14 weeks today!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 14w3d
How big is baby: The size of a lemon!
Weight gain/loss: +5 (from pre-pregnancy weight)
Pregnancy symptoms: Increased appetite
Maternity clothes: Nope but my friend just loaned her maternity clothes to me and another co-worker offered to loan her mat. clothes too! Yay!
Stretch Marks: None
Sleep: Still learning to sleep on my left side. Sleep this past week has been good except for last night when I woke up at the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep.
Best moment this week: Somebody at the gym that I go to asked my co-worker if I am pregnant. I guess I am slowly starting to look pregnant and not just somebody who gained weight :-).
Movement: None but I can feel my uterus stretching
Food cravings: Salty food
Food aversions: Frozen yogurt and sweet food in general
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: Still in but it gets stretched out when my belly is full!
What I miss: Eating poke (raw tuna)! Daddy Jarbs made poke 2x during the past week and I can't have any :-(.
What I am looking forward to: Hearing Baby Jarbs' heartbeat during our next doc's appointment which is in 2 weeks!
Milestones:

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine, and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys, and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over her body for warmth.

Baby gears...

The past couple of weeks have been pretty uneventful since we did not have any baby related things to do. I took the opportunity to read and start my research on baby gears. There are TONS of baby stuff out there so I want to read up and research on them before we purchase anything. I know it is easy to fall into the trap of buying stuff for Baby Jarbs. After all, the baby stuff are just so adorable :-). However, Daddy Jarbs and I want to be smart with our purchases. We do not want to end up buying things which we won't really need or end up as unnecessary junk in our house.

I just finished reading The Gilfriends' Guide to Baby Gear. It tells you what stuff to buy/not to buy, what to borrow and what not.

I have started reading Baby Bargains. It has different reviews of different baby products which will helpfully make our decision easier in which products to choose, taking into consideration the safety ratings, cost, usefulness, etc. I am hoping to slowly start putting together a list of the basic baby things that we need so we will not feel overwhelmed when we visit the baby store.

          

More yoga..

Daddy Jarbs and I took two yoga classes this week at our neighborhoos yoga stuido, Yoga District. We went to a beginner's class last Wednesday and a restorative yoga class today. The classes were not prenatal yoga but I made the instructor aware that I am expecting. They had me make adjustments and do prenatal poses. Daddy Jarbs have not had any yoga experience prior to these classes. He liked yoga though so we may continue going to these classes together. It's a fun activity that both of us can do before Baby Jarbs arrives!

Maternity dress shopping...FAIL

Daddy Jarbs and I went to Tar-jay (Target) today to buy a couple of things for the house. I do not need maternity clothes yet but since we're already at Tarjay, I decided to venture over their maternity section and check out what they have. I refuse to spend money buying expensive maternity clothes which I am only going to use for a few months so I am all for buying them for cheap. Just for the heck of it, I tried on a couple of maternity blouses. They were waaay too big for me :-(. Long story short, Daddy Jarbs bought me 2 kimono sleeve dresses which I got at the JUNIOR'S section for $15 each! Score! I'll be able to use them now, as my tummy gets bigger and even after I give birth :-).

Daddy Jarbs

A couple of days ago, I went through Daddy Jarbs' memory box which was given to him by his mom, Grandma Jarbs, two Christmases ago. I saw his baby book and found out that he was born with a weight of a whopping 9 lbs 4 oz!!! Holy moly, what a big baby!! For a second, I got scared that Baby Jarbs might take after Daddy Jarbs and turn out to be that big as well. With my built, I am not sure if my body can handle popping out a 9 lb baby. I may end up having c-section!!

How big do you think Baby Jarbs will turn out to be? We'll just have to wait until October to find out.

Daddy Jarbs - what a chubby little baby!

13 weeks today!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 13w3d
How big is baby: The size of a peach!
Weight gain/loss: +4 (from pre-pregnancy weight)
Pregnancy symptoms: HUGE appetite! I can do nothing but eat all day :-).
Maternity clothes: Still wearing regular, pre-pg clothes although I am leaning towards wearing dresses/loose tops since they feel less constricting
Stretch Marks: None
Sleep: I've had good days and bad days. There are nights when I sleep through the night with no problem. There are also nights when I wake up in the middle of the night and just toss & turn. I am a "side-sleeper" and most of the time sleep on my right side. However, since I now sleep on the left side of the bed, I have been training myself to sleep on my left side as well.  I read that sleeping on my left side benefits the baby by improving blood flow – and therefore nutrients – to the placenta. It also helps the kidneys efficiently eliminate waste products and fluids from your body, which in turn reduces swelling in your ankles, feet, and hands.
Best moment this week: At my dentist's office this morning. After I told the receptionist and 2 hygienists that I am expecting, my hygienist (after recovering from shock from the baby news lol) said "oh that's why you look so beautiful" lol. Made my day :-). I guess I look crappy all other times that I have gone to the dentist! Haha.
Movement: None. Hopefully, in a few weeks I will start to feel Baby Jarbs move.
Food cravings: Salty food. I know I have to be careful and not eat too much salty food which leads to water retention and possibly pre-eclampsia!
Food aversions: Frozen yogurt and sweet food in general
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: Still in!
What I miss: Still missing my allergy meds
What I am looking forward to: Yoga class tonight with Daddy Jarbs!
Milestones:

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords...savor this, their nonfunctional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with his head now only one third the size of his body. And intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy -- much more convenient.

Prenatal yoga!

A week ago, I ordered a pre-natal yoga dvd on Amazon. It was recommended to me by my friend Christine who just recently gave birth. I had the chance to try it out last Saturday. I did the 45 min. pratice and loved it! Most of the poses are not new to me since I had already been going to yoga classes before I got pregnant. With this dvd, we did a lot of hip stretching/opening poses which I know will be helpful in preparing for labor later on.

In a few weeks, as my belly gets bigger, I'll enroll in a prenatal class. It will be a good way to meet other pregnant mamas!

Incidentally, I am taking Daddy Jarbs to his first yoga class tomorrow! We had been meaning to do this together since a while back but have not had the have the chance. We are going to Yoga District which is walking distance from our house. We just bought Daddy Jarbs' yoga mat tonight. It should be pretty interesting to see how he'll do given that he is not the most flexible person in the world :-).

Goodbye 1st tri...

As I say goodbye to the 1st trimester of my pregnancy, I can't help but think and look back how the 1st three months have been. I feel very blessed and fortunate to have an easy and comfortable pregnancy so far (knock on wood). I haven't had any morning sickness or any other crappy symptoms. I hope it stays this way through 2nd trimester and beyond :-). Daddy Jarbs has been great and very supportive. He has also been understanding from the getgo, especially when I have my moods :-). Our friends and family have been very supportive as well. To our little pumpkin, Baby Jarbs, thanks for not giving Mommy Jarbs a hard time so far. We can't wait to feel your kicks and find out whether we need to paint your nursery blue or pink :-).

Time does really go by fast. We only have 6 more months before we meet Baby Jarbs. For now, Daddy Jarbs and I are enjoying spending quality time together and getting a lot of sleep before Baby Jarbs rocks our world :-).

Sour & salty cravings

I am back to craving sour & salty food again. Mid-day today, the only thing I can think of is to eat salted popcorn or salt & vinegar chips!! I went to the convenience store right by my office building and got myself a small bag of UTZ salt and vinegar chips. Salty heaven!!! It was not enough to satisfy my cravings though. Then I started thinking about green mangoes and shrimp paste :=). This was one of my very first cravings even before I found out I was pregnant.

After work,  Daddy Jarbs and I drove out to Grand Mart (Asian store) in Virginia to buy some green mangoes. I was disappointed that they did not have the kind of mangoes that I want so I settled for the slightly ripe Mexican mangoes. It was good enough to satisfy my cravings but I would have preferred the unripe, sour green mangoes.

Daddy Jarbs ended up buying fresh lobsters at Grand Mart and made us yummy lobster dinner with baked yuca on the side.

 Daddy Jarbs ready to attack the lobsters :-).

12 weeks today!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 12w3d
How big is baby: The size of a plum!
Weight gain/loss: +3 (from pre-pregnancy weight) but -0.5 lbs from last doctor's appointment
Pregnancy symptoms: Nose bleeding, increased appetite, round ligament pains
Maternity clothes: Have not bought any maternity clothes yet but had to buy new bras. Went up a cup size already :-/.
Stretch Marks: None
Sleep: I feel like I am slowly getting my energy back so I can now stay up a little bit later than I used to. It helps me sleep through the night rather than sleep early, wake up and toss and turn in the middle of the night. Daddy Jarbs and I have switched sides of the bed where we normally sleep. He used to sleep on the side closer to the bathroom. Since I have to get up at least 3x a night to pee, I forced him to switched sides so I'll have a closer walk to the loo :-).
Best moment this week: Hearing Baby Jarbs' strong heartbeat via the doppler
Movement: None but in a few weeks I should be able to feel some movements
Food cravings: Cosi's artic mocha, green mangoes
Food aversions: Still do not like sweets.
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: In!
What I miss: Taking my allergy meds. Because of the extremely high pollen count this season, the netipot and Benadryl are not enough :-/.
What I am looking forward to: 2nd trimester and being out of the danger zone!
Milestones:

As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of her systems are fully formed.

12 week appointment

I had my 12 week doctor's appointment this morning. Everything went well. It was just a standard routine check up where they checked my weight (lost 1/2 lb from last appointment?!) and got my blood drawn. My OB said it looks like everything is going great since I do not have any issues. She said since I am petite, she will not be alarmed if I only gain about 20 lbs. The highlight of the appointment was being able to hear Baby Jarbs' heartbeat via the doppler. The doctor said some babies do not cooperate and she has a hard time finding the heartbeat but not Baby Jarbs. As soon as the doppler touched my belly, there goes Baby Jarbs' heartbeat :-). It was beating at about 150 bpm. Daddy Jarbs cannot join me for the appointment so I recorded Baby Jarbs' heartbeart for him. At first my phone was not cooperating but glad it eventually worked. Go to THIS (click download and then "open" to play audio) link to listen to Baby Jarbs' heartbeat at 12w2d.

My next appointment will be next month at 16 weeks and then we come back for the big appointment at 20 weeks where we will find out Baby Jarbs' gender :-).

Day care

As I previously mentioned, we did another day care tour at the Bright Start Childcare center in Petworth last week. This is the third (hopefully the last) center that Daddy Jarbs and I have visited. Despite the location, we really liked this center. When we got there, we were given a tour by Ms. Wright who was the assistant director in the center. The day care is clean, spacious and bright. They just opened their center last October so they are fairly new. The center has coded entry. We were told that parents will be assigned their own key code which they can use in entering the center. Therefore, no code, no entry. They also have webcams all around the center. We can go online anytime and see/watch our kid. We thought that was pretty cool. The center is also bilingual Spanish which is great. The teachers can teach Baby Jarbs Spanish which will hopefully help him in understanding the Filipino language (which is very similar to Spanish). While we were there, we have bumped into a couple of parents who dropped off their kids and they only had good things to stay about the center. We felt that the providers genuinely care for the kids and that they give the kids more personal attention especially the infants who need it the most. We did not get the same impression when we visited other centers. Overall, we were pleased with this daycare. We signed up on their wait list. Since we signed up early, we have high priority in their list and a spot will be ready for Baby Jarbs whenever we are ready. This is a huge sigh of relief for us. We now do not have to worry about finding child care for Baby Jarbs when I am ready to go back to work. One downside regarding this facility is the location. It is 3 miles north from our house which is out of the way to work. However, our plan is to put Baby Jarbs here first and then move him to the DOL daycare when a spot opens. This way, Baby Jarbs will learn how to adapt to change easily ;-). The DOL daycare is only a few blocks away from our offices and if Daddy Jarbs ends up getting assigned there (keeping our fingers crossed), it will be much more convenient for us.

I am glad I could cross the day care out of our to-do-list. On to the next...

Girls day out!

This afternoon, while Daddy Jarbs is playing softball with his new softball league, I went out with my girlfriends to the Bump It Up Party at the W Hotel. It is a book launch event for Amy Koch's Bump It Up pregnancy style bible. The event is for moms-to-be and to those who are planning to get pregnant. As soon as we walked in at the party, we got goodie bags from Bliss Spa and Great Beginnings store. We were also treated to yummy cupcakes, mocktails (we had non-alcoholic mojitos) and pampering treatments from Bliss Spa. It felt good getting a nice shoulder rub for a few minutes and a refreshing oxygen treatment. We also met the author of the book, Amy Koch, who gave some advice on style do's and dont's for pregnant moms. 

After the Bump It Up party, the girls and I had fabulous lunch at the W's POV rooftop lounge. The weather was great so it was a nice day to have lunch overlooking the city. Overall, it was a fun girls day. Thanks to my friend Malia for passing the 411 for this event :-).

Yummy cupcakes

Patty getting her oxygen treatment

Arlynn and second time mom Patty with her adorable 4 month old baby Valentina

1st Trimester screening results are in!

I got a call from the genetic counselor from GW Hospital. She told me that the results for the 1st trimester testing are in and everything is NORMAL. This means that Baby Jarbs has very small risk of having chromosomal abnormalities, including Down’s Syndrome Trisomy-21 and Trisomy-18. We also do not have to have further genetic testings such as the chorionic villus sampling (CVS), or second trimester amniocentesis which are more invasive. Great news!! Hooray for Baby Jarbs :-).

11 weeks today!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 11w3d
How big is baby: The size of a lime!
Weight gain/loss:  +3 (from pre-pregnancy weight). So far, my weight gain has been in check and within the normal weight gain range for 1st trimester. Slowly but surely!!
Pregnancy symptoms: Had one day of dizzy spell! Tender breasts and slowly growing belly Maternity clothes: No. I can still fit in my regular clothes but since I haven't outted myself at work, I prefer to wear loose tops to hide my slowly growing bump.
Stretch Marks: None
Sleep: Been having trouble sleeping through the night. I would pass out around 10 pm but would wake up around 3 am and don't fall back to sleep until after a couple of hours. According to my research, this is normal for pregnant women since the hormones are changing.
Best moment this week: Seeing Baby Jarbs in the NT scan yesterday!
Movement: None although I can feel some minor cramping on my lower left abdomen. It's probably my uterus stretching.
Food cravings: No significant craving this week
Food aversions: Still do not like sweets. Thank God!
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: In!
What I miss: None that I can think of this week
What I am looking forward to: 12-week appointment with my OB next week and finally being in the 2nd trimester!
Milestones:

The fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through it. But fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds, and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future.

Baby Jarbs looks like a baby now...

Daddy Jarbs and I started the day with a daycare tour at Bright Start Child Care Center in Petworth. We really liked the center and have signed Baby Jarbs on their wait list. More than likely, Baby Jarbs will have to go to this daycare before we switch him/her to the daycare downtown. I will write more about how the daycare tour went in a separate post.

The highlight of our day was our appointment for the first trimester screening. Mothers who are age 30 and above are recommended to have this non-invasive genetic screening to assess the baby's risk of having Down syndrome and some other chromosomal abnormalities. Not all health insurance covers this screening. I am lucky that my insurance covers it so we decided to go ahead and get it. The screening includes an NT scan (nuchal fold scan) which uses ultrasound to measure the clear space in the tissue at the back of the baby's developing neck. They also have to take a blood test.

For our first trimester screening appointment, we had to go to a medical facility across from GW hospital. I was advised to come with a moderately full bladder. On the way to the appointment, I drank about 16 ozs of water. By the time we got to GW, I had to go to the coffee shop to relieve myself :-). Daddy Jarbs bought me another liter of bottled water to drink to refill my bladder. Worried that my bladder would not be full by the time we have our ultrasound, I finished drinking the whole liter of water in like 15 mins! By the time my name got called to see the genetic counselor, I was ready to go to the restroom again! :-/ However, I HAD to hold my pee since I can't have an empty bladder for the ultrasound. It was torture to say the least.

Long story short, we got to see Baby Jarbs again and now he/she looks like a baby :-). At first, we thought we would have to come back for another ultrasound appointment since the baby was not measuring as big as what they would need for the test. However, a few minutes later, Baby Jarbs stretched and the technician was able to do the test that she needed to do. Smart baby! :-). I guess Baby Jarbs was getting smooshed by my full bladder. The technician said that next time I do not have to drink THAT much before an ultrasound! LOL.

 Here's the photo of Baby Jarbs at 11w2d. 

Daddy Jarbs thinks he's a boy. He said the arms are flexed so he's showing his muscles! LOL

Overall, the appointment went great! Baby Jarbs looks like a baby now and not like a big blob during the 8 wk appointment. We got to see  him/her move. We also got to hear the heartbeat which was 163 bpm! What a strong baby :-). The technician said Baby Jarbs' nasal bone is already formed which is a great sign. Most of the time, the absense of nasal bone is an indicator of down syndrome. Baby Jarbs' nose was also very prominent. Perhaps, he/she will have Daddy Jarbs' nose and not take after Mommy Jarbs' Filipino nose :-). Here is a video of the ultrasound. Pardon Daddy Jarbs' shaky hand. 

http://vimeo.com/10724685 from Mommy Jarbs on Vimeo.

This day could have not gone any better :-). What a great day!

Babymoon booked!

With Baby Jarbs' impending arrival in October, Daddy Jarbs and I had to make changes to our vacation plans this year. We were originally going to the Philippines to visit Mommy Jarbs' family and to get some R&R in Boracay. I was very close to booking our ticket to Manila but I am glad that I kept stalling. Little did we know that God has other plans for us. We have finally decided that we will forego with the Manila trip. Daddy Jarbs wants to use his vacation days when Baby Jarbs arrives. That way, he will be able to help me at home especially during those crucial first few weeks. 

We got invited to attend my cousin's wedding in Los Angeles this coming June. Since we will be out on the West coast for the wedding, we thought we'd plan our babymoon around it. We found a good deal on a flight to Cabo San Lucas so that's where we're going! We are staying at Pueblo Bonito Rose Resort. We have friends who have stayed in this resort and highly recommend it. It's in a good location and is a close walk to downtown.

This will be our last adult vacation before the baby arrives. Our exotic vacation in the next few years may be limited to trips to Disneyland & Hershey Park :-). We're looking forward to doing nothing but relax. I will be 19 weeks then so my belly will be bigger but it shouldn't be too bad. According to my doctor, second trimester is the best time to travel since I will (apparently) have my energy back. I can't wait!

Sympathy pregnancy

This morning was the first time since I got pregnant that I experienced a dizzy spell. It was one day short from turning 11 weeks! My dizzy spell was not very bad but I had to lay down to keep my head from spinning. I ended up falling asleep on the couch in the living room while Daddy Jarbs was doing his garden work outside the house. A couple of hours later, I woke up from my nap and went up to the bedroom to lay down in bed. A few minutes later Daddy Jarbs came in the room and asked why I felt dizzy. I said, I do not know. He said "I feel dizzy and nauseous now too!" and then laid down in bed beside me.  I thought he was pulling my leg but he really wasn't feeling well!! He had to stop what he was doing so he can lay down. nstead of feeling sorry for him, I started laughing :-). He started laughing too. Coincidence? I don't think so. Sympathy pregnancy? Maybe!! According to this article, having sympathy pains or also known as couvade syndrome is not a pregnancy myth.

"Psychology-based theories suggest that symptoms of couvade may be physical manifestations of a man’s subconscious attempts to adjust to the pregnancy. During his partner’s pregnancy, a man may manifest symptoms in order to (subconsciously) identify with his partner, bond with the fetus, assert his paternity, or reclaim his wife’s attention."

Aww, poor Daddy Jarbs. I know I should feel sorry for him for not feeling well but I can't help but think it was hilarious. All the laughing actually helped me feel a little better :-).


I was craving for KFC chicken today. Daddy Jarbs, who is vegetarian, drove to KFC to get me my chicken :-).

Another day care tour

It was another nice spring day so Daddy Jarbs and I decided to walk from home to work this morning. We had a 10 am appointment at the US Kids Day Care. We stopped at Chinatown to grab a quick breakfast and then walked to the day care. On our way in, a group of infants in their buggy were on their way out for their morning walk. They were so adorable. One baby was waving goodbye and the other one was chilling in the stroller with her pink sunglasses. So cute!

US Kids is on 14th Street which is about a 5-6 block walk from Mommy & Daddy Jarbs' offices. We met with the Director who gave us a tour. This center is smaller compared to the one we visited last week. As expected, there is about an 18 month wait on their waitlist. Since this is our second day care tour, we now have a better idea on what we should look out for and can compare to the previous one that we have visited. Overall, we still like the DOL day care better. They seem to be more organized compared to US Kids. At DOL, the kids have their own cubbies where you can put all their stuff. At US Kids, they just have storage room and each baby has a plastic storage box for their stuff. It was a little bit disorganized for me.We also did not like that they do not have a secured outdoor playground where kids can run and play. Not that Baby Jarbs will be running anytime soon but a playground is always good to have.  Since this center is smaller, it does seem like the kids are given more attention. The kids also walk to the park and museums during the day. Anyway, we did end up signing up on the wait list for this center. The Director said we can call her every week to check if there is an  open spot whenever we are ready to put the baby in day care. Well, she will definitely hear from me. I can bug her every week or even every day! It's what I do best! :-). After the day care tour, Daddy Jarbs and I walked back to our offices. We had a total of 2.5 mile walk this morning. I got half of my work out done for the day. We'll walk again from office to home this afternoon and that's another ~1.7 miles :-).

On a related topic, we found another day care that is about 3 miles north of our house. It is a little bit out of the way but the commute should not be that bad. I found out that there is NO wait list in their center. Whew! It is a fairly new, bilingual Spanish day care center.  They have webcams which we think is pretty cool. We'll visit their center next week. At least now I feel relieved that we will be able to bring Baby Jarbs here anytime we need day care help. We can always switch him to DOL when a spot opens up.