16 weeks 2 days

16 weeks! No new symptoms, everything about the same as the last few weeks. A lot of bloating and reflux making it difficult to sleep at night. But at least my appetite is back. I am still very picky about what foods to eat, but have been trying to eat more protein from non-animal sources. Also, a tiny amount of colostrum leakage was noted this week... eeek! I can't believe so soon...Weighing in at 131+ pounds this week, although the bloating makes it seem as though I've gained at least 10 pounds haha. Ready to welcome the new year at 17 weeks and hopefully feel baby move soon. So far I like the names Ariel and Benjamin, but will know the sex in a few weeks so will start thinking of more then. Happy holidays!

15 weeks 3 days

The bump has emerged! Granted there is some bloating, but finally it seems like the little one is growing. My older sister and mom have been visiting this week and we are heading to visit my dad and grandpa on Saturday. Nausea is slowly getting better, but the bloating has been worse this week. I am now at 131 pounds (thanks to all of the feasting with my family this week!). Will find out the sex in 1 month!

14 weeks

Here is my belly pic! Symptoms are the same as last week. Bloated, indigestion, nausea but mildly improved from last month, increased appetite although still have food aversion issues, breast growth (now up a cup size), lower back pain, sneezing more than usual, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and still wake up to pee a couple times at night. I am also becoming very brain fogged as I keep forgetting things and have difficulty concentrating and staying organized. I visited with Hieu's family this week and they seem to be well-adjusted to the idea of having a new baby around soon. I also got to visit my older sister, her boyfriend, and roommate, and of course the kitties! I am excited for Christmas coming up soon and will prob go to visit my dad and grandpa and siblings again. I love the holiday season and hope that my nausea continues to decrease so that I can enjoy it more! I will probably begin shopping for maternity clothes after Christmas, although I have only gained a pound in the last week (130 lbs now). The bloating makes the bump appear bigger and clothes not fit comfortably. Anyway, happy holidays!

13 Weeks 2 days (adjusted to new due date)

Here is a belly pic from 12/6/2012, which was at 13 weeks 2 days according to the new due date of June 11, 2013. I did not know until our appointment this Tuesday that the due date was changed from June 7th. Anyway, since the baby's growth was a few days off from the original due date, it was updated! This week was fairly busy since my sister was very sick and I had to help take care of her. Our appointment on Tuesday went well. We listened to the heartbeat and discussed the lower back pain I have been having. The midwife suggested I try massage and gave me the info for free massages coming up. We also received a list of books we might want to read and also a list of childbirth classes to consider starting in the next month or two. Our next appointment is 1/14 and we will get to meet with the other midwife this time. We received the information to schedule our 20-week ultrasound that will look at the baby's sex. It will be around 1/22. My nausea symptoms have improved this past week, although I am still nauseous after eating and with foul-smelling food/breath/etc. and still sometimes randomly throughout the day. My appetite is improving and I have been able to eat normal meals on occasion. I am urinating somewhat frequently and several times during the night and my sleep is still suffering. I am still tired throughout the day as well. As you can see above my belly is growing - some bloating and fat but I am hoping that the baby is growing too... :) I did not gain any weight this past week... I feel like I have, but the crappy scale I am using does not agree. Hopefully this next week will show more significant changes!

12 weeks 3 days

Here is my picture for 12 weeks 3 days! Besides being extremely bloated all the time, I think there is a tiny bump beginning to form in my lower abdomen. Thanksgiving went well. My family was shocked, but also excited. My friend Vy came to dinner at my dad's house so she also got to hear the good news. I told everyone by handing out the gifts I bought them from Vietnam, and then gave my mom an extra gift that was a bracelet that said "Grandma" on it. I told her to read what the charm says out loud and she was in shock and couldn't do it, so my older sister took it and read it and was also in shock. Finally, my brother took it and read it out loud so everyone else knew what was going on. My dad was also very shocked and in disbelief. He was about to go to work a few minutes later so did not have much time to absorb the news before he left. At first there were a lot of questions and then they finally started to say congratulations and become excited for the news. My grandpa is going to be a great grandpa for the first time, so he was also very excited and commented that it was about time! By the end of the weekend everyone was used to the idea of a new baby and started thinking of baby names and looking through baby stuff online. I am hoping that my mom will consider moving closer to me now that she is going to have a grandchild here and I will need her support. My younger sister just moved in with me while she is job searching and will be living close by, so I will at least have her support throughout the pregnancy and when the baby arrives in 6 months... My brother also lives really close to me and wants to help too, as well as Hieu's family. Hieu was not able to come to Thanksgiving since he has a new on-call job, but I will get to see him tomorrow and let him know how the weekend went. I have another regular prenatal appointment with the Midwife in a week, so I will be sure to keep the updates coming! Also, we will be able to find out the baby's sex at the 20-week ultrasound, although I am still undecided if I actually want to find out myself prior to the birth. My housemates made guesses at whether they think it is a boy or girl, and so far it is two for each, but one hasn't voted yet. I am going to think of some kind of reward if they guess correctly... :)

11 weeks 3 days

Sorry I am not the best photographer... Well here is the belly shot for 11 weeks 3 days, looking slightly pudgier. Not much has changed since last week so I will make it brief this time! Thanksgiving is a few days away, so I will be sharing the surprise with my parents soon... Also, tomorrow we are going to the Midwife to listen to the baby's heartbeat.... Updated: Here is the video of the heartbeat! Hope it works. :) He/she sounds alive and well!

10 weeks 3 days

It is week 10! Only 30 to go... ha ha. This week we decided to tell some people about the pregnancy. Hieu broke the news to his family and I let me younger sister and brother in on the secret, as well as my housemates. I will tell my older sister and parents during Thanksgiving as previously planned, and then slowly leak out the news to our friends/acquaintances. Hieu will not be able to be there due to work. :( It was very difficult for me to start sharing our well-hidden secret, but hopefully by next week I will be more comfortable with the idea of HAVING A BABY and not be so nervous to tell my parents. So far everyone seems to be supportive, shocked, but somewhat delighted with the idea of having a new baby around. Hieu and I are still discussing what our living arrangement is going to be. We haven't decided to get married... yet... so I am hesitant to move in with him before there is that deeper level of commitment and sanctity. It will be difficult if we continue living separately though because he will not be able to see me (and the baby when he/she comes) as often as we would like and will not be as available to help out. We still have time to keep weighing our options, so we are not going to rush into making a decision prematurely. Well my pregnancy symptoms remain unchanged from last week. Nausea is worse and even threw up once this past week. I am still severely exhausted, which makes it very hard to get anything done. I really hope that I can start enjoying food and gain an appetite soon, I am still at 129 pounds. Somehow I am supposed to gain 25 pounds in the next 30 weeks... the nausea needs to stop soon for this to be possible! I have been taking Vitamin D supplements and will soon be taking cod liver oil supplements for omega-3 DHA, in addition to my prenatal vitamin. Hmm it would've been much easier just to take the stupid birth control pill... but here we are! I think that I am finally feeling the effect of the extra hormones on my mood and emotions. I am still somewhat ambivalent about having a baby and hope that I become more excited soon. Once it becomes more obvious that there is actually a baby living in my belly, not just a parasite making me sick and tired everyday, then I think my feelings should change a bit. I have always wanted to be a mother and having a family has always been a major goal in my life. I did not picture it happening like this however. I did not realize that the words "morning sickness" actually had meaning behind them of feeling horrible everyday, every hour, that are also associated with strong emotional struggle and loss of self identity when you can know longer function the way you used to. My productivity has decreased from about 150% to 25%, this is staggering and unacceptable to me, but there is nothing I can do about it except wait it out. Anyway, if you are still reading this, thanks for listening. Who reads this besides Hieu and I anyway? I am sure that the picture of my unchanged belly has not attracted viewers, neither the long drawn out complaints of my symptoms. But this is what matters to us at this stage, and after all, this blog is for us! :)

9 Weeks 4 days!

Two pictures this week! Mom and fetus :) The midwife said everything looks good and baby is basically on schedule with growth measuring at 9 weeks, uterus at 9 weeks 2 days. We got to see baby's little heartbeat and squirming quite a bit, it was hard to get a good shot! Head is on the left, and I think the face is captured? Haha not exactly sure. There might be a little foot poking out at the top right corner too. Hieu and I are very relieved to know that baby is doing well and we will be ready to tell our family and friends soon, probably in two weeks. We are scheduled to listen to the heartbeat by doppler in two weeks so that we feel good about breaking the news to everyone on Thanksgiving.
Besides the excitement of our appointment today, nothing else is really new. Same symptoms, they are getting very old at this point. More urgency/frequency to urinate than before, but still nausea, tired but having trouble sleeping due to waking up for bathroom/nausea and just sleeping lighter than normal, some weird dreams, a little cranky sometimes, and it's still hard to find food to eat that doesn't sound bad. I am very aware of smells, especially the smell of my house, people's breath, car exhaust, smoke, food that is unappealing... etc. This little baby is beginning to turn my life upside down... :)

8 weeks 4 days

We made it to 8 weeks! Still no significant belly changes, although I seem to be pudgier I haven't really gained any weight (about 129lbs). I still have many of the same symptoms including constant nausea/loss of appetite, heartburn, indigestion, bloating, drooling, fatigue although I am having trouble sleeping through the night, breast tenderness/growth, and basically not feeling great all around. Even though I was aware of the symptoms pregnant women go through, I never imagined it feeling quite like this... I definitely have a new appreciation for women who have experienced pregnancy, and even decide to have more than one child. I know there is much more to come... I just can't help wishing I could go to sleep and wake up 7 months from now and have the baby in my arms already! The days are going by so painfully slow... One more week until our next appointment with the Midwife, I can't wait!! 



7 weeks 3 days!

Today marks 7 weeks and 3 days for us! I have many of the same symptoms with more pronounced nausea. I am hoping it is relieved soon... but it may be a while before I have my appetite back. Hieu has been very supportive and sensitive to my cravings/nausea/exhaustion. He has been very patient and is trying to understand this crazy process of growing a baby by reading our baby book and by being a good listener. I am not really showing yet in my belly besides being bloated, but my breasts are definitely growing.
I am getting anxious to tell friends and family, but I know I can at least wait two more weeks until after our next appointment with the midwife. We are going to ask for an ultrasound, I cannot wait to see our little baby(s?) growing in there! Stay tuned for more exciting updates. :)

6 weeks 4 days!

Today we are 6 weeks 4 days pregnant! I am finally getting over the cold I've had for the last 5 days that kept me in bed all weekend. New symptoms include being very nauseous all day long (started at 6 weeks), some food aversion and occasional cravings (cheese, steak), bloating, excess saliva, and of course I am still very tired. Thankfully Hieu is back in the US to comfort me :). The scale is beginning to look like I am 129 lbs now, and my belly is not showing anything but bloating. Our little one should be approaching the size of a blueberry soon! I hope to be able to see him/her at our next appointment in 3 weeks.

5 weeks 3 days pregnant!

My boyfriend Hieu and I found out we are pregnant one week ago. Today we are 5 weeks 3 days, you can see my belly picture above! 128 pounds, 5'1. This is our first baby. We are excited, but also nervous and not knowing exactly what the responses of our families and friends will be. We have decided not to break the news until we are about 12 weeks pregnant, just to make sure everything is still going well. So far my symptoms are mild. I am tired a lot, have mild/infrequent lower abdominal crampiness, heightened sense of smell, and some dizziness.
I had my first appointment with a midwife last Wednesday, in which everything was looking good! My next appointment is in one month and we will be able to see more significant changes by then. Hieu was not able to come to the first appointment because he was still in Vietnam visiting family. He is coming home in a couple days though (yay!) so he will be here for the next appt.
These posts are mostly for us to document our experiences, but for those who are interested in following our pregnancy, welcome and feel free to leave positive comments. :)