Chestnut Week 22

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a spaghetti squash - ~ 10.91 inches and 15.17 ounces.
• The fetus reacts to loud sounds.
• Baby starts having a regular sleeping and waking rhythm.
• The mother's movements can wake her baby.
• Taste buds are forming on your baby's tongue.
• The weekly weight gain has increased to around 70 grams.

Physical:

• Weight: 131 lb (+18) - Whoa, Nelly!  I am pretty sure that's incorrect!
• Belly circumference: 36.5 in (+8.00)
• Similar to my pregnancy with Camille, I have recently noticed that my voice sounds more high-pitched and whistly.  Must be something to do with my diaphragm being impinged on by a growing fetus!
• On Tuesday while I was at school, I went to "drop off the kids at the pool" and I vagaled.  I had enough sense to use my last bits of energy to finish off my business quickly and leave the bathroom so that I didn't have to faint there.  I made it out into the hall and dropped.  Softly, not a hard fall.  I didn't lose consciousness but I was very tired.  I texted my classmate Wenjia but didn't get a response.  Turns out she was on her way out to the bathroom to look for me.  So sweet!  Anyhow, a couple of classmates subsequently showed up...one of whom was a seasoned labor & delivery nurse.  She basically made me to go L&D triage at the hospital, which was in the same building as my class.  I really, really didn't want to go.  I wanted to go to my next lecture, which was on pediatric anemia.  I ended up going to triage and wasted about 3 hours of my life there while they poked and prodded me.  Anyway, I'm fine.  I just need to eat more fiber so I don't risk vagaling next time! :)
• On Wednesday, I was holding Camille while sitting down (reading a book).  I stood up while holding her and I had a Charley horse that hyper plantarflexed my left foot.  I lost my balance and fell on my butt.  Neither of us were hurt.  I ended up having a [non-painful] contraction for the next 5 minutes straight.  That was not cool.  I guess in addition to fiber, I should drink a lot more water, too.

Spiritual & emotional:

• Last week of Winter quarter!  I have been so grateful for my courses and clinical rotation.  I'm a little sad for this quarter to end, to be honest.  But it needed to end.  It was killing me.
• I've just been really enjoying Camille.  Watching her grow (not really physically...but emotionally and intellectually) and seeing how affectionate she can be.
• Have you ever heard anyone say, "You know, it really gets so much better when you have two kids"?  Yeah, I haven't either.  That's scary.

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 21

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the length of a carrot - ~ 10.51 inches and 12.70 ounces.
• He is now gaining weight steadily, with fat being added to the body.
• Bone marrow has started making blood cells.
• His small intestine is starting to absorb sugars (like the stuff from the maple bar Mommy just ate a few days ago *om nom nom nom*).

Physical:

• Weight: 128 lb (+15)
• Belly circumference: 36.25 in (+7.75) - I guess I haven't grown much this week.
• Had a checkup with my midwife this week (I only tend to go every 6 weeks or so since I don't really think I need to).  Everything is going dandy.  Chestnut kicked at the fetal doppler.  Camille heard baby brother's heart beat and kissed my tummy.  I love my kids!
• I've been having a cold this week.  At least that's what I think it is.  Could be allergies.  Lots of sneezing, sniffles, stuffy nose.  Not fun.
• My nose has been bleeding more frequently these days.  Nasal mucosa more friable in this dry weather + hyperemia in nasal/sinus cavities.  Not a big deal, though.
• As I had mentioned before, my pelvis has been really wobbly due to the super-duper early release of relaxin (the hormone is typically released a few weeks prior to childbirth to help stretch ligaments for easier passage of baby).  I've been going to a PT for this problem and I feel like it has helped...a little.  My PT recommended a hip belt that I feel like has helped a lot.  It's called the Serola Sacro-iliac belt.  I would recommend it to anyone who needs good hip support!
• I was looking for stretch marks today (because my tummy has started to itch - a normal finding in this stage of pregnancy) and haven't found any new ones from my pregnancy with Camille.  So, that's a good thing. :)

This says everything that I'm *not* feeling.  Thanks anyway. (This is not a picture of me.)

Spiritual & emotional:

• The topic of childcare has been on our mind a lot this week.  We've been thinking and talking about it frequently.  A little frustrating that there is currently no concrete plan for childcare once Chestnut arrives.
• Chestnut is getting more and more active.  I'm really loving the wiggliness.  I feel that compared to my pregnancy with Camille, I am feeling more bonded with Chestnut.  Maybe because this time around in pregnancy, I already know what it is like to embrace a child of my own.  I've been talking to Chestnut more.  I am loving this little boy.
  

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Camille eating "dessert"

Taken on February 20, 2012

Chestnut Week 20

Whoaaa, we're halfway there.
WhooOAH! Livin' on a prayer!

We can't quite tell you yet, but we have been trying out a name for baby Chestnut.  I can explain more if this name becomes official.  But we've been thinking about it for a long time.  The name hasn't quite "stuck" yet...but neither did Camille's name until she was born.  And now we can't imagine her name being anything else!

As an aside, though, my friend Emily sent me a link to this Onion article that I found hilarious: Smug New Mom Going To Start A Blog.  So true!

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a banana - ~10 inches (CHL) and 11 ounces. (Note: Babies are measured from the crown (or top) of the head to the rump (or bottom) until about 20 weeks. After that, they are measured from crown to heel. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against the torso during the first half of pregnancy and very hard to measure.)
• Baby can hear and recognize the mother's voice.
• The toenails and fingernails are growing. 
• He has teeth buds sprouting beneath his gum line.
• The growth of hair on the rest of the body has started, including eyelashes and eyebrows.
• The skin is getting thicker.
• Testes are descending, though they have not yet passed the abdominal wall.
• The heart can now be heard with a stethoscope.  (Hmm...I'm pretty sure that's not true because I cannot hear Chestnut's heartbeat with my stethoscope.  But my friend/classmate Wenjia was generous enough to lend me her fetal doppler and it has been fun to eavesdrop on the little boy sometimes!)

Physical:

• Weight: 127 lb (+13)
• Belly circumference: 36.25 in (+7.75)
• I've gotten quite a few comments this week that my "belly has finally popped out!"  Where have these people been, pray tell?  My belly has been popping out since I was pregnant with Penelope and it has not ceased to pop out. 
• I have a theory that since Chestnut is a boy, the integrity of my skin is different due to boy hormones.  I have no basis for this theory.  My belly is more pointy (tighter) and my face does not look nearly as pudgy as I did with Penelope or Camille.
• Chestnut moves around quite a bit nowadays and I am loving it.  I'm not sure if I'm just imagining things, but I think he's a little less active than his sister. *phew*
• I have become very lordotic almost overnight!

Spiritual & emotional:

• Chin keeps saying that I have major "pregnancy brain" with Chestnut whereas I didn't have any with Camille.  I have to admit...I do have pregnancy brain.  I will open a carton of milk, pour some for Camille, and leave it out for half an hour before realizing that it's still open and unrefrigerated.  I blank out on words.  And I can never seem to find my phone!
• I had one day this week that was surprisingly tough (feeling not so clinically competent, frustrated by academic shortcomings, miscommunication with Camille's daycare person, friends flaking out on me) followed by one very strenuous day of academia.  But you know what?  I am still here and I still love my life.  So, I win.
• Some days, it just makes me smile to think that Chestnut is swimming around in amniotic fluid and drinking his own urine.

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 19

Another eventful week:

• New car!  We bought a new Prius and we are loving it.  It is blue.
• I was carrying Chin's wallet one day (because he had cash) at a supermarket in Seattle and it was picked out of my pocket.  That is the short story.
• We went up to Snoqualmie Lodge for the Boeing Employees Ski Night on Monday for the 2nd year in a row with Camille.  Camille loves the snow.  Maybe she can start skiing with BaBa next year!
  
  

  

  Camille @ Snoqualmie Ski Lodge

  
  
• Camille's 1/2 birthday fell on Valentine's Day (in fact, it is always on Valentine's Day).  Chestnut is also 1/2 way done "baking" this week. :)
• We spent Valentine's Day dinner with our fantastic friends Marcia & Ryan.  We had a lovely cheese fondue and Mexican dinner.  On Thursday, Chin & I conned some people into watching Camille (thank you so much, Brasteds!) while we went out to try Facing East for the first time.  It was a restaurant we'd always wanted to try...without kid in tow.  We had a very pleasant time.

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of an heirloom tomato - ~6.5 inches and 9 ounces.
• Placenta continues to grow and nourish the baby.
• Features of baby's heart should be visible during an ultrasound.
• Baby's genitals are distinct and recognizable. (Penis.)
• Scalp hair has sprouted and continues to grow.
• Baby's legs are reaching their relative size and with the increase muscle development occurring as well.
• Baby will increase his weight by more than 15 times between now and delivery!

Physical:

• Weight: 125 lb (+11)
• Belly circumference: 35.75 in (+7.25)
• My. Boobs. Are. Sore!
• My taste buds have changed a bit.  Not just things tasting weird, but I think I have developed a heightened sensitivity to salty foods.  The other week, my father-in-law made hot & sour soup for us and I could barely eat it because it tasted so salty.  Others thought it was a little saltier than usual but not too bad.  And for our belated Valentine's Day dinner, I also thought the food was very salty while Chin felt it was perfect.  I guess it's not a bad thing to cut down on the sodium, eh?!
• Urinary incontinence is not my friend.  It is my enemy.  I have peed my pants several times this week (yes, not just the underwear...the pants!) despite painstaking efforts to do kegels, working with PT on various exercises to strengthen my hips and pelvic floor muscles, and doing biofeedback.  I hate you, urinary incontinence! *shakes fist*
• Some people have asked at some point during this pregnancy, "Does it feel any different than when you were pregnant with Camille?"  The answer is (and, urgh, I hate this type of answer): "Yes and no."  With Penelope, I had a lot of nausea with no vomiting, and the icky feeling of slowed gut motility stopped around 10 or 11 weeks.  With Camille, the awful pregnancy symptoms of nausea and vomiting were fast and furious - I was really sick with a lot of vomiting, but it all ended around week 11.  With Chestnut, I vomited less...but I experienced this dull, insidious range of sickness that lasted for nearly 18 weeks.  So, the symptoms (the slowed gut motility, the gross feeling of nausea and the vomiting that sometimes followed) were the same, but the intensity and duration were very different.

Spiritual & emotional:

• I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed this week.  Lots happening.  As evidenced by this late blog post, I am behind on a lot of things.  Laundry, school work, cleaning up around the house.  I know people will say, "Cut yourself some slack, girl!  You're pregnant and taking care of a kid..."  Blah blah blah.  But, seriously, I have it easy.  I have one kid and am pregnant with a healthy singleton.  And I have a very supportive, loving husband who picks up my slack.  I am very thankful.
• (Gosh, I'm finding that in the process of blogging about pregnancy, the "spiritual & emotional" section is the most difficult for me to write.  It's hard for me to slow down and self reflect, I guess.)

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 18

That belly keeps on a-growin'!

Busy week, friends!

This past Saturday, we drove down to Oregon to visit my newest nephew, Jimmy.  On our way to the hospital, we got into a car crash.  Thankfully we are all safe - Chin, Camille, Chestnut, and myself.  Our trusty 10-year-old Corolla did not fare so well, though. :(

Ouch

Our insurance company got back to us and the settlement for the car was quite a bit - much more than we had anticipated!  Praise God!  So, in being responsible for protecting God's green earth, we decided to reinvest this sum of money in a Toyota Prius.  More pictures to come (we don't have the car yet, picking it up tomorrow)...

We found out this afternoon that we are having a healthy baby boy!  Here is a profile shot:

Handsome like his BaBa!

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a bell pepper - ~5.59 inches and 6.70 ounces.
• He can hear sounds and may be startled by loud noises.
• Recognizable active and rest periods.
• Tiny air sacs called alveoli begin to form in lungs and the vocal chords are formed. Baby goes through the motions of crying but without air doesn't make a sound...yet. 
• The skin is building a protective wax layer (vernix).

Physical:

• Weight: 124 lb (+10)
• Belly circumference: 35.50 in (+7.00)
• No vomiting this week.  Very little nausea, too!  I've been eating more frequently and I feel good.
• Good mother of freckles!!  I looked into the mirror the other day and discovered that I have so many dark freckles on my cheeks now.  I guess that is just part of the chloasma/melasma - the so-called "mask of pregnancy."  The linea nigra is also noticeably darker, too. 
• We (Chin, Camille, and I) were all feeling achy this week.  There was some delayed reaction to the impact of the crash, but after 24-72 hours, we were all feeling the effects of being tossed around.  Chin has been going to his regular chiropractor where he is already being seen for lower back problems.  I've continued going to my PT where I'd recently established care for my wobbly pelvis.  Camille has been more irritable in the evening, before bedtime.  We just read to her and play with her - those things seem to help.
• My pelvis has become very wobbly.  On top of the aches & pain from the car crash, the wobbly hips don't really help.  I tried to scoot across the floor on my knees to get something on the TV stand the other day and I found that, "Uh oh, I can't do this motion anymore.  It hurts!!"  I woke up one morning this week and felt like I couldn't move: my head was throbbing, my neck was stiff, my shoulders and upper back were tense, my lower back was achy (compensating for the wobbly pelvis), and I felt like someone had just kicked me in the crotch.  Oy!  But I do feel that the exercises given by my PT will help strengthen and stabilize my pelvis.  Not working yet, but I am really hoping that my hips will be stable soon!
• I have a slight outie.
  

Spiritual & emotional:

• I had to miss most of my classes this week because of neck/shoulder/back pain.  So frustrating!
• Chin is a wonderful husband.  I have been appreciating him a lot this week.  He does so much for this family out of genuine love and care.  Also, he is funny and makes me laugh all the time.  And he gives me massages without demanding sex in return (only the occasional, innocuous hints).
• I am feeling more kicks...which makes me love this little boy so much!

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 17

Chin felt Chestnut kick this week!  This is another very kicky kid.  Ruh roh...

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut the size of a turnip - ~5.12 inches and 4.94 ounces
• The umbilical cord is growing thicker and stronger.
• Baby is about 5 inches (14cm) long crown to rump and would be about 9 inches (23cm) head to toe, if it could stretch out.
• The retina has become sensitive to light.
• The first stools (meconium) are now beginning to accumulate.

Physical:

• Weight: 122 lb (+8)
• Belly circumference: 34.75 in (+6.25)
• Boarded the vomit comet once (v9).  WHAT?  I thought I was done with this emesis business!  Guess baby is just trying to remind me to stay humble.  I am SO freakin' humble right now.
  
• Foods that suck: not many, really. :)
  
• Foods that are awesome: pomelo!  We got some pomelo from Uwajimaya the other day and I couldn't eat enough of it!  I know, Chin bought me produce from get-a-second-mortgage-to-shop-here Uwajimaya.  He must really love me!  (They were also on sale.)
• A strange and spectacular phenomenon this week: I have a large quantity of food in front of me...minutes later, it disappears.  I don't know what kind of wacky time lapse occurs, but I have been putting down food like I couldn't believe!  It's really fantastic.  And I feel great!
• I have had 2 visits with PT and I have really appreciated the work that they do.  The exercises will hopefully help me with pelvic pain during pregnancy and improve strength for labor.

Spiritual & emotional:

• I'm so relieved that I am finally feeling better!  Not much more to say, really.  I'm just very happy!
• We've scheduled a date for the mid-pregnancy ultrasound: next Friday, 2/10, at 3pm.  Waaay excited! :)

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 16

My belly is definitely growing a lot this week! *rub rub*

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of an apple - ~3.98 inches and 2.47 ounces. 
• He or she can move its arms and make a fist.
• Fingernails and toenails are present.
• Baby's skin is still very thin.
• Facial expressions are possible!

Physical:

• Weight: 120 lb (+6)
• Belly circumference: 34.00 in (+5.50)
• Gagged once after choking on some water but it was so minor.  Feeling even less nauseous this week and hungry all the time!
  
• Foods that suck: garlic, and...most grilled meats.  And again, less things are bothersome.
• Foods that are awesome: I've been craving tuna. *gasp*  Whatever, paranoid moms!  Imma eat tuna! 
• Sign that I'm feeling better: I don't gag anymore when the Olive Garden commercials come on.

Spiritual & emotional:

• The short getaway with Chin (in Seattle) was wonderful!  We had a lovely dinner at Etta's, walked around downtown, had second dinner in Chinatown, slept in (!), had lunch at Steamers, went to the Columbia City Bakery for a snack, drove around to look at houses and dream dreams, got massages at this kind of shady place in South Seattle...and throughout, we had really enriching conversations.  We both truly needed that.  We are so thankful to our friends:
• Sun - for getting us an amazing deal on the hotel!
• Wayman - who drove us to and from our hotel so we didn't have to park downtown
• Wyman and Armi - for letting us crash their date in Chinatown and even drove us back to our hotel late at night
• The Gray family - for being wonderful people who took Camille, kept her entertained, fed her, and simply loved her. 
  We are grateful for you and are so humbled by your examples of generosity!
• Getting back into the rhythm of things feels good, even though it means being a lot more busy because of having to catch up for my slackin'.

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 15

SNOW!!  We were somewhat snow-bound this week and it was a wonderful time of being together as a family.  Chin's sister, May, was also with us and she was a great help with Camille.  Without her, Camille would have gone insane after being trapped in the house with just us. :)  Thank you, Gu Je!

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of an apple - ~3.98 inches and 2.47 ounces. 
• He or she can move its arms and make a fist.
• Fingernails and toenails are present.
• Baby's skin is still very thin.

Physical:

• Weight: 119 lb (+5)
• Belly circumference: 33.25 in (+4.75)
• No vomiting this week and no gagging!
• Foods that suck: grilled meat still smells offensive, sadly.
• Foods that are awesome: more and more foods are becoming appetizing.  YAY!  I've been craving fish.
• I'm getting less nauseous.
• One morning, I woke up with some pelvic pain.  Seriously?!  I had pelvic pain starting at week 20/21 until the end of my pregnancy with Camille (with Penelope, I also had this pain at week 20 but it stopped soon after delivery at 22 weeks).  I didn't think things were going to start getting bad so soon :(  I made an appointment with a PT who specializes in pelvic pain and pregnancy...and she happens to be less than 1.5 miles from our place.  Hopefully this will help.

Spiritual & emotional:

• I am feeling good that I am not feeling as nauseous.
• Not as productive as I usually am this week since I didn't go to classes or clinical all week due to Snowmageddon 2012.  Which, to a normal person, means catch up time.  For me, it was time to veg and watch a whole ton of Downton Abbey.  I felt a little guilty, but not enough to change anything.
• The "surprise" getaway that Chin has planned for us is going to start tonight!  He has arranged for our pastor's family to take care of Camille overnight tonight and we won't be picking her up until tomorrow at dinner time.  Really looking forward to this time of unwinding together. :)

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 14

Oh blissful second trimester, it is here!  I'm still waiting for the "blissful" part, though.  Waiting...waiting...(you can see that my impatience is truly reflected in the photo above.)

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a lemon - ~3.42 inches and 1.52 ounces
• Bone is beginning to replace cartilage and the ribs are appearing.
• The eyes are slowly moving towards the center of the face.
• The cheekbones are visible. The first hair is appearing.
• The kidneys are producing urine.
• In girls, the ovaries are moving down towards the pelvis.
• In boys, the prostate gland is developing.

Physical:

• Weight: 118 lb (+4)
• Belly circumference: 32.75 in (+4.25)
• No vomiting this week!  But did gag a couple of times.
• Foods that suck: garlic, and...most foods.  Chin fried up a steak this week and the whole house smelled so gross!  It probably tasted really good, but I was so appalled by the smell.
• Foods that are awesome: ranch dressing still tastes really good, especially in a salad
• I think maybe I'm feeling less nauseous...but I don't want to jinx anything.
• I'm just as tired as any average pregnant woman who's caring for a toddler.  I can't complain.

Spiritual & emotional:

• Second week of school!  Tiring and stressful; but very rewarding so far.
• I'm not sure what is with pregnancy hormones, but I have been loving my time with Camille.  I feel like we really reconnected during my time off (winter break from school) and we've been enjoying our time together. :)
• Chin revealed that for the past few months, he has been planning this secret getaway for the two of us!  (He had to tell me a couple of weeks in advance so I wouldn't plan anything that weekend.)  I'm really excited!

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 13

Happy New Year!!  For NYE, our whole family went out and got haircuts.  This was Camille's 2nd haircut.  It took longer than the first because we didn't go to a kids' barber.  But it turned out pretty decent for $8. :)

I think I was mistaken before (with the MacNut journals) in saying that the second trimester started in week 13.  Well, it depends how you look at it, I think.  For instance, as of the time I am posting this blog, I have completed 13 weeks of pregnancy plus 6 days.  Argh, all this calculation of gestational dates is giving me a hernia...  But all that is to say that the second trimester really starts at week 14.

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a medium shrimp - ~2.91 inches and 0.81 ounces.
• The baby's unique fingerprints are already in place.
• Baby flexes & kicks; movements can be measured.
• The child will begin to learn to suck his/her thumb.
• The nose is more pronounced. The ears are fully developed.
• The external genitalia are almost defined, it may be possible to tell if baby is a boy or girl.

Physical:

• Weight: 117 lb (+3)
• Belly circumference: 32.25 in (+3.75)
• No vomiting this week!  But did gag a couple of times.
• Foods that suck: anything with a lot of garlic
• Foods that are awesome: buttered cut corn, mac 'n cheese, black beans, anything with a light broth.
• School started up again this week and, boy, I am tired!  I had to ask to sit down several times at my clinical rotation site (which is the King County Juvenile Detention Ctr this quarter) because I was starting to faint.
• I feel like I should be taking better care of my physical health.  I should be eating breakfast.  I should be eating more regularly.  I should be exercising.  But I haven't been doing that very faithfully.  I'm sorry, Chestnut!

Spiritual & emotional:

• This is going to be a busy quarter.  I am liking my clinical site and classes so far, though!  I was really hoping that I would be basking in the beauty of the second trimester by now.  So, I'm still a bit disappointed.  Trying to get over it.
• I get a sense from Chin that I have been complaining a lot about my pregnancy symptoms.  I have.  But they are not untrue!  I just want for him to sympathize with my frustration that I am feeling like pulling out my hair because of feeling gross!

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Camille: Hilarious

Some amusing moments around the Ng households lately...as told on Facebook:

By Bao on 12/1/2011:

The dreaded "toddler drew all over the wall with markers" happened today...at daycare. Sucks to be daycare. Awesome to be me!

By Chin on 12/6/2011:

Last night, Camille learned how to flush the toilet. She'd flush the toilet, laugh hysterically, and then clap her hands in celebration. "Yaaaay..."

This morning, Bao was puking into the toilet due to morning sickness. Camille walks up to Mom, watches her for a few seconds, pats her on the back, flushes the toilet, then claps her hands in celebration. "Yaaaay..!"

By Bao on 12/6/2011:

Camille had this sneaky smile on her face. I asked her, "Do you need to go potty?" (in Vietnamese) and she raised her eyebrows. I asked, "Did you already go?" She gave me an enthusiastic, "YEAH!" Confirmed. Oh boy...

By Bao on 12/31/2011:

Me: A is for...?
Camille: Apple!
Me: B is for...?
Camille: Bapple!

By Chin 1/1/2012:

I had just finished giving Camille a bath, but had to go upstairs to fetch a diaper. I figured letting her wander around for 1 minute wouldn't be a problem.

When I came back, she was throwing things in the toilet. I thought, "Oh no! She's throwing her bath toys in the toilet." Upon closer inspection, she had crapped all over the floor, was picking up her own poop, and throwing the chunks into the toilet.

A+ for picking up after yourself, little girl.

Chestnut Week 12

Merry Christmas!!  This is the first year since being married (and living in the U.S.) that we have decided not to spend Christmas with both sides of the family or to travel.  We stayed in town and Chin's parents came up to be with us kids who all live up here.  It was a relaxing time.

I missed spending time with my family, but was relieved to not be a part of the "Which church are you going to tonight?  What?  You should go to this church - their choir has been practicing very hard!  And then you should go to this other church tomorrow night..."  And then the incessant critiques of different church choirs and costumes/uniforms, and the speakers, and the food.  Ugh, no thanks!  (If you grew up in a Vietnamese church, you know what I'm talking about.)

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a lime - ~2.13 inches and 0.49 ounces.
• The fetus starts moving spontaneously.
• The face is beginning to look like a baby's face.
• The pancreas is functioning and producing insulin.
• Fingernails and toenails appear.
• The baby can suck his/her thumb, and get hiccups.

Physical:

• Weight: 116 lb (+2)
• Belly circumference: 32.0 in (+3.5)
• Boarded the vomit comet twice this week (v7, v8) but gagged over the toilet many, many times.
• Foods that suck: meatballs, pork, eggs, garlic of any form (especially raw, minced garlic...eww!)
• Foods that are awesome: sliced meat in hot pot, most fried foods, ranch dressing.
• Have I made my "turn" for the better?  NO!  In fact, I feel worse than last week.  Maybe I'm tired because of all the holiday festivities?
• At the end of this week, I started feeling some flutters that I'm confident are fetal movements!  Quickening has occurred, boys & girls!

Spiritual & emotional:

• Still feeling super disappointed that I haven't started feeling better.  What's up with this kid?!  I was telling Chin that I think baby is growing another baby.  Or perhaps an extra placenta for good measure.  Seriously, kid?!
• Chin has grown increasingly more frustrated that I have been out of commission for so long this pregnancy.  Because I've been so tired, Chin has taken over most of the childcare, household duties, and everything else that he already does.  I'm so sorry, Chin. :(
• I've been feeling emotionally very low this week.

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 11

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a fig - ~1.61 inches and 0.25 ounces.
• At 11 weeks pregnant, nearly all structures and organs are formed and beginning to function.
• The head comprises nearly half of the fetus' size.
• Baby can swallow and stick out his or her tongue.
• Fingers and toes have separated.
• Hair and nails begin to grow at 11 weeks of pregnancy.
• The fetus can make a fist with its fingers.
• Genitals appear well differentiated.
• Red blood cells are produced in the liver.
• Amniotic fluid begins to accumulate as the kidneys begin to function.
• The muscles in the intestinal walls begin to practice contractions that digest food.
• The taste buds are starting to develop!!

Physical:

• Weight: 116 lb (+2)
• Belly circumference: 32.0 in (+3.5)
• Boarded the vomit comet once (v6)...but it was a very, very special ride.
• Foods that suck: meat (still), grilled onion or garlic...or anything grilled, really.
• Foods that are awesome: salads, chocolate, carbs (bread).
• Gauging from my pregnancy with Penelope and Camille, week 11 was supposed to mark the first week of starting to feel better.  At the beginning of this week (Saturday), I took two naps in one day.  On Sunday and Monday, I felt a little better but still not great.  After Tuesday, it all went downhill.  I was not making my "turn" for the better. :(

Spiritual & emotional:

• It has been nice getting to be at home with Camille.  I love this girl so much!
• Feeling disappointed that I have not made the "turn."  So disappointed.

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 10

Finally!  A profile tummy shot.  I look pregnant, don't I?

Chestnut is now a fetus.  We made our pregnancy "Facebook official" on Wednesday. :)  Below is the picture we used to make the announcement.

If you're curious, the answer is "No" - we did not plan to have a baby born in the year of the tiger and then one born in the year of the dragon.  Two very auspicious years for Chinese culture.  But it's kind of cool.  We kind of have a kung fu team on our hands!

I had another ultrasound on Tuesday of this week (one to determine the size and probable date of delivery).  Chestnut is doing fine and dandy, measuring appropriately, and the approximate date of delivery is exactly as we thought - 7/7/2012.  S/he was moving around quite a bit during the ultrasound, too!  Camille got to be there.  She pointed and said, "Baby."  And said, "Thank you" to the ultrasound tech when we were done.  So sweet!

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a kumquat - ~1.22 inches and 0.14 ounces.
• From this week until birth, the developing organism is called a fetus (or, yunno, a BABY).
• The fetus is now the size of a small strawberry.
• The feet are 2mm long (one tenth of an inch).
• The neck is beginning to take shape.
• The body muscles are almost developed. Baby has begun movement.
• The jaws are in place. The mouth cavity and the nose are joined.
• The ears and nose can now be seen clearly.
• Fingerprints are already evident in the skin.
• Nipples and hair follicles begin to form.

Physical:

• Weight: 115 lb (+2)
• Belly circumference: 31.5 in (+3.0)
• Boarded the vomit comet twice (v4, v5)
• Foods that suck: meat (esp. roasted), even phở sounds not so appetizing, cumin.
• Foods that are awesome: buttered cut corn, orange creamsicles, salads, mac 'n cheese.
• I've been pretty tired still this week.  I don't feel like preparing anything to eat.  Whenever I am hungry, I just eat the sweets that I see around me.  (I know, so bad!)  And when I do, my mouth and stomach totally revolt what I had just put down and respond by producing this incredibly gross sour taste in my mouth.  Sometimes this taste even make water taste bitter.  Eww!
• I've been craving salads...which is great!  I think I just generally need more fiber in my diet to improve gut motility and combat the constipating effects of progesterone.  Yuck.

Spiritual & emotional:

• After the previous blog entries of this pregnancy (the ones written in stealth mode) went public on Wednesday, there has been a tremendous outpouring of support for our family in regards to this pregnancy!  I felt very loved hearing from all sorts of people about how their "unplanned children" (or themselves being unplanned) have turned out to be great gifts to the family and they would not have had it any other way.  Thank you, friends!
• I finished my fall quarter!  Awesome!  More time to rest?  Yes.  But this also means I'm full-time mom during this break.  I'm sorry that this sounds really bad, but I don't look forward to spending most of my waking hours taking care of Camille.  I just feel like she gets better care and socialization at daycare.  Camille is also a very social child.  Which means I need to take her out at least once a day so she can see people and expend her energy.  Otherwise she gets cabin fever and goes completely nuts!  So, all that's to say that feel (1) that I can't provide as much as I can for Camille, (2) frustrated that I don't have enough energy to do much, and (3) really tired.
  

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 9*

I was going to cheat and take some belly pictures retroactively with my tummy sucked in...  But I considered the sanctity of this blog and our dedication to being open and honest.  So, there have been no profile shots of my belly so far during this pregnancy.  That is simply the reality of the decreased amount of time and attention spent on younger siblings. *sigh*


BUT, at the beginning of this week, I got to see Chestnut for the first time via a sonogram while at my clinical rotation.  Check this out!

Chestnut ultrasound at 9 weeks 2 days - measuring at 2.3cm

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a grape - ~0.90 inches and 0.07 ounces.
• The fingers and toes are well defined. Cartilage and bones begin to form.
• The upper lip as well as the nose tip is being formed.
• The tongue begins to develop and the larynx is developing.
• The eyelids are developed, although they stay closed for several months.
• The main construction of the heart is complete.

Physical:

• Weight: 116 lb (+3)
• Belly circumference: 31.0 in (+2.5)
• Boarded the vomit comet once this week (v3).
• So, I'm not sure why I am gaining weight.  But I am.  A lot of people have commented that my face looks thinner.  Maybe that's the reflection of the fatigue.
• My belly is growing really fast!  This week, I feel like maybe Chestnut has popped out of the pelvic bowl because I'm going to the bathroom less frequently at night.
• Foods that suck: all types of meat (incl. seafood), ginger, garlic, onion (cooked).
• Foods that are awesome: anything with ranch dressing, black beans, pickled foods to add variety to a meal, 炒年糕 (stir fried rice cake).

Spiritual & emotional:

• My physical fatigue really translates to emotional and spiritual fatigue.  I dread Wednesdays and Fridays - days that I am at home with Camille.  I am so tired.  I can't make food for her because everything makes me gag.  I feel really bad for Camille.
• I realize that listeria is a big concern for pregnant women.  But sometimes I just don't want to give a rip.
• Was this pregnancy planned?  Well, we do want more than one child and we wanted our kids to be about 2 years apart.  We weren't using contraception but we did not think I would be so fertile (although...I knew).  So, a bit of a surprise.  But make no mistake about it, friends: This child is loved and wanted and meant to be.  When I break the news to some of my friends and family members, they express concern about how this would work in the scheme of finishing school (planned graduation date is end of Fall 2013).  I do appreciate these concerns and, trust me, they're our concerns too.  But as we have had more time to come to grasp with this news and have embraced our child more, it sometimes stings to get a sense that people think Chestnut is a mistake.  There is no mistake.

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

*This blog entry was written in stealth mode...before the news went public.

Chestnut Week 8*

We've told everyone in our immediate families this week.  Surprisingly, Chin's mom was the most excited about Chestnut...while other grandparents show no reaction.  Aunts and uncles all excited (if not a bit concerned that we don't know how to use contraception).


Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a kidney bean - ~0.63 inches and 0.04 ounces.
• Arms and legs are growing and location of the elbows and toes are visible.
• The feet and hand buds have appeared.
• Starts to practice moving.
• The stomach is being made from part of the gut (waddup?!).
• The face is beginning to take shape.
• Your baby's mouth and nostrils are starting to develop.
• Teeth begin to develop under the gums.
• The eyes can now be seen as small hollows on each side of the head.

Physical:

• Weight: 114 lb (+1)
• Belly circumference: 30.0 in (+1.5)
• Really nauseous this week but managed to keep food down!  Nothing sounds good, though.
• I discovered that I would crave for french fries a lot; but once I start eating one, I realize what a bad, bad idea fries are.  (This pretty much goes for all fried foods.)
• I am only craving bad foods.  Nothing that's actually healthy!
• Foods that I can't stand: garlic, onion, tomato sauce, pork.  Pretty consistent with my two previous pregnancies.  (Since I'm having very similar pregnancy symptoms to my previous pregnancies, I tend to think that I'm carrying a girl.  But my mom had the exact same symptoms for all 7 of us kids - 3 girls and 4 boys.  So, who knows!)
• I did have a distinct craving for a strawberry milkshake at 1:30 in the morning and Chin had to go get ice cream to make it for me.  This is seriously like it's out of a movie!
• I'm not sure if I have communicated this clearly enough through my pregnancy with Camille, but the first trimester is the absolute worst!!!  I hate it so much.  
• I'm tired.  SO tired.
• A little moody (although I would never admit to it...so don't ask if I'm "hormonal" because I will straight up rip you a new one)
• I don't feel like eating anything.  Nothing sounds especially appetizing.  And if something sounds good, when I smell it, it's immediately gag-inducing.
• I'm constantly nauseous.  No joke.  Always.
• Something that's different in this pregnancy is that I'm peeing all the time.  Maybe baby is really low.  I don't know.  But I'm getting up to go to the bathroom ~3x a night (vs. 0x a night while pregnant with Penelope and Camille).
• Did I mention that I'm always tired?

Chin captured a picture of me puking.
Awesome.

Spiritual & emotional:

• We are telling a few more close friends.  It's starting to feel more real.
• Chin & I want 3 kids.  I'm seriously considering adoption for the 3rd kid because, seriously?!  I cannot in my sane mind think about going through the first trimester ever again.  It is the worst!
• School is also kind of driving me a little nuts.  I never like to put academia first in my life, but honestly, if I don't study people die.  This thought scares me. 

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

*This blog entry was written in stealth mode...before the news went public.

Chestnut Week 7*

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a blueberry - 0.5 inches in length.
• The lower jaw and the vocal cords are beginning to form.
• The mouth opening is formed.
• The inner ear is being created.
• The digestive tract is developing.
• Elbows, toes, and fingers become more defined.

Physical:

• Weight: 112 lb (-1)
• Belly circumference: 29.5 in (+1.0)
• Definitely feeling the nausea this week...and vomited twice (v1 & v2).  
• Breasts are tender.  Completely "weaned" Camille this week.  I cut her off!  She took it pretty well, actually.  I was only nursing her for 3 minutes just before she goes to bed every night.  My supply has already tapered so there was no engorgement at all.  She pointed at me saying bú (breastfeed) a couple of times but that was it.
• My sense of smell is definitely altered.  I can smell everything.  I'm like Wolverine. 
• Also, my sense of hearing is heightened, too!  I have not found much in the literature about this being very common in pregnancy.  But I am special.  This happened when I was pregnant with Camille, too.  I remembered that the volume on the TV had to be under 29 to be bearable. 
• SO tired this week.  Wednesday was the worst.  Camille wasn't sleeping (actually climbed out of her crib!), I was hunched over the toilet most of the day, and there was so much school work to get done so that I didn't have to worry about academia over the Thanksgiving weekend.  So, so tired. 

Spiritual & emotional:

• I was really hoping that this pregnancy would be different from the last.  I really didn't want to ride the vomit comet again.  But here I am.  Not cool.
• We told Chin's immediate family on Wednesday night when we were home for Thanksgiving.  Chin made the announcement by saying, "We have a Crouching Tiger here (Camille)...and soon we will reveal a Hidden Dragon!"  Chestnut will be born in the year of the dragon according to Chinese zodiac.  I'm not sure how I feel about that...
• In this week of thankfulness, I am thankful for Chestnut.

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

*This blog entry was written in stealth mode...before the news went public.

Chestnut Week 6*

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a lentil - ~0.08 to 0.2 inches.
• The spinal cord, which until now has been open, is beginning to close.
• The first blood cells and blood vessels are developing.
• Blood moves through these primitive vessels connected to the yolk sac.
• A pipe-shaped heart is formed and begins to beat.
• The brain begins to divide into 5 parts.
• Optic pits form the start of the developing eye.
• The cells destined to be the arms and legs are in place.

Physical:

• Weight: 113 lb (+0)
• Belly circumference: 28.5 in (+0)
• Marked decrease in gut motility.  Appetite is definitely changed but not completely gone yet.  Trying to eat as much as possible but it isn't easy.  
• Some nausea has started but no vomiting yet.
• My taste buds have changed :(  The other night, we had 陳皮牛肉 (crispy beef) and it tasted really weird.  Except it wasn't weird to anyone else other than me.  Okay, maybe this doesn't seem very painful to you, but 陳皮牛肉 is one of my favorite dishes in the world!

Spiritual & emotional:

• I'm still feeling pretty decent this week but I know it's going to turn soon.  Trying to get as much done as I can before things go South.
• I told a friend this week and she said, "Well, Bao, I think you should keep the baby."  It made me laugh.
• Chin has been trying to reassure me more that this baby was perfectly designed.  He's right.  I should really change my attitude about this not-well-planned pregnancy.  My timing can't beat God's!

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

*This blog entry was written in stealth mode...before the news went public.

Chestnut Week 5*

Uh, WHAT?!

Knocked up

Yes, folks, we are at it again.  We just found out on Monday of this week that we are pregnant.  This one, who we have lovingly named Chestnut, is due to make a debut ~7/72012.

Why Chestnut?  Well, all of our kids are "nuts."  Penelope was Peanut because she was little like a peanut; it's a pretty generic baby nickname, really.  Camille was Macnut (macadamia nut) because we'd just gone to Hawai'i before getting pregnant.  This one is Chestnut because there are a ton of chestnut trees outside of our condo.  And it's chestnut season.  Also, chestnuts are very tasty!

So, to follow the tradition of Ng Family Pregnancy Blogging, I'm going to default to the regular format...

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a sesame seed - ~2mm.
• By the end of the week the embryo will have more than doubled in size to about 4-5mm.
• The egg has now completely grown into the mucous membrane of the uterus which covers the egg, the umbilical sac and the amniotic fluid cavity.
• A fibrin clot closes the hole to the uterus cavity. I might be wrong, but I think this clot later develops into Danny Tanner (long story...okay, the short version is: if you look up an image of a "mucus plug" using an internet search engine, somehow a picture of actor Bob Saget is in the mix!).
• The placenta is developing.
• The embryo starts receiving oxygen and nutrition through the placenta.
• The brain, spinal cord, and heart begin to develop.
• The gastrointestinal tract begins to develop.
• Umbilical cord develops and blood is now pumping.  All four heart chambers are now functioning.
• Arm and leg buds appear.

Physical:

• Weight: 113 lb (+0)
• Belly circumference: 28.5 in (+0)
• There is a little bit of change in my appetite, but not much.  I'm still feeling fine.  Not any more tired than usual...except that our whole family is sick.  Boo!

Spiritual & emotional:

• Finding out that we were pregnant was a bit of an "OMG" moment for me.  My [academic] life flashed before my eyes.  I start looking for people to blame (it's such a bad emotional pattern).  Still negotiating this news in my mind.
• What do I tell people when they ask, "Was it planned?"  Can I say, "Go eff yourself" or would that be very unChristian of me?
• We told Camille that I have a baby in the belly.  Amazingly, she seemed to get it pretty quickly.  Later the same day, she walked over to where I was sitting on the ground, pulled up my shirt, poked my belly saying "Baby!" and kissed it.  So, so sweet.
• We've told a few close friends.  It all seems kind of surreal.  Still taking in the news.

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

*This blog entry was written in stealth mode...before the news went public.

Lysdexic

Funny sign I saw today:

Camille's twelth month: A review

Yes, it's the last of the monthly reviews.  It's here.  She's ONE!

*pause to reflect, ponder, and cry a bit*

This month has been a bit crazy for us.  I am getting close to the end of my first quarter back at school.  As I look toward the next two years of academia, I honestly don't know how I can do it!  But I certainly cannot imagine life without Camille.

Warning: toddler road rage

New, fun things this month:

• Standing for a lot longer
• Saying words like "bear bear" and "ball" and "pssss" (please) more consistently
• She'll copy a lot of the sounds we make
• She's a lot more curious about things and is getting into everything!
• I can sense that in general, she knows what she's not supposed to get into...and purposely gets into them.  The defiance begins...
• Tries to offer food to/feed others
• Getting so much better at drinking out of a cup!!!
• She lets out a satisfying "aaaaah" after drinking.  A skill taught by Daddy.
• Lastly...I may be getting ahead of myself here, but I could have sworn Camille could recognize that the image in the mirror is herself!  One day while I was feeding her some tofu, a little bit got on her upper lip.  I thought it made her look funny so I resisted wiping it off.  So while she was exploring (yes, I feed her when she's not on the high chair), she crawled into our room and to our closets which had mirrors on the doors.  She saw her reflection and got really excited (as per usual).  But then she looked carefully and used her hand to guide the bit of tofu into her mouth.  That's gotta be some sort of Asian rouge test, right?!

"See how helpful I am?"

The specs
As of August 3, 2011:

• Weight: 15 lbs 13 oz
• Height: 28.2 in

Milestones & important events
July 14 - Camille's first day in daycare.  She did great.  Didn't cry when I left.  Didn't fuss all day.  But she did scratch another kid and made her cry when she felt that her toys (well, actually the other kid's toys) were being taken away.

July 15 - She learns to spit things out of her mouth.  She learned out to blow water out of her mouth pretty early on.  But thrusting food back out was a new skill.  Blurg!!

Chin & Camille.  DiniNG.

July 26 - Camille learned how to say "ball."  She says things like "bear bear" and "baby" and "BaBa" (mostly "b" words).  But "ball" is the most clear and most consistent in speech and comprehension.  Chin & I also celebrated our 8th anniversary - first with a baby.

August 3 - GI check-up: "She's healthy and happy.  She's fine.  Now pay up."  I coulda told you that first part.  That last part may or may not have been uttered (but I'm sure it crossed the doc's mind).

August 13 - Camille gets her first haircut.

I think one or two hundred other children
have chewed on that toy...

Favorite part...
So many!  My favoritest would be Camille's hugs.  She's a lot more affectionate now and will give me hugs randomly. 

After nursing, she fell asleep...

...and rolled to the edge of the bed...

...I laid down some pillows in case she fell off the bed...

...she did.  And continued sleeping.

Least favorite... 
I think it's just the feeling that I'm not doing as much homework as I'm supposed to.  I can really only do work while she is sleeping.  And then when she's sleeping, I'm on Facebook.  Lack of discipline is my least favorite!

Shout outs
...To the Ephrems for watching Camille so that we could enjoy a romantic night out to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary!

...To Camille's daycare lady who continues to amaze us with what she does.  Camille loves spending time at her house and playing with her children.  She comes home well-fed and happy (albeit sometimes not very well-rested).  She's amazing!

Camille with Anna, her favorite person to scratch.  *sigh*

...To Di Mien & Bac Nguyen for watching Camille while we got to enjoy a good dinner & catching up time with our small group.

...To Columbia City Cuts and Dina for giving Camille her first haircut.  Dina has had 7 years of experience cutting kids' hair and over 20 years in the industry.  Her suggestions were great, she was quick, precise, creative, and the end product is wonderful.  (A secondary "shout out" is due to LivingSocial for giving us a deal on this haircut.  Hip hip!)

Discoveries & reflections
...I look at other children who have extremely cute, multi-piece outfits on...then I look at Camille and she has on a onesie that she has worn for maybe a couple of days and there are stains all over it.  And then realize that (1) it probably doesn't take other parents 10 minutes to put on a diaper and one item of clothing for their child like it does mine, and (2) if it takes that long for them, w'hell, I just lack that kind of patience.

...I seriously took a week to mourn the loss of Camille's hair.  I never knew I could be so sad over something so simple.  But I was.  It was her original hair.  That hair was nurtured by my womb.  *sigh*  But when I see her new haircut, I think it looks really cute.  I'm glad we decided to keep the bangs, though :)

A graduated bob.  Just like Mommy's!

...I think Camille is so lovely.

...It's simply inexcusable to not have all of our thank-you cards written for Camille's baby shower gifts and gifts from her baby party.  But what can I say, I put the pro in procrastination.

...I don't know why it took us so long to finally realize this, but dining out is so much more convenient and pleasant if we brought along her booster chair!  When she has nowhere else to go (i.e., climbing out of the restaurant high chair), she actually sits and eats with us.  She'll even feed herself most of the time or keeps herself entertained somehow.  It's great!

...I'm so sad that Camille doesn't like avocado.

...This year has been action-packed, full of excitement, longer than it should be, and has gone by like a flash.  (Oh, don't you worry, there will be a review of the full first year.  Do look out for it.)

Last day before she turns 1

Happy birthday, Gideon!

Gideon was born a year ago today!  He and Camille are just 9 days apart and they share many things in common:

They were both born 3 weeks early.

Gideon (L) and Camille

They both have a lot of hair.

First meeting of the babies

They are both August babies, and they are Leos (lions) in the Western zodiac.

Lions going for the prey

They are both tigers according to Eastern zodiac.

Le tigre

Both their names start with the same letter as their fathers'...which means we have to refer to them as Baby G and Baby C. :)

Proud papas

Their mothers both wore turtleneck sweaters at the end of May.

Seriously sucky weather around these parts!

And Gideon & Camille are both super duper adorable.

Super cute!

Now here's a note from Camille on behalf of our whole family: