Five-Six Weeks

Let's sing it everyone--"Ohh you make me live. Whatever this world can give to me. It's you, you're all I see. Oooh you make live now honey... You're my best friend..."

Hands up little girl! I'm taking your money!! AGAIN!

She's very well-nourished. Please note the double chin in the picture :).

Violet's first trip to Tampa was this past weekend. Here she is with Yay, wearing her adorable Violet colored polo dress.

Mommy with her little bundle of joy at home in Tampa.

Violet got to meet Pa'First this weekend! Aunties Ana, Sara, Amanda, Shannon, Carmelina, Jenny, Uncles Jason, Zam, Loong Den, friends Giovanni, Anna, and Fiona were all on hand this weekend to meet and greet Violet in Tampa.

Loong Den finally decided that he can "hold" Violet with the use of the Baby Bjorn. Loong Den figured that he couldn't drop her if she was strapped on to him.

Violet was very hungry today and thought that Yay's arm would supply her with the milk that she needed. Ha ha. I'm a bad mom for wanting to take pictures of Violet eating her grandmother's arm rather than trying to whisk her up to feed her.

Another milestone

We have hit a milestone this week! On Sunday my cousin, P'Mam, was holding Violet. As I walked by them, I stopped to say hello. My baby looked me right in the eye and gave me the biggest smile any baby her size could. It's starting-- the process of socialization :).

1 Month Check-Up

We had Violet's 1 month check-up last week. She now weighs 11 lbs 2 oz and is 22 1/2 in long! Holy Moly! My girl is growing up fast. She's pretty much outgrown all of her newborn clothes already. She's able to pick up her neck and look around. Her movements are also slightly less jerky and she has more alert moments throughout the day.

One big milestone has happened--Joe picked up her up the other day and she laughed.

My heart melted. I'm in love.

Three- Four Weeks

Look, my first tooth! Oh wait, it's just my feeding blister. Don't worry--it doesn't hurt me!
The biggest teeny tiny feet in the land.
Swaddled and ready to bounce.
Violet is all dolled up. She went to the Thai Temple for the first time to celebrate Thai New Year.
Sleeping peacefully in her car seat. In the picture below, she likes to sleep crooked in the "Thinking Man's Pose."

Sho 'nough.

According to some of the baby books that I have been reading, fussiness occurs around 2-3 weeks of age and reappears at 6 weeks. Violet has hit the 3 week period and boy oh boy-- has she been fussssy! Apparently babies hit growth spurts around those times and they need to eat... around the clock.

And, we've hit a milestone!! Her belly button finally fell off last night! Woo hoo! She's growing up so fast. I still haven't adjusted to seeing her adorable (if I do say so myself) belly button without the umbilical cord nub though. Oh yes? Where is her fallen nub you ask? I put it on Joe's nightstand. :)

Motherhood

It's been a whirlwind these past few weeks. I can't begin to describe the crazy emotions that I have been feeling since having my little Baby V. She's precious!! You think you can anticipate how you'll feel about your baby while pregnant but you can't. Well, I couldn't. I see her and I feel these surge of overwhelming emotions-- pride, happiness, and protectiveness. It's amazing how strong my maternal instincts have gotten.

She's growing big and strong. We had our 2nd pediatrician appointment this past Tuesday and she's healthily gaining weight (9 lbs 10 ounces) and growing in length (22 1/4 in)!! She's even starting to get some chub to her (she's sporting a double chin with some *slight* thigh rolls).

As you can tell from the pictures, she's quite the expressive baby. She smiles, does the "Elvis lip" curl with her upper lip, and makes the cutest noises known to man. Even her little grunts and farts are adorable!

The puppies are doing good too. Skooter took to her immediately. He ran up to her and licked her face as soon as they were introduced. Benson, on the other hand, has made his introduction slow and steady. The most interaction I've gotten with Benson and Violet is some sniffing. However, Benson will lie down next to me when I'm feeding Violet which I think is cute.

Two Weeks

Hands up!! I'm taking all of your money little girl!!

2nd meeting with Cousins Finn and Maddie. Violet was a little bit hungry when it came to picture time. She wasn't having any of it.

Violet has many poses. I like to call this one, "Surprised Violet."


Violet practicing to become the next Heisman trophy statuette.


I'm gonna eat you! Nom, nom, nom! (One of my favorite pictures of her yet.)


Close up!

One Week

Striking a pose while sleeping in the car seat. Who knew that she would love the seat so much?
Asleep in Mommy's arms.
Violet with her "arranged" future husband, Giovanni. This was their first meeting. I hope that future meetings will go better.
Apparently I can't rotate pictures... This is Violet with her Yay (Yay in Thai means maternal grandmother). We were trying out a theory that babies like to be swaddled and then flipped to their side. Do you think she likes it?
Violet's first meeting with her cousin Finn. They have matching scrubs thanks to Mimi!!
Ooooh! Getting sleepy.
She likes to smile right before dozing off.
We got a Cookie Bouquet from Joe's work :). It was not only cute to look at but fun to eat.

The wait is over.

My water broke around 2 am Friday night (technically Saturday morning). We were at the hospital by 3am. The great staff at Winnie Palmer helped me deliver the most gorgeous baby in the whole world :). After 3 hours of pushing, she was finally born at 5:56pm on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 8 lbs 10 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long.

Joe and I are back at home now with Baby Violet. Things here are just amazing. It will be a couple of days before I post anything new up again. We all need the rest! I will have more stories to share with you soon. We are very fortunate.

She's perfect.

My Boys

My puppies must know that I am pregnant right? I mean, why else would Momma's belly swell up to watermelon proportions? Why else would Momma's stomach kick them in the face during cuddle time?

Dogs are supposed to be very in tune with Mother Nature. I hope they know what's coming their way.

Stagnant

Come hell or high water, I will have my baby by the end of the next week.

I went to the doctor today. Same ole, same ole. I was still just 1 cm dilated and I have a good amount of amniotic fluid-- nothing worrisome to warrant an induction for tomorrow. The baby is safe and happy in the womb. She's just not ready to leave me yet.

The sonographer made a prediction. Based on the measurements, she thinks that the baby will weigh around 8 lbs, 12 ounces... Will my baby look like a cross between a sumo wrestler and the Michellin Man? I will love her regardless, fat rolls or not.

Anyways, back to the delivery, if I don't have her on my own within the next week, I'll probably be admitted to the hospital Thursday evening to get induced. I have another doctor's appointment on Monday. Hopefully time won't stand still this weekend. Stay tuned.

A Day in the Life of Skooter

It looks nice, huh?

Week 40

I can't believe that I'm in Week 40 already! I am excited (and very thankful) that I have carried her to full-term and haven't had any complications but seriously-- I'm still pregnant.

So what are the joys and woes of the last week of pregnancy you ask? Well, I got several more stretch marks on my belly (I heard that stretch marks sneak up on you at the very last second-- I was hoping that it was just a myth) AND I have swelled up to the size of a, a.... a very large person. This picture is very deceiving--my feet, ankles, fingers, face, you name it--it's swollen.

Oh yes, and a FYI- it's not a compliment when you walk up to a pregnant woman and exclaim, "Whoa! You must be having twins!" I have had this reaction more than once in the past few weeks and have gotten to the point that I want to sucker punch the next complete stranger that says so.

Am I feeling hormonal right now? Possibly :).

During my last doctor's office, nothing had changed. I was still just 1 cm dilated (but according to my doctor, a "good" 1cm now). I have another appointment on Thursday where I will have a sonogram to check my amniotic fluid levels and judge the overall health of the baby. If they find that the amniotic fluid levels are too low OR if I've dilated to 3cm, we'll be having a baby on Friday. If none of these things happen, then the doctor wants to schedule me for a stress-test for the baby the following Monday. Regardless, she'll be here soon. I *must* be patient.

Week 39.5

I decided to take a picture because I felt that she dropped some more yesterday.

My teacher always told me...

never start a sentence with "it" unless the subject is clear. Yesterday, my fortune cookie stated, "It is definite." Maybe the "it" the cookie was talking about was child birth. The "control" could possibly be referring to the fact that Violet's movements have been stronger and stronger and that I should just roll with the punches... ha ha, no pun intended.

But still-- me the hopeful optimist-- was hoping that labor would come. Last night came and went. No baby yet.

Ominous, perhaps?

My mother and I went to get Dim Sum at a local Chinese place by the house. My fortune cookie predicted this, "Today, give control over to another person. It is definite."

I must say when I read this, I got goosebumps. Maybe today's the day?

Violet's Rocking Chair

This has to be one of my favorite pieces of furniture that Violet owns. This rocking chair was a gift from my mother-in-law. We LOOOVE this chair, despite the fact that Violet won't be able to use it for awhile.

Week 39

Yeeeees, I am still pregnant. I haven't felt so much as a stomach cramp. This waiting game thing sucks. Though, I have been talking a lot to Carm who has shared with me newborn stories (sleepless nights, communication barriers, etc.) that makes me wonder if Violet is better off in the womb. ha ha.

Benson's anticipation!

Benson found the perfect place to perch (or not to perch) his chest!

I call this picture, "Comfy Beast."

Setting up for Violet.

This is our living room! Joe set up the Graco Sweetpeace today. You can also see our glider and ottoman.

Some new things we've learned...

We went to the doctor's office yesterday for my weekly visit. I was really hoping that our doctor would tell me that I was 6 cm dilated and that I've been having crazy contractions but just not feeling them because I have a strong pain tolerance... Alas, my doctor told me that I was still 1 cm dilated, there have been no real contractions, and that it looks like Violet will be making her due date.

We did learn, however, that if things progress and I dilate to 3 cm by Wednesday or Thursday (March 12-13ish), he would induce me on Friday, March 14th! *KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED* That means Joe and I could have our baby girl in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!

Sooo, one of three things can happen:

1. Violet comes on her own in these next two weeks.
2. I dilate to 3 cm before March 12-13th, and get induced on the 14th.
3. I don't dilate enough by mid-March, wait another week, and then get induced (assuming that she doesn't come on her own by that point).

What will happen? Only time will tell...

Week 38

We took the Winnie Palmer Hospital tour last night. I would look forward to my stay there if I didn't have to go through the whole "mind-numbing pain" part. The rooms look like hotel rooms and the staff sounds very with-it. They are the #1 birthing hospital in Florida, #2 in the nation. SOO-- if anything goes wrong with labor and delivery, rest-assured, they've had lots of experience and tons of specialists!

I think that I may be coming down with a cold too. My nose has been running non-stop since Sunday and I have a teeny tiny sore throat. Fun times!!

As we were touring the Labor and Delivery Ward, I kept my hand on my stomach and told Violet, "Momma's ready sweetheart..."

Violet's Stroller and Diaper Bag

So what's the big deal? It's just a diaper bag...

Who knew that it would take me 8 loooong months to find the perfect diaper bag. As soon as I found out that we were expecting, I went crazy and researched for hours online trying to find the perfect diaper bag. After 8 long months of searching, I finally found it... on eBay of all places. So I found an eBay seller whose store is called Watermelon Wishes. This lady makes kick ass bags (mostly diaper bags) and will customize them to your unique specifications in a jiff! Not only was she nice and patient with my incessant requests, but she shipped the bag out fast too!

So now I have the crib, stroller, and diaper bag (oh yea, and Rock Band)... Still waiting on the baby.

Weekly Doctor Visits

My last appointment was on Thursday. I am happy to say that my pregnancy is progressing very well! I am already 1 cm dilated and the baby's head is still positioned downward. Hooray! I asked my doctor if there was any sign that indicated that Violet would arrive sooner. Statistically speaking, he said, most first time moms have their babies around their due dates. All well. I was hoping she might come a little earlier... I miss sleeping on my back and tummy. I miss having a non-swollen body as well.

Week 37

So she's finally starting to descend! Violet is dropping lower in my pelvis which means she's getting ready to enter the world :). I don't know if you can see the difference but my belly seems more effected by gravity. My stomach is drooping down more so than it had been my entire pregnancy.

Yesterday, at Kmart, the cashier asked me if I was having a boy. There is an old wives tale that believes if you're pregnant with a boy, you carry him in the lower part of your abdomen, while a girl is carried higher up. I simply smiled and told her, "No, I'm having a girl! She's actually just starting to drop!!" The cashier smiled at me and gave that all-knowing look that said, you're in for it lady. The baby is coming soon.

Lamaze Class Part 2

So Joe and I have officially graduated from Lamaze class. I highly recommend the class for people who have any sort of apprehensions about going to the hospital to deliver the baby. The class is very informative and tells you basically everything that you might need to know when your "moment" has come. They tell you what to expect, what they'll have you do, and how to cope with the pain. Overall, a positive experience.

With that said, this is pregnancy week 37. AHHH! Similar to the first trimester, these last few weeks seem to drag on and on and on. "Any day now," is what my Lamaze instructor told us. It could be today, tomorrow, next week, or next month. AHHH! The anticipation is overwhelming.

Lamaze Class Part 1

Out of the 7 couples in our Lamaze Class, 6 are expecting a little girl. The 7th couple want to keep it a surprise (girls everywhere!). Two couples want to have a "natural birth" (read: no epidurals or meds to help alleviate pain) and the youngest couple just adopted a puppy Weimaraner (what are they thinking?).

Joe and I went into our weekend long Lamaze class with low expectations-- so low that we had made a pact that we would "haul ass" if it turned out to be mind-numbing. Turns out, it depends on who is teaching your Lamaze class and her ability to crack jokes. Our Lamaze nurse said that every time you celebrate your child's birthday, all the good AND bad things that your husband/coach did on the day of delivery will repeat itself in story-telling form. For example, if the coach does something good, Mom will retell the stories and Coach gets "bonus points with interest." However on the flip side-- while in the midst of the strongest contractions, women like to blame men for "what he did" to her. Our Lamaze nurse suggested to the husbands that labor and delivery was not the time to remind her that it takes two to make a child.

More babies!

Carmelina and my cousin, Mildy, both had baby boys yesterday!! Congrats!!

Week 36

4 more weeks left. Holy Sh*#.

Baby Finn

Babies are coming out! April (my sister-in-law) had her baby on Sunday. He's so cute! Here is a picture of Baby Finn, his big brother Will, and Uncle Joe in the hospital room on the day that he was born. He's so precious!

Skooter Action Pictures!

Skooter LOVES this red tennis ball. He'll roll it, chase it, put it in his mouth, and then roll it around some more.

Violet's Crib

This is for you, Shayna.

About a month ago, I was on the phone with Shayna. Apparently, she was unaware that some women's belly buttons "pop out" when they are pregnant. Quite disgusted, I promised her that if it happened to me, I would post a picture of me for her on the blog. Well, as you can see, my belly button didn't pop out but it definitely stretched out a lot. Up to this point, I only was taking profile pictures. Last night, I had Joe take a picture of me from the front. I look ENORMOUS. Well, I feel enormous. So here I am at 35 weeks!

Weigh In

Finally, a normal weight gain.

Each time I go to the doctor for a check-up, they have to take my weight. I have been growing consistently bigger with each visit... but apparently at an eye-opening rate! The last visit, my doctor put me on a "no-salt" diet. I interpreted "no-salt" to mean-- don't add any extra salt and eat low sodium stuff. Soooo for the past two weeks (last weekend excluded, we went to Boca and I indulged in chicken mcnuggets and fries) I have been sticking to that regime. My swollen fingers and feet have gone down in size and I find that my back doesn't ache as much as it had been. Hooray!

I went to the doctor yesterday for a check-up and a sonogram. Of course, I had to weigh in and found that I had only gained 2 lbs in 2 weeks! Awesome!! Finally my weight gain is "normal." My total weight, however, is not. Now I weigh a whopping 180lbs and if I can keep my weight gain normal, I should be 185lb by the time Violet is born.

5 more weeks to go!

Settling

Sooo-- life has been hectic. We've been busy buying stuff in preparation for Violet (crib, stroller, rocker, etc.) and setting up the house. I finally met my doctor and am feeling more and more like a Florida resident with every passing day (though, with that said, I can still picture my San Diego house and feel as if our belongings are still there). We signed up for a Lamaze/ Child preparation class. We discovered the local dog park (only a 10 minute drive! woo hoo!) and, of course, I have discovered the local mall ;).

We only have 6 more weeks of this pregnancy thing left. I must admit, women aren't lying when they say that the last trimester, specifically, the last month of pregnancy is incredibly uncomfortable. Last week I found it hard to breath because Violet found a "comfy" spot for her feet in my lungs. This week, the extra weight has taken a toll on my energy level and all I want to do is nap. Yey! For! Pregnancy!