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 :-).

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!

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.

10 weeks today!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 10w3d
How big is baby: The size of a prune!
Weight gain/loss:  +2 (from pre-pregnancy weight)
Pregnancy symptoms: 10 weeks and still no morning sickness :-). Bloat has subsided. Tender breasts and slowly disappearing waistline :-/.
Maternity clothes: No. I can still fit in my regular clothes but pants and bras are getting tighter. I started using my belly band and love it. I can still button my pants but the belly band helps give support to my potbelly :-).
Stretch Marks: None. Still slathering myself with cocoa butter
Sleep: I have not been getting much sleep this week but the trip to the bathroom at night has decreased
Best moment this week: Hitting the double digits..10 weeks! Saw Baby Jarbs in my dreams
Movement: None
Food cravings: Granny smith apple and fruit smoothie
Food aversions: Still do not like sweets
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: In!
What I miss: Not having to think twice about everything that I put in my mouth :-)
What I am looking forward to: Another day care tour tomorrow
Milestones:

With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. Soon, legs will start working too.

Dreamt about Baby Jarbs

I have read that having vivid, weird dreams is one of the pregnancy symptoms. Well, I dreamt about Baby Jarbs last night :-). In my dream, Baby Jarbs was a girl! She was so cute but she was a big (I mean tall) baby. I did not start producing milk until 2 days after I gave birth. I then tried nursing Baby Jarbs but she won't take my milk :-(. That is where my dream ended. I told Daddy Jarbs about my dream as soon as I woke up this morning. He said "you sure that wasn't me?" Haha! Ummm, no! :-P.

Hmm..was the dream a premonition? Will we have a baby girl or was that my subconscious mind talking and wishing we'll have a girl? Will the baby get Daddy Jarbs' height and not take after mommy? :-P. We'll have to wait about 10 more weeks to find out the gender!

The neti pot works!!

Last week, I mentioned how I was feeling miserable because of my allergies. Since I am pregnant, I cannot take the allergy medicine that I normally take during this time of the year. I have been hearing a lot about the Neti Pot and how a lot of people swear by it. It is basically a nasal rinse and is good for sinuses and allergies. It is all natural and does not involve any chemicals.  I decided to try it out and see if indeed works. I got nothing to lose but everything to gain. I bought the starter kit from Amazon.com. The kit contains a ceramic neti pot which looks like a small genie lamp, salt jar and peppermint/eucalyptus oil.

The process involved in washing the nasal passages seems complicated. The process also sounds and looks gross especially to anybody who has not tried it. I made sure I followed the step by step instructions in the starter kit . I tried it for the first time a couple of days ago and was pleasantly surprised on how easily it worked for me! I did not have any problems with the rinsing process and felt instant relief from my stuffy nose! Wow! I am a believer!!! I now make sure I do the rinse two times a day, before I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning. Daddy Jarbs wanted to watch me do my rinse but I don't let him. I know he will just laugh at me. It will mess me up and I'd end up snorting the saline solution!!

You can watch the video and read the instructions here on how to use the neti pot. I know it looks gross but trust me, it works!! :-). Instant, drug-free allergy relief. Two thumbs up for the neti pot!!!

Day care tour

This morning Daddy Jarbs and I went on a day care tour. We went to the Esther Peterson Child Development Center at the Department of Labor building. This was our first day care tour so we did not really know what to expect. As we were walking in the center, there were two buggys full of toddlers on their way out for their morning "walk". The kids were so cute. The assistant principal showed us around the center. We got to visit the infant, toddler & pre-K rooms. They also have a little outdoor playground where kids play everyday. The infants get their own mini-crib where they can take their naps. We like that this center is relatively close to both our offices and our house. We also liked that the building is secure and that the parents can visit the baby anytime they want. Overall, we were pleased with the center and signed up on their waitlist. We had to pay a $75 non-refundable fee. Only downside is we get third priority on the list since we are not DOL or  federal employees. Daddy Jarbs is a Federal contractor though so we do get third priority in the list.  There is about an 18-month wait on the list. We are crossing our fingers that a spot will open up for us on our desired date which is around spring of 2011. Baby Jarbs will be around 6 month old by then.

We have another tour scheduled with another day care center next week and plan to sign up on the waitlist for three more centers. Hopefully, we'll get a spot in at least one of those!

9 weeks today!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 9w
How big is baby: The size of a green olive!
Weight gain/loss:  +1
Pregnancy symptoms: 9 weeks and still no morning sickness. Thank God! The bloatness is starting to subside. Aside from sleepiness and frequent urination, I still feel great!
Maternity clothes: Nope but I bought a couple of Belly Bands last week. They were on sale so I had to buy them. I know one day I'll eventually need them.
Stretch Marks: None
Sleep: I still get 7-8 hours of sleep but need to get up 4-5 times a night to go pee :-/.
Best moment this week: Telling immediate family members and close friends about the addition to the family
Movement: None
Food cravings: Crabs, crabs, crabs! After last Saturday's crab feast in Baltimore, my sister bought 3 dozen crabs last Monday. I ate a dozen :-). I think I am finally done with my crab craving. On to the next...
Food aversions: Still do not like sweets
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: In!
What I miss: Taking allergy medicine! I have pollen allergies which I get every spring. I normally take claritin, use nasal spray and eye drops but since I am still in my 1st trimester, I can't take any of them :-(. I am starting to feel miserable now with my stuffy nose and itchy eyes!
What I am looking forward to: We're doing a tour of the day care at DOL tomorrow and will decide which day cares we'll sign up on the wait list for.
Milestones:

 

Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like...well...a baby!

I love spring BUT

...I hate allergies!!! :-(. I woke up this morning with a sore throat, itchy eyes and stuffy nose :-(.  I am allergic to pollen and my allergies normally peak around early spring. Since I am pregnant, I can't take any of my allergy medicine. I normally have to take claritin, use nasal spray (flonase), and eye drops (Pathanol). Yes, the works! Needless to say, I felt miserable all day. I called my doctor's office and talked to the nurse to ask if there is anything that I can take. The nurse said I can take Claritin and Benadryl. During second tri, I can start taking Flonase. I told my sister, Dr. Elie about this but she advised me not to take Claritin and just have Benadryl instead. She said they don't prescribe Claritin to patients especially during 1st tri. She gave me a website where you can check whether a drug is safe to take or not. The site says this about Claritin: "Data not available in human pregnancy but reported possible association with some congenital defects: Cardiac defects, diaphragmatic hernia, cleft palate, microphthalmia and deafness". I do not want to take any chance so I had to pass on Claritin and researched other natural ways to relieve my allergy.

Lately, I have been hearing a lot about the Netipot. A lot of my friends swear by it so I thought I'd give it a shot. It is a nasal rinse which is suppose to relieve allergies and other sinus problems. I ordered one at Amazon.com and will get it on Wednesday.  I can't wait to try it out!

At this point, I am willing to try anything just to feel better and relieve my allergies naurally so on Saturday, I scheduled an appointment with an acupunturist! I have not tried acupuncture but have heard a lot of people get allergy relief after a few treatments. My insurance covers acupuncture treatments so I don't have anything to lose. Given how bad my allergies are, I can't last the whole spring season without getting some sort of relief.

Baby shower

Today, I went to a baby shower for our good friend, Barbs. She is having a baby girl and is due on May 7th. Our babies will be 5 months apart. We'll definitely schedule play dates together when Baby Jarbs arrives!

With my bestest girlfriends Barbs, Ana, Dulce & Haydee

Congrats to the soon-to-be parents Barbs & Rommel!

The cat is out of the bag...

Today we had a Jarbs family get together to celebrate the birthday of Daddy Jarbs' sister, Terri, nephew Zach and niece Kaitlin. During dinner, we broke the news.  Everybody was happy to hear the news. The aunts and cousins were excited to hear about the addition to the Jarbs family!

Day trip to Baltimore

We were blessed with another amazing spring weather today. Daddy Jarbs and I took the day off from work and took Lola Bebot and Tita Elie to Baltimore. We got there around lunch time. Since my doctor gave me a clear pass to eat crabs, we went straight to a crab house called L.P. Steamers for lunch.  I ordered a dozen jumbo crabs which I shared with Daddy Jarbs, my mom and sister. They each ate one or two crabs. I had eight!!  The crabs were sooo yummy and the bebeh in my tummy was so happy!! :-).

After lunch, we went to the Baltimore Aquarium and enjoyed looking at all different kinds of fishes and sea creatures. They also had a pretty cool dolphin show and 4D theater.

To wrap up our day trip in Baltimore, Tita Elie treated us to an awesome dinner in Daddy and Mommy Jarbs' favorite restaurant, Roy's.

Dinner at Roy's won't be complete without having the best chocolate souffle in the whole world :-). I had been staying away from sweets but I had to have this one!

Funny Lolo...

So we finally told my dad, Lolo (Grandpa in Filipino) Eddie, about the baby news. He is in Manila so we had to call him to deliver the news. This was how our phone conversation went:

Mommy Jarbs: "Hi Dad! We got news for you!!"
Lolo Eddie: "You got neosporin?"
Mommy Jarbs: "Nooo! I said we got newwwsss forrrr youuu"
Lolo  Eddie: "Neosporin? Thank you!"
[Daddy Jarbs, Lola Bebot & Tita Elie were listening and hysterically laughing]
Mommy Jarbs: "NO! NEWS FOR YOU!"
Lolo Eddie: "Oh news!? What?
Mommy Jarbs: "You're gonna be a LOLO!"
Lolo Eddie: "He-llo??"
Mommy Jarbs: "No, LOLO!!"
Lolo Eddie: "Ah..really? Ok, I will go there and babysit!" :-)

LOL! Lolo Eddie's so funny :-).

8 weeks today

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 8w
How big is baby: The size of a raspberry!
Weight gain/loss: Still +/- 1 depending on the day
Pregnancy symptoms: Besides bloat, breat tenderness, sleepiness and frequent urination, I feel great! Still no morning sickness. My doctor said I should feel lucky!
Maternity clothes: Nope although I prefer wearing loose, comfortable clothes to hide my bloat.
Stretch Marks: None. I've been religiously applying Palmer's cocoa butter everyday.
Sleep: On the average, I sleep about 7-8 hours a day. My sleep gets interrupted though since I now have to get up and go to the bathroom about 5x during the night.
Best moment this week: Finally seeing Baby Jarbs yesterday
Movement: None
Food cravings: My cravings varied this past week. One day, I craved for Korean food, next day, Italian food and a couple of night ago, Mexican food.
Food aversions: Still do not like sweets
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: In!
What I miss: My energy
What I am looking forward to: Telling the baby news to our family and close friends. We do not plan to announce to the rest of the world until much later.
Milestones: 

Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways.