--Holy growth spurt, Batman! Our son is now measuring at 3.5kg (7.7 lbs), up .8kg (1.76 lbs) from last week. Our doctor is sort of not-so-secretly hoping he comes next week, lol. Hee Suk was beyond shocked at his growth and said to me, "See, I told you your belly was much bigger!" I gained just under 1kg, which means that more than 80% of my gain was his!
--The Non-Stress Test should be called something else. I hate it. There were no issues today, but I still hated it. It was nice that there was another Japanese animation on, but still.
--The doctor who did my autologous donation nearly had me crying during the process, but it wasn't that she did anything wrong. She told me my iron levels (hemoglobin count) were lower today and that I would need medicine. I thought she might have meant vitamin, but I just didn't want to hear of having any issues and just don't like taking medicine. I was at a 12.0 last week and came in at 11.7 today. We asked my doctor about it, and she said not to worry. Anything below a 12 shows up as red in their computers, but I am doing just fine. Sounds good to me!
--The tech who did my ultrasound last week did it today as well. Today, though, she hardly said a word to me and was just quiet the whole time, taking quite a bit longer than last week. At the end, she said, "I measured the fetal weight and amniotic fluid, so your doctor will explain the results." I don't do well with that. It just sounded so ominous. Going to the doctor, I was all thinking I was anemic and that something wasn't quite right with baby. Thankfully, it was all nothing in the end, and I shouldn't have to see those people again unless we end up overdue.
--No GBS thankfully! I am so, so over being a pin cushion. I look like I do drugs pretty heavily. My poor arms. ;~;
I have more updates to make and pictures to share, but I am tired. And my show may or may not be on now. ^.~
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
We Won!
Do you remember this picture?:
Our hospital was hosting a photo contest, so we decided to enter in the photo above (no studio pictures were allowed). You had to submit a photo and type up whatever your story behind it was.
We were excited about the prizes. First place would receive a 500,000won (just think $500) credit to use at the hospital--nice! As awesome as that is, we were simply hoping for second place--a Braun ear thermometer. They are ridiculously expensive here, and with the flu going around, the prices have soared even higher. It's hard to find them under 120,000won anymore.
Imagine our excitement when my husband received a call from the hospital today informing us that we had won second place! It was just like winning first since we had really wanted to win the thermometer. We felt like we had a fighting chance, but at the same time, I thought that my picture was almost a little too typical since it is a popular photo to take in the states. Between our photo and what he wrote up, though, it did the trick!
If you would like to view our entry on the website, you can view it here. It's in Korean, of course, but I figured I would share it anyway. ^^
We are very truly blessed!
Our hospital was hosting a photo contest, so we decided to enter in the photo above (no studio pictures were allowed). You had to submit a photo and type up whatever your story behind it was.
We were excited about the prizes. First place would receive a 500,000won (just think $500) credit to use at the hospital--nice! As awesome as that is, we were simply hoping for second place--a Braun ear thermometer. They are ridiculously expensive here, and with the flu going around, the prices have soared even higher. It's hard to find them under 120,000won anymore.
Imagine our excitement when my husband received a call from the hospital today informing us that we had won second place! It was just like winning first since we had really wanted to win the thermometer. We felt like we had a fighting chance, but at the same time, I thought that my picture was almost a little too typical since it is a popular photo to take in the states. Between our photo and what he wrote up, though, it did the trick!
If you would like to view our entry on the website, you can view it here. It's in Korean, of course, but I figured I would share it anyway. ^^
We are very truly blessed!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The Goods from Grandma
After much careful planning to be sure it arrived safe and sound, Grandma's package of goodies came! Right before we headed out to our appointment, the post office called to let us know that they would be delivering it. It sounded like they would come while we were out, so we had them leave it with security and were sure to mention to them that it was coming.
The Box
Do you think they got the priority mail message loudly and clearly enough? ^.~
Open it, open it!
My mom had warned me that there were goodies stuffed inside of goodies. That was an understatement!
For Display
I had a little fun working out a crib display, but there was a little too much to be able to clearly show. More details below.
Just for Daddy
He loves this onesie so much.
Yes, that's right.
Our Little Superhero
There's another little pair of matching booties not pictured.
Everything is absolutely wonderful. Hee Suk adored all of the little booties and was amazed at how small they were. Koreans prefer to buy everything in bigger sizes since babies grow so quickly, so the smaller newborn stuff is pretty scarce. He also wanted to take the bumper for himself.
The crib bedding is perfect. The bumper is really amazing. It is a gorgeous sky blue and do incredibly soft. After all of the hassle with finding a bumper, I really did just want a simple sky blue one. Target.com had most white/sky blue prints, so I had just picked one from there. This is so perfect, though.
I am also in love with the receiving blankets set--again, exactly what I had been wanting. You might be able to see in the picture a set of four sky blue and white blankets, two with clouds. They are awesome.
Of course, the Classic Pooh items made me very happy as well. The bath towel and receiving blanket or beyond adorable.
My favorite outfit is definitely the raccoon one. The bib is just so cute, and you can't see it on the picture, but the bum of the pants has an acorn on it. I love outfits with adorable little things on the booty.
And oh, yes--you are looking at a doll from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Hee Suk told it that he hopes he and our son are good friends.
We are very grateful for all of these blessings. A very huge thanks goes out to my family. I will definitely take pictures galore of each item in use as time goes on. Thank you so, so much!
In a short sidenote, you might notice these hanging in the background of the picture of all of the items:
We've started our laundry for baby, and since we have to wash these through a few times, these were up first. These are the inserts for our cloth diapers. We're going the separate cover and insert route, so when he needs a new diaper, we just pull out the dirty one and put a clean one of these in.
Game time!
While preparing things for the laundry, I whipped out all of the burp cloths or whatever you prefer to call them that we have received. Here is what they look like all bundled up:
Guess how many we have!
Anyway, it is time to get some dinner in my belly. I think I have done enough damage in the blogging world for the day. Thanks so much again to my family. We can't wait to have the crib all set up with what you sent and to dress our little one in all of those adorable outfits.
Do you think they got the priority mail message loudly and clearly enough? ^.~
Open it, open it!
My mom had warned me that there were goodies stuffed inside of goodies. That was an understatement!
For Display
I had a little fun working out a crib display, but there was a little too much to be able to clearly show. More details below.
Just for Daddy
He loves this onesie so much.
Yes, that's right.
Our Little Superhero
There's another little pair of matching booties not pictured.
Everything is absolutely wonderful. Hee Suk adored all of the little booties and was amazed at how small they were. Koreans prefer to buy everything in bigger sizes since babies grow so quickly, so the smaller newborn stuff is pretty scarce. He also wanted to take the bumper for himself.
The crib bedding is perfect. The bumper is really amazing. It is a gorgeous sky blue and do incredibly soft. After all of the hassle with finding a bumper, I really did just want a simple sky blue one. Target.com had most white/sky blue prints, so I had just picked one from there. This is so perfect, though.
I am also in love with the receiving blankets set--again, exactly what I had been wanting. You might be able to see in the picture a set of four sky blue and white blankets, two with clouds. They are awesome.
Of course, the Classic Pooh items made me very happy as well. The bath towel and receiving blanket or beyond adorable.
My favorite outfit is definitely the raccoon one. The bib is just so cute, and you can't see it on the picture, but the bum of the pants has an acorn on it. I love outfits with adorable little things on the booty.
And oh, yes--you are looking at a doll from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Hee Suk told it that he hopes he and our son are good friends.
We are very grateful for all of these blessings. A very huge thanks goes out to my family. I will definitely take pictures galore of each item in use as time goes on. Thank you so, so much!
In a short sidenote, you might notice these hanging in the background of the picture of all of the items:
We've started our laundry for baby, and since we have to wash these through a few times, these were up first. These are the inserts for our cloth diapers. We're going the separate cover and insert route, so when he needs a new diaper, we just pull out the dirty one and put a clean one of these in.
Game time!
While preparing things for the laundry, I whipped out all of the burp cloths or whatever you prefer to call them that we have received. Here is what they look like all bundled up:
Guess how many we have!
Anyway, it is time to get some dinner in my belly. I think I have done enough damage in the blogging world for the day. Thanks so much again to my family. We can't wait to have the crib all set up with what you sent and to dress our little one in all of those adorable outfits.
The Doctor's Appointment
To try to be chronological, here is 36 week and some change picture, taken last Friday:
Today's Appointment
I was not a very happy camper at today's appointment. This is what I expected according to the little paper we were given at our last appointment with directions for this one: pay, test hemoglobin levels, go downstairs and do autologous donation, pee in a cup, take weight and blood pressure, meet with the doctor.
Does that sound like an over 2-hour appointment to you?
They were very busy today, so thank goodness we got there early. We paid (yes, you have to pay first in this country), and then we went to to spot to get my blood tested. I thought it would just be a finger prick because that's all you need for hemoglobin levels. What I thought would be a finger prick wound up being four vials of blood. I later recalled our doctor mentioning a few last blood tests that we'd be doing, but neither of us realized that they would be done today. No problem, though. The man who took my blood was very nice and friendly. He switched things up on us and had me do my urine sample right after that. No big deal--I have to go to the bathroom all of the time anyway.
We went downstairs, as the directions on our sheet had directed us, and the people there weren't quite as friendly. I kept wondering why the blood donation place was where we were--a room labeled something like "Fetal Assessment Room". I figured I was the only one waiting to do an autologous donation and that we wouldn't have to wait very long. What I couldn't figure out was where on earth I would be giving my blood. There were two options: a lab (where they do ultrasounds) or the Non-Stress Test room.
After forever and a day, I was called into one of the labs, assuming I'd be doing my donation. Nope, I was having an ultrasound. I had thought my doctor would be performing one quickly, but nope--it was being done here. Of course, Hee Suk was not allowed in. Thankfully, though, it was over in a flash.
I went back out to hurry up and wait. After some time, I was called into the NST room. Oh, okay, this must be where the blood donations are done for whatever reason. There were a bunch of recliners and women all strapped up to something or other, so it didn't seem too strange. Of course, I am still thinking this is just for my blood, so when they said my husband couldn't come in, I almost had a heart attack. I just could not relax about the giving blood experience and wanted him there. So what if there were other pregnant women there? I wanted my husband!
I sat down in one of the recliners and was instructed to bare my belly. Huh? For a blood donation? I did as told and had two blue straps wrapped around me. They listened to baby's heartbeat and handed me a button. The nurse apparently only knew limited vocabulary, because all she could explain to me in English was, "Fetal movement..." (makes a motion). "Push?" I asked. She said yes, but I had no idea what they really wanted.
Hee Suk kept worrying about me and asked the nurse and doctor there twice if I was okay and if there were any communication problems. They kept brushing him off like, "Yeah. Why, you don't trust us?" according to him. Before I went in, he was right there with me and asked if anything needed to be explained, and they said no. Why on earth did they not take the time to just quickly explain what I needed to do so I could relax a bit more?
After being at the hospital for over an hour, I was pushing a button only vaguely aware of the whole NST procedure and trying to find a way to get a message to Hee Suk to try to tell him this still wasn't the autologous donation so we wouldn't be wasting time waiting somewhere else again. The only good thing here was that they were showing the movie Spirited Away. I just could not relax, though. I had no idea how often I was supposed to push the darn button. Was it supposed to be with every single little movement? He was moving all over the place, so how was I supposed to do it for every one? The woman to my right seemed trigger happy, and the woman to my left didn't push it once. And my goodness, do they have to seriously beep with every push?
Some of you might already be bright enough to realize that I was having an NST because I was going to have the autologous donation, that they would want to monitor baby while it was being done to make sure he was okay. After some time, a doctor came in with what looked to me like a Blood Kit of Doom that I imagined might have caused a little worry in the other women who might have then wondered, "What is she doing? Are they going to do that to me, too?"
This doctor was very kind, and of course, the thing I was worried the most over wound up being one of the finer points of the appointment.
Mad Skills
This was close to one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life--an NST and blood donation simultaneously. I was trying to relax and control my breathing, but I had the clicker in my left hand now to click away as our son kept moving, and I had a squishy grip thing in my right that I had to slowly squeeze and relax for the blood donation. The doctor was wonderful and kept talking to me, asking what country I was from and if I had any prior donation experience. I was happy to learn after she finished that it looks like she will be the one doing my next pint of blood next week as well. Thank goodness.
Good Baby
Our baby loves me. Right after that doctor left, he decided it would be a great time to hiccup. As if I wasn't already confused about when to click, I had to wonder if I was supposed to click with every hiccup. I wound up asking one of the nurses in Korean, "If he has hiccups..." "Yes." I'm just used to doctors actually clearly answering things, so I took this to mean that yes, I should click it every time, but it wasn't as clear as daylight. Oh, well. I got to annoy the goodness out of myself by clicking away as he hiccuped, though it may have been a blessing in disguise.
I don't know if it is because he moved around so much and so well or because they were just doing the NST for the blood donation, but I finished far more quickly than pretty much all of the other women in the room. There seemed to be a correlation between clickers leaving more quickly than non-clickers, but I have no idea. I was glad to get out of there. I told Hee Suk about everything, and he was upset that it was such a negative experience for me. (Seriously? Non-Stress Test?) He said I came out looking like I had been in a battle or something. He talked to the nurse and doctor who he had spoken with a couple of times and complained a little, explaining how uncomfortable it was for me. They were kind and apologized, so we moved on.
False Alarm
I am pretty much a moron. I took my weight and blood pressure, wrote it down, then leafed through my little notebook to compare this week's to last week's.
Weight: 75.15kg (165.33 lbs)
Blood Pressure: 120/68 (high for me personally, but I didn't bother re-testing knowing how flustered I was feeling)
Heart Rate: 82bpm
I looked in my notebook and saw that I had written down that I was 79.3kg (174.46 lbs) at our last appointment. What?? How could I have lost 4kg (8.8 lbs)?
We later found out I had just written it down wrong. I was 73.9kg last time, which, I correctly recorded here in this journal. I am full of win. :D
We're doing that today?
If you've followed along, you'll know that I expected my first pelvic exam at our next appointment, which was to include the Group-B Strep test. Imagine my surprise when the nurse calls my name to go into the exam room and says my husband is not allowed in. What? I'm not even supposed to be going in there, and he's not allowed in?
I went in and asked my doctor about what was going on, and she just decided to do the exam and test this week. Hee Suk wasn't allowed in because he wasn't going to see anything anyway. :\ Thankfully, though, she finished before I even knew it. It wasn't uncomfortable at all (well, aside from the inherent uneasiness of baring your most private of privates to someone). No spotting or discomfort at all afterwards.
Follow-Up
We went in together to her office after that, and everything looks great. We were surprised that our son measured in at just 2.75-2.8kg (6.05-6.16 lbs), but reflecting on this later, these measurements had to have been taken at the speed of light at the ultrasound I had done on the Floor of Doom. Maybe they weren't totally accurate (as if ultrasounds are known for weight accuracy anyway). Anyway, that's still a fine weight, so it's nothing to worry about. We just expected him to be a little bit bigger.
When reviewing what we had done today, she realized that she failed to mention I was having the NST and what to expect, that they usually do the NST and blood donation together because some women end up contracting during it (which I did not). Good to know for next time, I suppose.
She was very happy with our baby's movement, though, and said that he seemed to be in great condition. I am still pretty closed, so hopefully, that means he's planning on coming right around his due date. I know some women go from 0 to 10 in a very short period of time, but for now, I am happy to hear that there is no early progress. We'll see how that goes later!
One More Surprise!
The doctor asked if I had done an EKG today, and no, I hadn't. She said that if we had a little time (we had already been there for two hours!), it would be good to go and quickly get it done. Thankfully, it was actually super quick, but it was in a very strange building. We wound up walking through the employee cafeteria to get there. Good times.
The Cherry on Top
After all of that today, we later got a call from the hospital. They forgot to charge us for the GBS test. (It is not routine here.) Thankfully, we can just pay for it next time.
I love my doctor and I am comfortable at this hospital. I just don't do well with surprises. Goodness, I can hardly live with surprising others. I can't buy Christmas gifts too far in advance because I risk giving them early out of excitement and feeling obligated to go out and buy something else to give on the holiday. We blame the frustration half on our doctor and half on the nurses and doctors on the Floor of Doom. I just wish I had known what on earth was going on even half of the time. Our appointment next week should be a million times smoother since it will pretty much mirror the one today minus a few tests, but yeah.
I was super exhausted after all was said and done, but I think it stemmed more from the stress rather than from having my blood taken. I was happy to come home to a grand ol' box from my family, though. Because this has gotten ridiculously lengthy, that will get a post of its own with plenty of photos. ^^
Today's Appointment
I was not a very happy camper at today's appointment. This is what I expected according to the little paper we were given at our last appointment with directions for this one: pay, test hemoglobin levels, go downstairs and do autologous donation, pee in a cup, take weight and blood pressure, meet with the doctor.
Does that sound like an over 2-hour appointment to you?
They were very busy today, so thank goodness we got there early. We paid (yes, you have to pay first in this country), and then we went to to spot to get my blood tested. I thought it would just be a finger prick because that's all you need for hemoglobin levels. What I thought would be a finger prick wound up being four vials of blood. I later recalled our doctor mentioning a few last blood tests that we'd be doing, but neither of us realized that they would be done today. No problem, though. The man who took my blood was very nice and friendly. He switched things up on us and had me do my urine sample right after that. No big deal--I have to go to the bathroom all of the time anyway.
We went downstairs, as the directions on our sheet had directed us, and the people there weren't quite as friendly. I kept wondering why the blood donation place was where we were--a room labeled something like "Fetal Assessment Room". I figured I was the only one waiting to do an autologous donation and that we wouldn't have to wait very long. What I couldn't figure out was where on earth I would be giving my blood. There were two options: a lab (where they do ultrasounds) or the Non-Stress Test room.
After forever and a day, I was called into one of the labs, assuming I'd be doing my donation. Nope, I was having an ultrasound. I had thought my doctor would be performing one quickly, but nope--it was being done here. Of course, Hee Suk was not allowed in. Thankfully, though, it was over in a flash.
I went back out to hurry up and wait. After some time, I was called into the NST room. Oh, okay, this must be where the blood donations are done for whatever reason. There were a bunch of recliners and women all strapped up to something or other, so it didn't seem too strange. Of course, I am still thinking this is just for my blood, so when they said my husband couldn't come in, I almost had a heart attack. I just could not relax about the giving blood experience and wanted him there. So what if there were other pregnant women there? I wanted my husband!
I sat down in one of the recliners and was instructed to bare my belly. Huh? For a blood donation? I did as told and had two blue straps wrapped around me. They listened to baby's heartbeat and handed me a button. The nurse apparently only knew limited vocabulary, because all she could explain to me in English was, "Fetal movement..." (makes a motion). "Push?" I asked. She said yes, but I had no idea what they really wanted.
Hee Suk kept worrying about me and asked the nurse and doctor there twice if I was okay and if there were any communication problems. They kept brushing him off like, "Yeah. Why, you don't trust us?" according to him. Before I went in, he was right there with me and asked if anything needed to be explained, and they said no. Why on earth did they not take the time to just quickly explain what I needed to do so I could relax a bit more?
After being at the hospital for over an hour, I was pushing a button only vaguely aware of the whole NST procedure and trying to find a way to get a message to Hee Suk to try to tell him this still wasn't the autologous donation so we wouldn't be wasting time waiting somewhere else again. The only good thing here was that they were showing the movie Spirited Away. I just could not relax, though. I had no idea how often I was supposed to push the darn button. Was it supposed to be with every single little movement? He was moving all over the place, so how was I supposed to do it for every one? The woman to my right seemed trigger happy, and the woman to my left didn't push it once. And my goodness, do they have to seriously beep with every push?
Some of you might already be bright enough to realize that I was having an NST because I was going to have the autologous donation, that they would want to monitor baby while it was being done to make sure he was okay. After some time, a doctor came in with what looked to me like a Blood Kit of Doom that I imagined might have caused a little worry in the other women who might have then wondered, "What is she doing? Are they going to do that to me, too?"
This doctor was very kind, and of course, the thing I was worried the most over wound up being one of the finer points of the appointment.
Mad Skills
This was close to one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life--an NST and blood donation simultaneously. I was trying to relax and control my breathing, but I had the clicker in my left hand now to click away as our son kept moving, and I had a squishy grip thing in my right that I had to slowly squeeze and relax for the blood donation. The doctor was wonderful and kept talking to me, asking what country I was from and if I had any prior donation experience. I was happy to learn after she finished that it looks like she will be the one doing my next pint of blood next week as well. Thank goodness.
Good Baby
Our baby loves me. Right after that doctor left, he decided it would be a great time to hiccup. As if I wasn't already confused about when to click, I had to wonder if I was supposed to click with every hiccup. I wound up asking one of the nurses in Korean, "If he has hiccups..." "Yes." I'm just used to doctors actually clearly answering things, so I took this to mean that yes, I should click it every time, but it wasn't as clear as daylight. Oh, well. I got to annoy the goodness out of myself by clicking away as he hiccuped, though it may have been a blessing in disguise.
I don't know if it is because he moved around so much and so well or because they were just doing the NST for the blood donation, but I finished far more quickly than pretty much all of the other women in the room. There seemed to be a correlation between clickers leaving more quickly than non-clickers, but I have no idea. I was glad to get out of there. I told Hee Suk about everything, and he was upset that it was such a negative experience for me. (Seriously? Non-Stress Test?) He said I came out looking like I had been in a battle or something. He talked to the nurse and doctor who he had spoken with a couple of times and complained a little, explaining how uncomfortable it was for me. They were kind and apologized, so we moved on.
False Alarm
I am pretty much a moron. I took my weight and blood pressure, wrote it down, then leafed through my little notebook to compare this week's to last week's.
Weight: 75.15kg (165.33 lbs)
Blood Pressure: 120/68 (high for me personally, but I didn't bother re-testing knowing how flustered I was feeling)
Heart Rate: 82bpm
I looked in my notebook and saw that I had written down that I was 79.3kg (174.46 lbs) at our last appointment. What?? How could I have lost 4kg (8.8 lbs)?
We later found out I had just written it down wrong. I was 73.9kg last time, which, I correctly recorded here in this journal. I am full of win. :D
We're doing that today?
If you've followed along, you'll know that I expected my first pelvic exam at our next appointment, which was to include the Group-B Strep test. Imagine my surprise when the nurse calls my name to go into the exam room and says my husband is not allowed in. What? I'm not even supposed to be going in there, and he's not allowed in?
I went in and asked my doctor about what was going on, and she just decided to do the exam and test this week. Hee Suk wasn't allowed in because he wasn't going to see anything anyway. :\ Thankfully, though, she finished before I even knew it. It wasn't uncomfortable at all (well, aside from the inherent uneasiness of baring your most private of privates to someone). No spotting or discomfort at all afterwards.
Follow-Up
We went in together to her office after that, and everything looks great. We were surprised that our son measured in at just 2.75-2.8kg (6.05-6.16 lbs), but reflecting on this later, these measurements had to have been taken at the speed of light at the ultrasound I had done on the Floor of Doom. Maybe they weren't totally accurate (as if ultrasounds are known for weight accuracy anyway). Anyway, that's still a fine weight, so it's nothing to worry about. We just expected him to be a little bit bigger.
When reviewing what we had done today, she realized that she failed to mention I was having the NST and what to expect, that they usually do the NST and blood donation together because some women end up contracting during it (which I did not). Good to know for next time, I suppose.
She was very happy with our baby's movement, though, and said that he seemed to be in great condition. I am still pretty closed, so hopefully, that means he's planning on coming right around his due date. I know some women go from 0 to 10 in a very short period of time, but for now, I am happy to hear that there is no early progress. We'll see how that goes later!
One More Surprise!
The doctor asked if I had done an EKG today, and no, I hadn't. She said that if we had a little time (we had already been there for two hours!), it would be good to go and quickly get it done. Thankfully, it was actually super quick, but it was in a very strange building. We wound up walking through the employee cafeteria to get there. Good times.
The Cherry on Top
After all of that today, we later got a call from the hospital. They forgot to charge us for the GBS test. (It is not routine here.) Thankfully, we can just pay for it next time.
I love my doctor and I am comfortable at this hospital. I just don't do well with surprises. Goodness, I can hardly live with surprising others. I can't buy Christmas gifts too far in advance because I risk giving them early out of excitement and feeling obligated to go out and buy something else to give on the holiday. We blame the frustration half on our doctor and half on the nurses and doctors on the Floor of Doom. I just wish I had known what on earth was going on even half of the time. Our appointment next week should be a million times smoother since it will pretty much mirror the one today minus a few tests, but yeah.
I was super exhausted after all was said and done, but I think it stemmed more from the stress rather than from having my blood taken. I was happy to come home to a grand ol' box from my family, though. Because this has gotten ridiculously lengthy, that will get a post of its own with plenty of photos. ^^
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Team Work
Our son and I have a great little communication thing going on. About a couple of months ago, my sleep was just horrid because of always having to get up and having tons of nightmares. I told him that it was okay if I couldn't sleep through the night and got up a bunch of times, but please cut back on the nightmares. I've only had a few random nightmares since then.
At the beginning of this past week, sleep was just painful for me. I kept waking up hardly able to move because of the pain my hips were in. What added to the emotional agony was knowing that every time I spent some time sleeping on my right side to try to help lessen the pain on the left, it was causing him to switch positions. If I had to guess, he kept switching to more of a transverse lie. I would wake up several times just worrying about him, knowing he had flipped, which he would later confirm with his hiccups.
Well, baby and I worked together to find something that works. Between two classes the other day, I had lied down for about 30 minutes without pain (and without putting much thought into how I was lying) and just knew there had to be a way to keep me on my left comfortably.
Previously, I had two pillows I was using for my head because it just feels better to have it more elevated and one pillow for between my legs. I decided to take one of my head pillows and keep it wedged under my belly. Somehow, this alone was enough to do the trick.
The weird thing is that when I was sleeping on my right, all I needed was the pillow under my belly--nothing for between my legs. My left side needs the whole shebang. The only slight issue now is that my left shoulder often feels a bit sore, but it is perfectly manageable and hardly an issue. Mommy and Baby are much happier now.
Anyway, he's such a good baby.
In other news, I've got my 36-week photo on my camera, but I am too lazy to upload anything right now. I didn't realize that I did not yet share the pro pics from Apple Tree, so here they are!
We absolutely adore our photo together. Hee Suk loves it in black and white, so that is what's currently the background on our desktop. I don't fancy having pictures of myself alone around the house, so we ordered the one of us together and might order a couple of others. If we do, I will be sure to share them here.
Appetite
My appetite is pretty shot nowadays. For example, my lunch was a piece of pumpkin pie yesterday. That's all I wanted to eat and all I could eat. When I came home, I ate the remainder of Hee Suk's piece of pizza. For dinner, there was only one thing I could think of that I would be able to eat quite a bit of--chadolbaegi (차돌배기). It's pretty much a very thin cut of beef that it usually cooked table-top. You don't season it--just dip it in sesame oil with salt and add a bit of some slightly spicy soy bean paste-style sauce of deliciousness if you so desire. We don't have a table-top whiz, so we just cook it on the stove and eat it at the table. Good enough. We had to make a special trip to the grocery store just to get it, but it was worth it. Of course, it had to start raining while we were in the middle of shopping. -.-;
Anyway, at least this week, all I have truly wanted is some pumpkin pie. I think I mentioned a week or so ago that I've really only wanted fluids, too. Having orange juice in the house is a must, as well as having my special milk. Wanting pumpkins and persimmons definitely makes our little bonbon a fall baby.
Cramped Quarters
Our son is definitely moving less often these days with being so cramped up inside, but when he moves, he moves. Nothing is stopping this little one from stretching out as he so pleases.
On Thursday night, I had wanted to sleep after finishing my Bible study, but I couldn't help just sitting there watching him have at it. It is just crazy to imagine what he has to do to be able to move as he does. It's neat to try to imagine what limbs he is rolling around. I like to think that when he sticks his little booty out, he is asking to be cuddled with. Just allow me to muse such thoughts.
Dreaming of Birth
The past two nights, I have had dreams about giving birth to our son. Last night's was a bit more realistic than others have been, but Thursday's was pretty over-the-top.
I had dreamt we were at the hospital but had basically done nothing. Hee Suk informed me that apparently, us just being there had already cost us $1000, so we went home and decided we would hardly spend anymore time there and waited it out at home. I kept wondering why nothing was really happening, so we took a look down there to find that he was already starting to crown! One push, his head was out. The body followed right after. We tried contacting our doctor to figure out what to do next, but getting ahold of her was a strange adventure. We eventually figured out how to clamp and cut the cord, but I kept wondering if it had been done right.
Anyway, he had a slight cone head, and his face was all scrunched up. It was hilarious. He apparently was not happy being out of the womb!
And that was the gist of that. ^^
Last night's, as I said, was more realistic. We were at the hospital, and when he was born, he cried for just a short bit. He was placed on top of me (crying), and Hee Suk said something to him which lessened his cries as he recognized his voice. I also tried to soothe him, and then he stopped crying and was just happy to be with Mommy and Daddy. It was really wonderful.
The Great Blunder
I'm not a believer in blaming everything on pregnancy hormones or pregnancy brain. I've seen people say some really mean things, get called out on it, then reply with a "heheheh, hormones." I'm sure others have differing opinions, but that's mine. Maybe it's just that it isn't possible for me to be more emotional than I already am when I am not pregnant. ^.~ I'm already fairly absent-minded at times as well, so I haven't felt particularly more-so. I mentioned forgetting the code to get into our building once, but no biggie, right?
Well, I made a huge mistake that I found out about yesterday. I've been selling some calendars on eBay and was contacted by one buyer yesterday asking if it usually takes 5 weeks for the calendar to arrive. I checked over my email history with her, and after looking at her address (very unique since she is in Denmark), I am 95% certain I flat-out never mailed it. I had even asked her who her favorite character from a drama was for the bonus I include with the calendars, but I never mailed it.
I didn't come right out and say that it was totally my error, but I am certainly making up for it. She is getting bonus goodies galore. I just hope I didn't mess up with anyone else's order. I can't believe what a doofus I am. While I can't necessarily blame it on "pregnancy brain", maybe it had a little something to do with it. ^.~
Coming Up
Next Wednesday is our 37-week appointment, where I will be having my first round of blood drawn (so long as my hemoglobin count is okay). I am still nervous about it like woh, and I can't even understand why. Blood doesn't scare me, and I am not afraid of needles. Friends have told me to just be sure I eat plenty before going in, that it's no big deal. I don't know why it worries me. We'll just have to see how it goes. Otherwise, nothing too special is going on there. Hee Suk and I are already making bets on how much he will weigh at the appointment. Our estimates differ by 0.1kg (0.22 lbs).
That's about all I have for now!
Thank You, Lord, for being an ever-present source of comfort and peace. As different fears and doubts run through my mind, You are always there to remind me of Your incredible will, that we are right where You want us to be. Thank You, my King, for never letting me go, for always holding me so tightly.
At the beginning of this past week, sleep was just painful for me. I kept waking up hardly able to move because of the pain my hips were in. What added to the emotional agony was knowing that every time I spent some time sleeping on my right side to try to help lessen the pain on the left, it was causing him to switch positions. If I had to guess, he kept switching to more of a transverse lie. I would wake up several times just worrying about him, knowing he had flipped, which he would later confirm with his hiccups.
Well, baby and I worked together to find something that works. Between two classes the other day, I had lied down for about 30 minutes without pain (and without putting much thought into how I was lying) and just knew there had to be a way to keep me on my left comfortably.
Previously, I had two pillows I was using for my head because it just feels better to have it more elevated and one pillow for between my legs. I decided to take one of my head pillows and keep it wedged under my belly. Somehow, this alone was enough to do the trick.
The weird thing is that when I was sleeping on my right, all I needed was the pillow under my belly--nothing for between my legs. My left side needs the whole shebang. The only slight issue now is that my left shoulder often feels a bit sore, but it is perfectly manageable and hardly an issue. Mommy and Baby are much happier now.
Anyway, he's such a good baby.
In other news, I've got my 36-week photo on my camera, but I am too lazy to upload anything right now. I didn't realize that I did not yet share the pro pics from Apple Tree, so here they are!
We absolutely adore our photo together. Hee Suk loves it in black and white, so that is what's currently the background on our desktop. I don't fancy having pictures of myself alone around the house, so we ordered the one of us together and might order a couple of others. If we do, I will be sure to share them here.
Appetite
My appetite is pretty shot nowadays. For example, my lunch was a piece of pumpkin pie yesterday. That's all I wanted to eat and all I could eat. When I came home, I ate the remainder of Hee Suk's piece of pizza. For dinner, there was only one thing I could think of that I would be able to eat quite a bit of--chadolbaegi (차돌배기). It's pretty much a very thin cut of beef that it usually cooked table-top. You don't season it--just dip it in sesame oil with salt and add a bit of some slightly spicy soy bean paste-style sauce of deliciousness if you so desire. We don't have a table-top whiz, so we just cook it on the stove and eat it at the table. Good enough. We had to make a special trip to the grocery store just to get it, but it was worth it. Of course, it had to start raining while we were in the middle of shopping. -.-;
Anyway, at least this week, all I have truly wanted is some pumpkin pie. I think I mentioned a week or so ago that I've really only wanted fluids, too. Having orange juice in the house is a must, as well as having my special milk. Wanting pumpkins and persimmons definitely makes our little bonbon a fall baby.
Cramped Quarters
Our son is definitely moving less often these days with being so cramped up inside, but when he moves, he moves. Nothing is stopping this little one from stretching out as he so pleases.
On Thursday night, I had wanted to sleep after finishing my Bible study, but I couldn't help just sitting there watching him have at it. It is just crazy to imagine what he has to do to be able to move as he does. It's neat to try to imagine what limbs he is rolling around. I like to think that when he sticks his little booty out, he is asking to be cuddled with. Just allow me to muse such thoughts.
Dreaming of Birth
The past two nights, I have had dreams about giving birth to our son. Last night's was a bit more realistic than others have been, but Thursday's was pretty over-the-top.
I had dreamt we were at the hospital but had basically done nothing. Hee Suk informed me that apparently, us just being there had already cost us $1000, so we went home and decided we would hardly spend anymore time there and waited it out at home. I kept wondering why nothing was really happening, so we took a look down there to find that he was already starting to crown! One push, his head was out. The body followed right after. We tried contacting our doctor to figure out what to do next, but getting ahold of her was a strange adventure. We eventually figured out how to clamp and cut the cord, but I kept wondering if it had been done right.
Anyway, he had a slight cone head, and his face was all scrunched up. It was hilarious. He apparently was not happy being out of the womb!
And that was the gist of that. ^^
Last night's, as I said, was more realistic. We were at the hospital, and when he was born, he cried for just a short bit. He was placed on top of me (crying), and Hee Suk said something to him which lessened his cries as he recognized his voice. I also tried to soothe him, and then he stopped crying and was just happy to be with Mommy and Daddy. It was really wonderful.
The Great Blunder
I'm not a believer in blaming everything on pregnancy hormones or pregnancy brain. I've seen people say some really mean things, get called out on it, then reply with a "heheheh, hormones." I'm sure others have differing opinions, but that's mine. Maybe it's just that it isn't possible for me to be more emotional than I already am when I am not pregnant. ^.~ I'm already fairly absent-minded at times as well, so I haven't felt particularly more-so. I mentioned forgetting the code to get into our building once, but no biggie, right?
Well, I made a huge mistake that I found out about yesterday. I've been selling some calendars on eBay and was contacted by one buyer yesterday asking if it usually takes 5 weeks for the calendar to arrive. I checked over my email history with her, and after looking at her address (very unique since she is in Denmark), I am 95% certain I flat-out never mailed it. I had even asked her who her favorite character from a drama was for the bonus I include with the calendars, but I never mailed it.
I didn't come right out and say that it was totally my error, but I am certainly making up for it. She is getting bonus goodies galore. I just hope I didn't mess up with anyone else's order. I can't believe what a doofus I am. While I can't necessarily blame it on "pregnancy brain", maybe it had a little something to do with it. ^.~
Coming Up
Next Wednesday is our 37-week appointment, where I will be having my first round of blood drawn (so long as my hemoglobin count is okay). I am still nervous about it like woh, and I can't even understand why. Blood doesn't scare me, and I am not afraid of needles. Friends have told me to just be sure I eat plenty before going in, that it's no big deal. I don't know why it worries me. We'll just have to see how it goes. Otherwise, nothing too special is going on there. Hee Suk and I are already making bets on how much he will weigh at the appointment. Our estimates differ by 0.1kg (0.22 lbs).
That's about all I have for now!
Thank You, Lord, for being an ever-present source of comfort and peace. As different fears and doubts run through my mind, You are always there to remind me of Your incredible will, that we are right where You want us to be. Thank You, my King, for never letting me go, for always holding me so tightly.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day
We are very blessed that we have not experienced the loss of a child ourselves, but we both know so many who have. This is dedicated to Lilly Marie, the little sister I look forward to meeting in heaven someday.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Paran Studio Maternity Portraits
We had an appointment at 10am today to have our free maternity portraits from Paran Studio done. If you've been tuning in, I have been excited for these because they are a bit more artsy. In America's Next Top Model talk, I'd say they are more editorial.
From spending quite a bit of time admiring other people's portraits, I gathered rather quickly that they don't allow for as much individuality and creativity. They have certain sets that they like to style certain ways and certain poses they feel work well. I went in expecting this.
They kindly greeted us when we arrived, but it wasn't a very warm or friendly welcome. The photographer we worked with was nice enough, but I felt from here that working at the studio was just a job to her and not really her passion. (The photographer from Apple Tree was so friendly and actually tried to connect with us.)
Even though I expected it, I was still surprised at how cookie-cutter they wanted everything. I got to pick my two outfits, and she showed us a couple of samples (which I had already seen) of the types of photos she was going to take. We had zero input.
With Apple Tree, we were able to look at a narrowed-down selection of what the photographer considered the best photos, and we picked our three cuts from there. This is very smart. This allows us to continue our excitement about the shoot and is a great way to rope people in to sign up for packages or at least buy more prints.
With Paran, all we saw were a few cuts she intermittently showed us on the camera after she was done with whatever outfit/set. We have no idea which photos she will pick for our three and if they will even be to our liking. I understand that we're getting these for free, but it just seems so impersonal and like a risk almost considering how much time it took us to get to the studio. We asked about buying them all on a CD (which is possible if you pay for your session) or coming in to view them all to possibly purchase additional prints, and she said no, that we would just get the three images plus whatever image we want of the three framed.
What kind of business plan is that? It's always uncomfortable to sit through a sales pitch, but it was even more awkward--upsetting, even--to have our money flat-out turned down.
As most of you noticed, we received our cuts from Apple Tree the next day. Our photographer at Paran, upon asking our due date, merely said that we would probably receive our cuts after our baby is born. Does it really take that long to edit three cuts? She also mentioned that that probably meant Hee Suk would be going back alone to pick up the frame. With Apple Tree, people usually pick up their prints, but we were able to opt to simply have it delivered to our place at our cost (which is pretty much the same cost as what it would be to travel there to pick it up). She really couldn't have given much less of a hoot about anything.
--Random Side Note: She was the first person who does not know me to say that my belly was "so big." From people I know, I like hearing that they have noticed that my belly has grown. It was just strange to hear it from her. She was a tiny little fashionista, so I probably did seem gigantic to her.
Anyway, I am glad for the opportunity to take these photos but obviously a little upset over several details. In the end, I am just happy we did not pay to work with these people. I am sure we will love the three cuts she chooses, but it's hard to get excited over them knowing how impersonal they are since she didn't care to connect with us.
**Hilarious addition: She took a few extra cuts that she wouldn't normally do and called it a service for us. Really? I don't really think taking pictures we will never see is that much of a service, but thanks anyway. It was funny to me. Another "favor" she did was help pull my hair back for the hanbok photos I took. She mentioned that they don't normally do that for anyone. I could have pulled my hair back myself, thanks. What really got to me, though, was that I had spent a bit of time doing my hair in the morning, but because the other outfit we were going to use wasn't ready right away (they needed to steam it), we did the hanbok photos first. My nice curly hair got brushed and pulled back into a bun. Nice. It turnd out fine in the end, but that was just not cool.
Anyway, it's time to eat. I will definitely share the pictures, though it might be several weeks until we see them. I just wanted to share our experience. In the end, I can't really complain--they were free, right? But still...a little more professionalism would have been appreciated.
I should have another post in the near-future. Sending much love and many prayers!
From spending quite a bit of time admiring other people's portraits, I gathered rather quickly that they don't allow for as much individuality and creativity. They have certain sets that they like to style certain ways and certain poses they feel work well. I went in expecting this.
They kindly greeted us when we arrived, but it wasn't a very warm or friendly welcome. The photographer we worked with was nice enough, but I felt from here that working at the studio was just a job to her and not really her passion. (The photographer from Apple Tree was so friendly and actually tried to connect with us.)
Even though I expected it, I was still surprised at how cookie-cutter they wanted everything. I got to pick my two outfits, and she showed us a couple of samples (which I had already seen) of the types of photos she was going to take. We had zero input.
With Apple Tree, we were able to look at a narrowed-down selection of what the photographer considered the best photos, and we picked our three cuts from there. This is very smart. This allows us to continue our excitement about the shoot and is a great way to rope people in to sign up for packages or at least buy more prints.
With Paran, all we saw were a few cuts she intermittently showed us on the camera after she was done with whatever outfit/set. We have no idea which photos she will pick for our three and if they will even be to our liking. I understand that we're getting these for free, but it just seems so impersonal and like a risk almost considering how much time it took us to get to the studio. We asked about buying them all on a CD (which is possible if you pay for your session) or coming in to view them all to possibly purchase additional prints, and she said no, that we would just get the three images plus whatever image we want of the three framed.
What kind of business plan is that? It's always uncomfortable to sit through a sales pitch, but it was even more awkward--upsetting, even--to have our money flat-out turned down.
As most of you noticed, we received our cuts from Apple Tree the next day. Our photographer at Paran, upon asking our due date, merely said that we would probably receive our cuts after our baby is born. Does it really take that long to edit three cuts? She also mentioned that that probably meant Hee Suk would be going back alone to pick up the frame. With Apple Tree, people usually pick up their prints, but we were able to opt to simply have it delivered to our place at our cost (which is pretty much the same cost as what it would be to travel there to pick it up). She really couldn't have given much less of a hoot about anything.
--Random Side Note: She was the first person who does not know me to say that my belly was "so big." From people I know, I like hearing that they have noticed that my belly has grown. It was just strange to hear it from her. She was a tiny little fashionista, so I probably did seem gigantic to her.
Anyway, I am glad for the opportunity to take these photos but obviously a little upset over several details. In the end, I am just happy we did not pay to work with these people. I am sure we will love the three cuts she chooses, but it's hard to get excited over them knowing how impersonal they are since she didn't care to connect with us.
**Hilarious addition: She took a few extra cuts that she wouldn't normally do and called it a service for us. Really? I don't really think taking pictures we will never see is that much of a service, but thanks anyway. It was funny to me. Another "favor" she did was help pull my hair back for the hanbok photos I took. She mentioned that they don't normally do that for anyone. I could have pulled my hair back myself, thanks. What really got to me, though, was that I had spent a bit of time doing my hair in the morning, but because the other outfit we were going to use wasn't ready right away (they needed to steam it), we did the hanbok photos first. My nice curly hair got brushed and pulled back into a bun. Nice. It turnd out fine in the end, but that was just not cool.
Anyway, it's time to eat. I will definitely share the pictures, though it might be several weeks until we see them. I just wanted to share our experience. In the end, I can't really complain--they were free, right? But still...a little more professionalism would have been appreciated.
I should have another post in the near-future. Sending much love and many prayers!
Monday, October 12, 2009
New Poll
I've posted a new poll regarding when you think our son will make his grand entrance. You'll notice that there are no options for anything more than a week early, save for one that is one week plus one day early. We've already informed him that this is not an option, and we are trying to channel some good, positive energy here. ^.~
If you care to share, please let me know which one you vote for!
If you care to share, please let me know which one you vote for!
The Crib is Here!
Our crib was delivered and put together this morning. It was so nice to not have to do anything to set it up. As some of you may know, Hee Suk did not inherit the tool-handling skills of his father, so putting things together with him can be quite a task at times (to say the least). It looks absolutely gorgeous.
I'm thinking that this might help everything to start sinking in. It is still hard to believe that we are now less than a month away from our due date. We will begin washing his clothes and his diapers very soon and getting everything more organized. Compared to others, we're getting this all done rather late, but the timing just really works out for what we need to do and how we need to do it.
Speaking of putting things together, we've got a few items on their way to help us get our hospital bag ready. I decided to buy two cute (and cheap!) nursing-friendly gowns to wear at the hospital so that I am not stuck in theirs the whole time, and we also found a nice button-down piece that should work really well for coming home. It was all very cheap, so I am happy about that. (We buy pretty much everything from the internet, so that's why I say "on their way".)
In other news, this weekend was really busy, as we spent most of it in different parts of Gyeonggido. At the end of last week, Hee Suk found yet another place to go to for free maternity portraits, but I told him yesterday I knew I would not be up to going this morning (the time we had scheduled). This place is a little different, though, in that they offer you free maternity plus 40-day portraits, so we asked if we could just do the 40-day photos. They said they usually don't do it like that, but they would allow us to just do the baby photos. We will also get a free album, so that will just include his pictures.
The reason I can't see going in for the maternity portraits is that now, my only available times are Wednesdays. Otherwise, my schedule is too tight. This Wednesday would have been awesome since we have our other photos being done, but the only appointment they had was too late in the day for us. The next two Wednesdays, I am having blood drawn for my self-donation, and I can't imagine going out and having photos done after that. And anyway, even if we only had the one set of portraits done, Hee Suk took such wonderful photos that I think those are good enough! Anyway, life is good.
I have zero energy right now, so I will have to call this quits. I can't do so, however, without first sending a huge thank you to my family, who has some amazing items on their way to us that are just a huge blessing. There will definitely be a ton of photos to share once it all arrives!
We are so truly blessed. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this pregnancy a very joyful one.
I'm thinking that this might help everything to start sinking in. It is still hard to believe that we are now less than a month away from our due date. We will begin washing his clothes and his diapers very soon and getting everything more organized. Compared to others, we're getting this all done rather late, but the timing just really works out for what we need to do and how we need to do it.
Speaking of putting things together, we've got a few items on their way to help us get our hospital bag ready. I decided to buy two cute (and cheap!) nursing-friendly gowns to wear at the hospital so that I am not stuck in theirs the whole time, and we also found a nice button-down piece that should work really well for coming home. It was all very cheap, so I am happy about that. (We buy pretty much everything from the internet, so that's why I say "on their way".)
In other news, this weekend was really busy, as we spent most of it in different parts of Gyeonggido. At the end of last week, Hee Suk found yet another place to go to for free maternity portraits, but I told him yesterday I knew I would not be up to going this morning (the time we had scheduled). This place is a little different, though, in that they offer you free maternity plus 40-day portraits, so we asked if we could just do the 40-day photos. They said they usually don't do it like that, but they would allow us to just do the baby photos. We will also get a free album, so that will just include his pictures.
The reason I can't see going in for the maternity portraits is that now, my only available times are Wednesdays. Otherwise, my schedule is too tight. This Wednesday would have been awesome since we have our other photos being done, but the only appointment they had was too late in the day for us. The next two Wednesdays, I am having blood drawn for my self-donation, and I can't imagine going out and having photos done after that. And anyway, even if we only had the one set of portraits done, Hee Suk took such wonderful photos that I think those are good enough! Anyway, life is good.
I have zero energy right now, so I will have to call this quits. I can't do so, however, without first sending a huge thank you to my family, who has some amazing items on their way to us that are just a huge blessing. There will definitely be a ton of photos to share once it all arrives!
We are so truly blessed. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this pregnancy a very joyful one.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Free Maternity Portraits with Apple Tree Studio
**I uploaded these from where I have them linked elsewhere, so that's why they are not thumbnailed. Please let me know if they don't show for whatever reason.**
Yesterday, we went out to Apple Tree Studio (the Hongdae location) for our first set of free maternity portraits (35w). I actually woke up that morning very tired and cranky and not in the mood to take pictures. I had an awful night's worth of sleep and got out of bed after giving up on trying to get any more rest. Not my favorite way to start the day. ;~; However, I guess something turned around once we were actually there, because I am happy with how the pictures turned out.
These aren't even the pro photos! Hee Suk called ahead to ask if he could take pictures while the photographer was, and they said, "Sure!" My guess is that they did not expect us to have such a nice one. *^^* He really had no idea what he was doing, but after he took a few shots, he felt like a pro and really got into it. He loves looking at the photos, but I think it's more because of him admiring his hidden talent. (You know it's true.)
The outfits and most accessories are from the studio. It's funny because we had looked at tons of maternity portraits and commented on how certain styles were "so Korean", so when we got into the little wardrobe area, I mentioned how I wanted a more beautiful style, not so cutesy. Cutesy just doesn't work on me. At her insistence, she had me take a few photos with some cutesy accessories, and we also wound up posing together for a few shots in ways that had Korea written all over them. We laughed so hard when she had us do this one stretching pose because the day before, we had been looking at maternity portrait samples and were laughing at it.
We will receive three pro cuts by email hopefully sometime today. My favorite photo, which is of the two of us, is in those cuts, so I can't wait to get it.
Anyway, just thought I'd share a few here, even though most people have already seen them. ^^ We hope that Paran will also allow us to bring our camera, but I am not banking on that one. I'm really excited to see how that session goes, seeing as the studio has a pretty different vision stylistically.
God bless!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Our Little Fuzzball
Today's appointment went very well. Even though he likes to drive me crazy throughout the week hiccuping here and there, he was again in an absolutely perfect position--head down, facing my spine. Thus far, he has proven to be quite obedient. ^.~ (We have many talks with him about positioning.)
We had a tiny bit of a scare before we got in to see the doctor. I took my blood pressure, and it was incredibly high--something like 143/85 (not those exact numbers, but close). I just knew it couldn't be right, though, so I sat down, fanned myself to cool off, drank some cold water and retested.
Final Results: 109/62 with a heart rate of 81bpm. Now that's more like it.
With this happening, I learned a very important lesson: do not drink hot tea right before taking your blood pressure.
As for my weight, it was almost 100% baby in gain. I came in at roughly 73.9kg (162.58 lbs), which was about a .75kg (1.65 lbs) increase. OK, well half of it was baby.
Our son now measures 2.5kg (5.5 lbs), which Hee Suk guessed exactly right before we were called in. Our doctor said, "Wow, you can be a doctor now!" It was cute. That puts him at a .4kg (.88 lbs) increase in the past two weeks. She was very happy with his progress, even saying he was big (but not in the way where doctors try to scare you into something). We had overheard a tidbit of the conversation she had with the couple before us, and it seems they were dealing with gestational diabetes and a baby that was measuring very small, so that might have contributed to her delight in seeing ours growing so well. (Definitely sending prayers that family's way.)
She also pointed out his hair to us. It seems like he's got a fuzzy head of short hair at this point. She mentioned how you can sometimes see the hair a baby with longer hair just flowing in the fluid, but his is just pretty fuzzy. I'll take whatever we can get!
Otherwise, I took the time to ask her a number of questions. She answered everything exactly as I had hoped. I had inquired about whether or not they do continual monitoring once you are admitted into L&D, and she, as she has said many times before, said that that was routine, but if I didn't want to, that was fine. She is very well aware of the differences between Korean people's preferred method of care versus foreigner's preferred method and completely respects it.
I asked when she planned to do a pelvic exam, and it looks like we'll just do it after 3 weeks at our 38-week appointment, which sounds great to me. It's usually either 37 or 38 weeks, but she said so long as there were no concerns, we could just do it at the 38-week one. I know some women are against having any done at all, but especially since this is our first child, I think it would be good to go ahead and do so.
The Group B Strep test is not routine here because Koreans have such a low rate of catching it, but when I asked, she said it would be better to be safe and just do it when we are doing the pelvic exam. Sounds good to me.
Apparently, chest x-rays are fairly common, though, since Korea has a higher rate of tuberculosis. She guessed correctly that I did not want to have it done, so we are not going to do that.
One of my last questions concerned the water here. Several expat parents do special treatments to their water, whether purifying or boiling it, before giving their baby a bath, so I asked her if this was really necessary. (Kudos to those who do it, but if we don't have to, I'd rather not.) Before our appointment, I said to Hee Suk, "My goodness, if I don't have any issues with it, I think it's fine." I loved how she responded with that she personally doesn't see a real need and that her philosophy is that being too clean is more harmful, which is what we also believe. We don't drink the tap water here, but we do obviously shower, wash our hands and brush our teeth with it. Unless he shows some skin irritations, we'll just be using our water at this point.
Anyway, even though I get anxious before each appointment, I always leave feeling very comfortable and motivated. We go again in two weeks and then every week thereafter. I can't believe how close we are. I truly can't believe it. Maybe after the crib is delivered next week, it will start to feel more real. We'll see!
Coming Up
-Free maternity photo shoot on Wednesday--will receive three free cuts.
-Crib coming next Monday.
-More free maternity photos next week Wednesday.
-Next appointment in just over two weeks--will have blood taken to reserve for an emergency and will also have a few final blood tests done.
-The appointment after (just over three weeks from now), I will have my pelvic exam and give the other half of the blood we will set aside.
Full Moon
The next full moon is November 2nd, almost exactly one week before our due date. Some people believe that the full moon has a strange way of helping to onset labor, so we'll see! Remember, though: I told him no earlier than November 3rd. ^.~
Thank You for such a wonderfully healthy child, my Lord. I pray for the family that was in before us, that the mother is able to eat well enough for the both of them and that their child continues to thrive. I also pray they find peace in You with the uncertainties that might be troubling them. You are so mighty, my King.
We had a tiny bit of a scare before we got in to see the doctor. I took my blood pressure, and it was incredibly high--something like 143/85 (not those exact numbers, but close). I just knew it couldn't be right, though, so I sat down, fanned myself to cool off, drank some cold water and retested.
Final Results: 109/62 with a heart rate of 81bpm. Now that's more like it.
With this happening, I learned a very important lesson: do not drink hot tea right before taking your blood pressure.
As for my weight, it was almost 100% baby in gain. I came in at roughly 73.9kg (162.58 lbs), which was about a .75kg (1.65 lbs) increase. OK, well half of it was baby.
Our son now measures 2.5kg (5.5 lbs), which Hee Suk guessed exactly right before we were called in. Our doctor said, "Wow, you can be a doctor now!" It was cute. That puts him at a .4kg (.88 lbs) increase in the past two weeks. She was very happy with his progress, even saying he was big (but not in the way where doctors try to scare you into something). We had overheard a tidbit of the conversation she had with the couple before us, and it seems they were dealing with gestational diabetes and a baby that was measuring very small, so that might have contributed to her delight in seeing ours growing so well. (Definitely sending prayers that family's way.)
She also pointed out his hair to us. It seems like he's got a fuzzy head of short hair at this point. She mentioned how you can sometimes see the hair a baby with longer hair just flowing in the fluid, but his is just pretty fuzzy. I'll take whatever we can get!
Otherwise, I took the time to ask her a number of questions. She answered everything exactly as I had hoped. I had inquired about whether or not they do continual monitoring once you are admitted into L&D, and she, as she has said many times before, said that that was routine, but if I didn't want to, that was fine. She is very well aware of the differences between Korean people's preferred method of care versus foreigner's preferred method and completely respects it.
I asked when she planned to do a pelvic exam, and it looks like we'll just do it after 3 weeks at our 38-week appointment, which sounds great to me. It's usually either 37 or 38 weeks, but she said so long as there were no concerns, we could just do it at the 38-week one. I know some women are against having any done at all, but especially since this is our first child, I think it would be good to go ahead and do so.
The Group B Strep test is not routine here because Koreans have such a low rate of catching it, but when I asked, she said it would be better to be safe and just do it when we are doing the pelvic exam. Sounds good to me.
Apparently, chest x-rays are fairly common, though, since Korea has a higher rate of tuberculosis. She guessed correctly that I did not want to have it done, so we are not going to do that.
One of my last questions concerned the water here. Several expat parents do special treatments to their water, whether purifying or boiling it, before giving their baby a bath, so I asked her if this was really necessary. (Kudos to those who do it, but if we don't have to, I'd rather not.) Before our appointment, I said to Hee Suk, "My goodness, if I don't have any issues with it, I think it's fine." I loved how she responded with that she personally doesn't see a real need and that her philosophy is that being too clean is more harmful, which is what we also believe. We don't drink the tap water here, but we do obviously shower, wash our hands and brush our teeth with it. Unless he shows some skin irritations, we'll just be using our water at this point.
Anyway, even though I get anxious before each appointment, I always leave feeling very comfortable and motivated. We go again in two weeks and then every week thereafter. I can't believe how close we are. I truly can't believe it. Maybe after the crib is delivered next week, it will start to feel more real. We'll see!
Coming Up
-Free maternity photo shoot on Wednesday--will receive three free cuts.
-Crib coming next Monday.
-More free maternity photos next week Wednesday.
-Next appointment in just over two weeks--will have blood taken to reserve for an emergency and will also have a few final blood tests done.
-The appointment after (just over three weeks from now), I will have my pelvic exam and give the other half of the blood we will set aside.
Full Moon
The next full moon is November 2nd, almost exactly one week before our due date. Some people believe that the full moon has a strange way of helping to onset labor, so we'll see! Remember, though: I told him no earlier than November 3rd. ^.~
Thank You for such a wonderfully healthy child, my Lord. I pray for the family that was in before us, that the mother is able to eat well enough for the both of them and that their child continues to thrive. I also pray they find peace in You with the uncertainties that might be troubling them. You are so mighty, my King.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Happy Chuseok!
This weekend is one of Korea's two biggest holidays: Chuseok. Most people "translate" it to mean "Korean Thanksgiving Day." Just about everyone travels back to their hometowns to celebrate, but given that I was uncomfortable on the train even in July when we were going a shorter distance, we decided we would just stay here.
Yesterday, we went to the National Museum of Korea. We had a great time! My legs were about to fall off by the end because of how huge the place was, but it was really wonderful (not to mention free ^.~). We'd definitely like to go back sometime and walk around the outdoor area.
This picture is of two figures from I believe the Silla Dynasty (I have to go back and double check) that are depicting "giving birth". I love the little figures the people used to make!
It was funny because with where my camera was positioned when I wasn't taking pictures (I use a neck strap to make sure I don't drop it), it looked like I was having our son take the pictures.
Today, we met up with our friends and headed to Hanok Village. It's close to our place and free, so why not? I had never heard of it, but one of my young students (who I wound up running into there!) suggested it when I mentioned where we had originally wanted to go (which would have taken forever to get to and perhaps even longer to get back since it is outside of Seoul). The weather was great, though it was definitely a bit more crowded than I had hoped for. It was a very nice day, and I am glad we got to celebrate the holiday a bit with their family!
In other news, I am a bit behind on belly pics, so I present to you this week's and last week's photos:
33 Weeks (plus)
34 Weeks (and what have you)
Next Appointment
Our next appointment was scheduled for this upcoming Wednesday, but we switched it to Monday to take advantage of another free photo offer we received. I am pretty sure it will mostly be a "hit and run," where she will just quickly check to make sure baby is still positioned well and that my fluid levels are okay. We'll see. I keep thinking of questions to ask, but I always think of them at times where it is next to impossible to write them down, such as when I am in the shower. By the time I get to a good spot to jot anything down, it's already left my mind.
What was that?
I woke up at about 5:30am this morning and wasn't feeling well. I just knew I was going to be tossing cookies. I went to the bathroom and tried to lie back down, but that was not happening. Our son thought it was a wonderful time to get the hiccups, which made me happy because it revealed his position was better than it had been the previous few days, but it certainly was far from helping my feel any better!
I almost drank a little of my milk ("my milk" = a kind of soy milk made from black beans) because it has amazing curative powers, especially for heartburn, but I just knew I wasn't battling against a simple case of discomfort this time. After pacing a little and sitting at the table, a few cookies were tossed. All I could think was, "God, please don't let it be food poisoning again." I've felt a little off all day today, but I've been fine.
I think something happened with the smoothie I had last night. Hee Suk has made it for me before without any issues, but I wonder if it just didn't sit well with having it so late. What I think might be more plausible, though, as we always eat late, is that the water I had sipped the couple of times I woke up before then was sitting uncomfortably, causing a little reflux. Either way, I am glad it was just one little episode.
Special Milestone
Today marks exactly one month until the earliest date I am allowing our son to come. As I have mentioned, we (his parents) have had many talks about this with him. 11.3 is the inverse of my birthday, 3.11, and is one week before his actual due date, so that is the earliest we are accepting from him. The short amount of time now is really unbelievable.
Anyway, that's about it for now. I am looking forward to just staying home all day tomorrow. Well, maybe we will pick up a few groceries, but otherwise, I am parking it here. For those who celebrate, please enjoy the holiday!
Lord, tonight my prayer is for Hee Suk's father, who has just developed diabetes in addition to his cancer. Please hold him tightly, Lord, and comfort him, even though he may be distancing himself from You. You know the prayer in my heart concerning this Lord.
Yesterday, we went to the National Museum of Korea. We had a great time! My legs were about to fall off by the end because of how huge the place was, but it was really wonderful (not to mention free ^.~). We'd definitely like to go back sometime and walk around the outdoor area.
This picture is of two figures from I believe the Silla Dynasty (I have to go back and double check) that are depicting "giving birth". I love the little figures the people used to make!
It was funny because with where my camera was positioned when I wasn't taking pictures (I use a neck strap to make sure I don't drop it), it looked like I was having our son take the pictures.
Today, we met up with our friends and headed to Hanok Village. It's close to our place and free, so why not? I had never heard of it, but one of my young students (who I wound up running into there!) suggested it when I mentioned where we had originally wanted to go (which would have taken forever to get to and perhaps even longer to get back since it is outside of Seoul). The weather was great, though it was definitely a bit more crowded than I had hoped for. It was a very nice day, and I am glad we got to celebrate the holiday a bit with their family!
In other news, I am a bit behind on belly pics, so I present to you this week's and last week's photos:
34 Weeks (and what have you)
Next Appointment
Our next appointment was scheduled for this upcoming Wednesday, but we switched it to Monday to take advantage of another free photo offer we received. I am pretty sure it will mostly be a "hit and run," where she will just quickly check to make sure baby is still positioned well and that my fluid levels are okay. We'll see. I keep thinking of questions to ask, but I always think of them at times where it is next to impossible to write them down, such as when I am in the shower. By the time I get to a good spot to jot anything down, it's already left my mind.
What was that?
I woke up at about 5:30am this morning and wasn't feeling well. I just knew I was going to be tossing cookies. I went to the bathroom and tried to lie back down, but that was not happening. Our son thought it was a wonderful time to get the hiccups, which made me happy because it revealed his position was better than it had been the previous few days, but it certainly was far from helping my feel any better!
I almost drank a little of my milk ("my milk" = a kind of soy milk made from black beans) because it has amazing curative powers, especially for heartburn, but I just knew I wasn't battling against a simple case of discomfort this time. After pacing a little and sitting at the table, a few cookies were tossed. All I could think was, "God, please don't let it be food poisoning again." I've felt a little off all day today, but I've been fine.
I think something happened with the smoothie I had last night. Hee Suk has made it for me before without any issues, but I wonder if it just didn't sit well with having it so late. What I think might be more plausible, though, as we always eat late, is that the water I had sipped the couple of times I woke up before then was sitting uncomfortably, causing a little reflux. Either way, I am glad it was just one little episode.
Special Milestone
Today marks exactly one month until the earliest date I am allowing our son to come. As I have mentioned, we (his parents) have had many talks about this with him. 11.3 is the inverse of my birthday, 3.11, and is one week before his actual due date, so that is the earliest we are accepting from him. The short amount of time now is really unbelievable.
Anyway, that's about it for now. I am looking forward to just staying home all day tomorrow. Well, maybe we will pick up a few groceries, but otherwise, I am parking it here. For those who celebrate, please enjoy the holiday!
Lord, tonight my prayer is for Hee Suk's father, who has just developed diabetes in addition to his cancer. Please hold him tightly, Lord, and comfort him, even though he may be distancing himself from You. You know the prayer in my heart concerning this Lord.
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