Derrick is still very oblique breech.
Doc said we need to do c-section. Doc knows best, we consented.
She said there is 0% chance for me to deliver vaginally :[
This saturday is the final check up, and then
on March 18th, 8 AM I am scheduled for a primary c-section.
Oh Baby Derrick, are you comfortable the way you are?

I started to bawl like crazy after leaving the doctor's office because

1. I was scared shitless; this would be my first major surgery besides broken bones and minor stitches...
2. I felt like something was going to go wrong
3. What did I do wrong?

According to the doctor, there is nothing wrong with my cervix, uterus, or my body, or my health. It's just the way the baby is positioned due to, his length, size, umbilical cord length... basically, it could be a number of other things.

Husband tried to console me by saying, we get to meet him sooner!
Yes, you are right. :]
Plus baby Derrick is still kicking away happily :]

Also on on brighter note- my parents are here!

AND! we took the newborn care class offered  by the hospital I will deliver at: we learned to bathe, burp, swaddle, take care of belly button and circumcision, and all the basic stuff we need to know to take care of the baby. It was very informative and fun!

I feel a mix of emotions; I'm excited to see him soon, I'm sad and disappointed that I don't get to experience vaginal birth. I'm exhausted from the physical fatigue.
My faith keeps me mentally strong, and my husband and family's support is what is getting me through this.

To Baby Derrick:
Mommy and Daddy, grandmas and grandpas Kim, and your aunt Grace are so excited to see and meet you! Mommy isn't mad at you, it's not your fault, and mommy and daddy want you to come out healthy and beautiful! That is all we ask. Mommy can't wait to hold you in her arms! See you in a week honey!

Until the next post, which will probably be after baby Derrick arrives, keep us in your prayers!

Pre-Labor Symptoms

37 Weeks and 4 days and counting....

I am getting

Contractions,
pelvic pressure
vaginal pressure
rectal pressure

every possible womanly discomfort imaginable. Pretty much PMS symptoms multiplied 10 times.
I also heard it's 10 times harder for the baby than it is for the mom.... so I can withstand this if my baby has to go through so much more pain.

BUT.
I'm still managing myself really well.
Husband and I went to Gap to buy some nursing tops. Bought 3 really comfy and cute nursing tops, and a nursing top dress :]
Went to SportsAuthority to buy a gym ball, since I heard sitting on it will relieve pelvic pressure.

We have a newborn care class to attend this saturday at the hospital I will be delivering at, and also our OB appointment on monday, and also my parents are flying in on monday!

Baby Derrick is still oblique, since I can feel his ever-growing head BEARING down on my pelvic bone T_T

Here are some overdue belly pics!
I finally feel AND look pregnant!

More to update, and until the next post, keep us in your prayers!

And the Countdown Begins!

Today we are 36 weeks and 4 days.
Exactly 3.5 weeks left until due date.
According to the D-day app on my phone we are 23 days away. Eek!

One really good news, and one semi-good news.

The really good news is
We have FINALLY gained 3 pounds! Woot woot!
So here is what happened with my weight.
At 7 weeks pregnant, when my pregnancy was confirmed, I was 138 pounds.
Then from Week 11-Week 25, due to SEVERE morning sickness, I went down to 123 pounds.
Then from Week 25-33, I gained up to 144 pounds.
Then From Week 33-35, I was 144 pounds.
Then From Week35-36, I am currently 147!
So by numbers, 138>123>144>144>147
Total weight gained so far from beginning of pregnancy: 9 pounds.
By some research, normal weight gain with normal BMI is 25-35 pounds. I am way below that, but I'm just thankful I did end up gaining weight overall. It just means Baby D is getting bigger and chubbier :]

The semi-good news is
Baby D has SLIGHTLY turned more towards the cervix, so he's still oblique breech, but not as much.
Come on D! You can find the opening! Go towards the light! The doc says there really isn't much I can do, but I did some research and the cat pose from yoga is apparently is good for turning babies the right way. Can't hurt to try- holding the pose 5-10 minutes 2-3 times a day will likely turn the baby in the right position.... been doing it for the past couple days, and maybe that's why he's SLIGHTLY heading the right direction?
Anyway, the doc said we will do an ultrasound around mid week 38, and see where the baby's head is, and IF after she does an internal exam and she can feel baby D's head, then she's gonna OK the vaginal birth. HOWEVER, if she can't, and if the ultrasound still shows he's oblique, we will schedule an elective c-section at week 39.

Whatever happens, God will make a way for us, and it will be the best way for both Derrick and me.

Parents are flying in 3/11, which is also when my next OB appointment is, and the day after is Husband's and My 2 year wedding anniversary :]

I'm still very content with my pregnancy- I'm not at that "I'm done being pregnant" stage.
I do feel much achier and heavier, but I can still move around without waddling, and I'm still pretty nimble. My belly is a lot bigger, but no stretch marks, my innie is still an innie, and I feel great.

Husband and I can't wait to meet baby Derrick, and each day is a countdown to meeting our precious little miracle from God.

Until the next post, keep us in your prayers!