I'm on staycation!

Today is the first day of my 8-day "staycation". I am off work until Thursday next week!! :-)

I drove to Fredericksburg, VA this morning to my maternity photographer's studio.  While I was walking towards the building where the studio is, there was a lady standing outside the building talking on her phone. As I was walking in, she stopped talking on her phone to tell me I look so cute with my pregnant belly and asked when I am due lol. I thought it was pretty funny that she had to put the other person on the phone on hold just to talk to me.

After driving up from Fredericksburg, I went to Buy Baby and Babies R Us to get some stuff. I couldn't help but take a photo of this parking spot. I only have a few weeks left before Baby Jarbs arrives so I gotta make use of my mommy-to-be privileges :-).

 

35 weeks!

How far along?: 35w3d
How big is the baby?: the size of a honeydew!
Weight gain/loss: 27 lbs! I am glad water retention is gone!! I lost over 3 lbs of water weight during the last few days.
Pregnancy symptoms: sensitive gums, growing belly. Baby Jarbs has changed position today so I feel less uncomfortable. I don't feel the pressure in my groin anymore. Hmm, maybe she moved up? She's suppose to move down!
Maternity clothes: Still dresses and my two maternity work pants!!
Stretch Marks:  None! I hope it stays that way until the end!
Sleep: Sleep has been better this week but for the last couple of days I keep waking up at 5 am!
Best moment this week: Daddy Jarbs and I checking out strollers & carseats last weekend. We both did not know what to do so we were both cracking up.  
Movement: Yes. She changes position a lot.
Food cravings: Nachos, watermelon
Food aversions: none
Labor signs: none
Belly button in or out: outie :-(
What I miss: Not having to pee 100x a day!
What I am looking forward to: My 8-day "staycation"! I'll be doing a lot of nesting & sleeping :-)
Milestones:

From now on, baby's growth is mostly in the plumping up department -- though she won't get much longer, she'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. (She's about 15 percent right now and will be about 30 percent by full-term.) Her hearing is totally developed (tip: baby responds best to higher pitches).

I swallowed a whole watermelon!

Teehee :-)

Photo by Marta Locklear

What a busy day!

Daddy Jarbs and I had a full day today. Our friends Patty & Christian swung by the house late morning to pick up the old armoire that we gave away. When they left, we walked around the neighborhood to check out the farmers market and the new tavern that will open up soon near our house. Since we're at the homestretch, Daddy Jarbs and I plan to do more walking around the neighborhood to help Baby Jarbs go down and be in the optimal position for birth.

In the afternoon, we went to Sibley for our Baby Care class. This is the last of the 3 prenatal classes that we planned to take. The class was taught by Juliana from Birth-N-Babies. We learned about the basics on how to take care of the baby. Each couple were given baby dolls to play with. We learned how to properly swaddle, put diapers on, give baby a bath, etc. 

After the class, off we went to Great Beginnings to pick up the glider that we ordered. While we were there, we checked out the different infant car seats to make sure they fit right in our car. I am glad with did this because it turned out that some carseat fit better in our car compared to others.

Daddy Jarbs and I wrapped up our busy day with dinner at Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg. We hung out for a little bit and watch the Redskins game in there. It was a good game but too bad they lost. Boo!

Now, we're home and both pooped! It was a busy and tiring day. Good news for me though is I only have to work 3 days this week then I am off for the next 8 days. Woot! Woot! :-)

Beautiful day for a wedding!

Daddy Jarbs and I went to Annapolis, Maryland today to attend his friend Eric & Jennifer's wedding. The weather was perfect. Definitely a beautiful day for a wedding!

Here's a photo of me, Daddy Jarbs & Baby Jarbs at almost 35 weeks and the girls, Christine & Gulten, rubbing my buddha belly for goodluck :-).

Click to enlarge

Daddy Jarbs is the best!

I had been craving for nachos all week this week. I wanted Daddy Jarbs to make me a healthy version (with fat free sour cream and cottage cheese) but we did not have the ingredients at home and he was to lazy to make one lol. Last Sunday, he took me to Hops in Potomac Yards to get my nachos fix. The chili was really good! Needless to say, I inhaled the whole order :-). Well, last night, he came home from his softball game bearing a while order of nachos! Yay! Mommy & Baby Jarbs were happy :-).

It's official...

At 34 weeks, I now feel and look like a blimp :-(. Although my feet are not swollen yet, I think it is starting to get puffy. I had my doctor's appointment today and the doc said I may start to retain water. She also said to expect it to be like this until the end of my pregnancy. Waah :-(. I left the doctor's office feeling sad lol. I took the train back to work and as I sat in silence waiting for my train stop, a lady who was getting off the train stopped in front of me and said "you look cute" (pertaining to pregnant little me; no she was not hitting on me!). She also asked me when I am due. I said thank you and smiled.  At least, that brought a little sunshine to my day. A pregnant lady will take any compliment she can get! 

When I got back at work, I vowed to do whatever to help prevent swelling...put my feet up (I have a foot rest underneath my desk), exercise (I went to yoga class today), drink water (I drank about 6-7 botted waters today) and watch my food intake. I read that eating potassium-rich food may help too. I have to do some grocery shopping tomorrow!

So at today's 34-week check up, I met one of the 3 doctors in the practice (one of them being my primary doc). The plan is to meet all of the other docs prior to delivery since I will never know who will be on call when I go to labor. Next appointment will be at 36 weeks and I will meet the only male doc in the practice.

34 weeks!

How far along?: 34w3d
How big is the baby?: the size of a honeydew!
Weight gain/loss: I am scared to step on the scale!! :-P
Pregnancy symptoms: sensitive gums, pressure in the groin, HUGE belly, fatigue, tighter shoes which means my feet has grown!
Maternity clothes: Dresses! Pants are starting to feel restrictive
Stretch Marks: Still none and still keeping fingers crossed
Sleep: 6 to 7 hrs of sleep; I had a hard time sleeping when Daddy Jarbs was out of town this weekend and until now I don't think I have recoup'd
Best moment this week: When Daddy Jarbs came home from his boys weekend :-) 
Movement: Tons of rolls, kicks turns. I got startled last night when I was holding my bell and all of a sudden Baby Jarbs kicked me lol. The other day, she was waaaay up on my right side. Daddy Jarbs said maybe she's trying to take a peek what's on the back side of my tummy lol.
Food cravings: Nachos, cheerios
Food aversions: none
Labor signs: braxton hicks contraction. I woke up with some mild cramping last Saturday and got paranoid since Daddy Jarbs was out of town
Belly button in or out: outie :-(
What I miss: my energy
What I am looking forward to: Baby care class this weekend and setting up the glider

Milestones:

Baby can recognize and react to simple songs...time to start practicing your lullabies! In fact, baby will recognize frequently sung tunes after birth and probably find them soothing. Less cute news: She now urinates about one pint per day.

Baby Jarbs loves spinning class!

I had been regularly taking spinning class at the gym before I got pregnant and at 34 weeks, I am still spinning :-). Of course, I have my doctor's approval to continue exercising. Since I regularly workout and have established my exercise routine way before I got pregnant, I did not have to change much in my routine. My doctor has even encouraged me to continue doing what I was doing. I would like to think that spinning has helped prevent any leg cramps or swelling  in my legs since it keeps my blood circulation going. It has also helped strengthen my leg muscles which makes carrying all this baby weight less uncomfortable. As always, I make sure that I wear my heart rate monitor whenever I work out and take it easy when I see my HR slowly reach my personal limit. My bottled water is also a must have during spin class to make sure I do not get dehydrated.  I also sit towards the front row in class close to where the fan is so I do not overheat. I would like to think Baby Jarbs loves spin class too since she hasn't given me a hard time while I am in class :-). I plan to continue spinning until my water bag breaks! lol.

6 weeks to go!

I can't believe we only have 6 more weeks to go before my due date. I have started throwing in stuff in my hospital bag! I swear my belly is growing bigger and bigger every single day. Here's a bump pic taken by Daddy Jarbs this morning. 

34w1d

Time's flying by so fast! 6 more weeks to go. Let the countdown begin!!

Sleepless nights

Daddy Jarbs was out of town for a boys weekend since Friday and just came back today. For some reason, I did not get a good night sleep while he was gone! For the past couple of days, I've been going to bed at 3 am and 4 pm respectively. My body clock woke me up at 8 am so that's only about 4 to 5 hrs of sleep! I do not know if this is my body's way of training me for the many sleepless nights ahead of me. Or maybe I am just not used to not having Daddy Jarbs beside me :-).

Surprise baby shower for Daddy Jarbs!

Daddy Jarbs' co-workers threw him a surprise baby shower today. I got a call from one of his co-worker a month ago inviting me to the shower. I thought it was sweet and very thoughtful of them. to plan one for Daddy Jarbs.  Of course, I did not say anything to him and ruin the surprise . The shower was held during lunch at Funxion which is a new restaurant downtown. Daddy Jarbs' came in with his boss. He thought they were going to have a meeting over lunch so he came in with his meeting notebook! lol. He was not expecting me to be there so I was part of the surprise too :-). We played a couple of shower games and had yummy chocolate and vanilla cake! They gave us a Target gift card which will definitely be useful in shopping for Baby Jarbs' stuff!

 Click to enlarge

33 weeks!

How far along?: 33w3d

How big is baby: the size of a honeydew!
Weight gain/loss: +2 lbs! I blame it on the sweet cravings I've had this past week :-(.
Pregnancy symptoms: round ligament pain, linea negra, countless trips to the loo!
Maternity clothes: Dresses, fitted tanks and maternity pants!
Stretch Marks: still none, thank God!
Sleep: 6 to 7 hrs of sleep
Best moment this week: Traveling to Aruba!
Movement: Tons of rolls and kicks. I got startled last night when I was holding my belly when all of a sudden Baby Jarbs kicked me lol.
Food cravings: Sweets :-(
Food aversions: none
Labor signs: none
Belly button in or out: outie
What I miss: working out hard!
What I am looking forward to: Lunch tomorrow. Details to follow ;-)
Milestones:

Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake.

Baby Jarbs loves zumba!

I used to take zumba class at my gym before I got pregnant. I stopped going because they changed instructors and the new teacher was not good. After a long time, I thought I'd give it another try! There is a new instructor so I went to last week's class. I loved it! The new instructor was great. I took the class again today and it was fun! I was the only pregnancy woman in class but I didn't care if I looked funny. The other women in class were giving my funny stares. I would like to think they find it cute that I can still keep up with all the dancing given my buddha belly :-). I love to dance and so does Baby Jarbs! I wear my Polar heart rate monitor everytime I work out and make sure my HR does not go up 160 bpm which is my personal limit. Zumba is definitely a great workout. I think I'll keep taking the class until I go into labor :-).

Nesting...

Since we got home really late last night, I took the day off from work today to rest and relax. With the nesting instinct kicking in, I ended up cleaning and organizing the nursery :-). 

Daddy Jarbs finished assembling the armoire which we custom-designed ourselves in Ikea. It's now filled with Baby Jarbs' stuff!

Installed the crib mobile and aired out the crib mattress. 

The hula owl prints are still waiting to be hung.

The crib bedding I ordered should arrive in a couple of weeks. I plan to start washing some of the newborn clothes next time I take off work :-).  We're making progress. Yay!

Home sweet home...

We are back from Aruba. It was a pretty tiring day. The flights were full so we were not able to get a full row of seats to ourselves unlike during our outbound flight.  As previously planned, I made sure I was fully dehydrated before and during the flights. I also still managed to put my legs up and rested them on Daddy Jarbs lap (one advantage of being tiny and having short legs! :-). I am happy to say that we got back to DC and haven't had any swelling at all during this entire trip! Yay!

Daddy Jarbs and I on the flight back from Aruba

Overall, it was a fun, short trip.  It was great to spend time with our family and of course with Daddy Jarbs. This is our last trip (I know I said the same thing during our Cabo San Lucas trip but really, this is the last!) before Baby Jarbs arrives. Even if I want to go somewhere else, I would not be allowed to fly anyway. Airlines restrict travel by pregnant women after 36 weeks (some restrict travel after 34 weeks). The trip was kinda bittersweet again but on the otherhand, we are looking forward to having Baby Jarbs here and have her travel with us anywhere we go.

Again, I can't help but feel very thankful and feel so blessed that this pregnancy has been really easy. So far, Baby Jarbs has been a good baby :-). She has not given me a hard time and have allowed me to enjoy every single minute of my pregnancy and travel rather comfortably at 33 weeks. I am glad to be back home and excited to finish working on the nursery and getting all the other stuff we need for Baby Jarbs' arrival. We only have +/- 7 weeks!! :-)

Baby Jarbs...our goodluck charm!

After the wedding reception, we all went to the hotel casino for the after party. I do not know how to gamble but I sure know how to use the slot machines. Daddy Jarbs sat on the roulette table so I walked around and decided to try my luck in one of the $0.25 slot machines. I thought putting in $10 wouldn't hurt :-). I was mindlessly pushing the bet button when all of a sudden the machine started spitting out $0.25 coins! It took me a couple of seconds to realize I won $100! Woohoo! I immediately cashed and proudly showed my winnings to Daddy Jarbs and the rest of the people in our group. After that, my aunt and some friends wanted to rub my belly for goodluck! lol. Daddy Jarbs lost a couple of hundred dollars while playing the roulette but got his money back and then some at the craps table. Baby Jarbs sure is our goodluck charm :-).

All systems go for Aruba!

I just got back from my 32-week doctor's appointment. It was a routine check up and at the same time, the doctor did an internal exam to make sure I am not dilated yet and I am still okay to travel to Aruba. Well, I am happy to say I am not dilated at all which means, I am safe to travel! :-). Yipee! She did mention that I should drink a lot of water before and during the flight to prevent swelling. I have not had any swelling during this pregnancy (knock on wood) so I am crossing my fingers that I won't have any problems.

As for my stats, my blood pressure is still normal and I gained 1.5 lbs since the last appointment which is 2 weeks ago (not sure how accurate this is since my own weekly check- in says I gained 1.5 lbs each week?!). My fundal height is right on track. I am 32 weeks along and it measured 30 cms. The doc said it's still within the normal range. I am petite so for my built, the fundal height on the lower side is normal.

My next appointment is in 2 weeks. I am going to start seeing the two other doctors in the practice so I can get to know them before my due date. There is a chance that my doctor will not be on-call when I go on labor so it is best to meet the other doctors now than be surprised who will show up in the delivery room later.

32 weeks!

How far along?: 32w3d

How big is baby: still the size of a squash
Weight gain/loss: +1.5 lbs! 24 lbs total. Still on target for a healthy weight gain
Pregnancy symptoms: constant hunger, linea negra, pressure in my groin, darkening of skin, occasional kicks in my bladder
Maternity clothes: can't live without my maternity pants!
Stretch Marks: still none, thank God!
Sleep: 6 to 7 hrs of sleep
Best moment this week: Reading to Baby Jarbs and seeing my maternity photos!
Movement: Yes! Feels like Baby Jarbs is doing some acrobatic moves in there
Food cravings: Fried chicken, artic mocha
Food aversions: none
Labor signs: none
Belly button in or out: small outie :(
What I miss: not having to walk slow
What I am looking forward to: trip to Aruba this weekend for my cousin's wedding!
Milestones:

Ready or not, baby's getting ready to emerge. She's probably in the head-down position by now, with her bottom facing up. This is the comfiest way for her body to fit in your increasingly cramped womb and will make her eventual exit (only a few months away now!) much easier. (If she's still head-up, don't panic -- there's still time for a flip before birth.)

Maternity photos!

When Daddy Jarbs asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I couldn't really think of any material thing that I needed. Instead, I told him I wanted to have a maternity shoot to document my pregnancy and have it as a keepsake from this special time in my life. I love to document every part of my pregnancy so that when I am old and wrinkly, I can look back at this blog (which I plan to make into a book) and maternity photos and have them bring back fond memories. Soo, Daddy Jarbs booked a maternity session for me :-). Of course, I did all the legwork and research and found this amazing photographer from Fredericksburg! My photographer suggested an outdoor session out on a field or river. She let me choose. I wanted something different for the shoot so I chose the river :-).

We scheduled the shoot at 31 weeks. I was worried my belly would be too small but at the same time, did not want to wait until later/closer to my due date. The day of the shoot, Daddy Jarbs and I drove down to Fredericksburg. It rained a couple of days before shoot so the water in the river was thigh high! I was game for anything and trusted my photographer so we just did what we were told to do. Daddy Jarbs was such a trooper. He went with me to have both our photos taken (don't worry, he didn't show his bump! lol). He wore a pair of jeans while walking on the river with water up to his knees (thigh high for me lol). He was also my assistant, covering me up while I change clothes :-).

Overall, it was a fun shoot. Our photographer was totally cool and we like her. She posted some sneak peeks of the photos on her blog and we love 'em. They were done in good taste and turned out well in my opinion. I can't wait to see the rest!! One day, I can show these photos to Baby Jarbs and tell her she's inside mommy's tummy during this time :-).

Photo by Marta Locklear

Photo by Marta Locklear

Daddy Jarbs likes this shot. Can you tell I am up on a tree?

Photo by Marta Locklear

My buddha belly in all its glory :-)

Oh baby the places you'll go...

During my baby shower, Daddy Jarbs' sister, Aunt Kim gave us a bunch of books to start off Baby Jarbs' book collection/library. One of the books she gave me is Oh, Baby, the Places You'll Go: A Book to be Read in the Utero. It was written by Mrs. Seuss :-). It is a very small book and an easy read.

Last week, Daddy Jarbs and I have started reading this book to Baby Jarbs. I have to admit, the first time I read it, I couldn't help but tear up especially after reading the last page. Daddy Jarbs and I alternate reading this book to Baby Jarbs right before we go to bed. Researchers have found increased uterine activity during the reading and true enough, everytime we do, Baby Jarbs kept on moving! It's as if she can really hear us. Is it just a coincidence? Possibly, but so far, her movements have been consistent everytime we read aloud to her.

Studies show that babies start to learn language while in their mother's womb. Babies start to recognize their mom's voice and will associate this voice to feeling safe and warm as soon as they are born. I am looking forward to veryfying whether there is some truth to this study :-).

Breastfeeding class...check!

This morning, Daddy Jarbs and I went to a breastfeeding class offered by Juliana from Birth-N-Babies. The class was held at Sibley Hospital so we were able to do our practice drive again and this time, we got to actually go inside the hospital. The class was very informative. Interestingly, about 80% of the pregnant women in the class have their husbands with them. I believe it is important for the husbands to be knowledgeable in what breastfeeding entails so they can help support the mom in any way they can. Daddy Jarbs paid close attention during class and asked good questions :-).

After the class, Daddy Jarbs and I walked around the hospital to get ourselves familiarized . We saw where the cafeteria is and where the vending machines are. Daddy Jarbs said they have a microwave oven there too (I didn't see). We were joking that perhaps we can bring chicken adobo, heat it up in there and have the whole hospital stink up lol! We also went up to the labor and delivery floor and saw where the waiting area is. All in all, we like the hospital. It is clean, not crowded and doesn't look scary. We'll be back there again for our Baby Care class which is in about 3 weeks. 

On our way home, I started craving for chicken. I haven't had one in a while. I was okay with getting some from KFC but Daddy Jarbs insisted we look for a soul food restaurant along the H St. corridor Well, we did not find one. We ended up driving back to Ray's The Steaks in Anacostia and got fried chicken to go :-). Their chicken was yummy! It was smoked first before it was fried so it was very flavorful :-).

Bittersweet birthday!

Today is my birthday and it is kinda bittersweet. This is my last birthday before officially becoming a mom. I told Daddy Jarbs I just wanted a low key celebration and not do anything baby-related. I started off the day by getting a nice prenatal massage and hip adjustment from my chiropractor, who incidentally shares the same birthday as me. My nesting instinct has been kicking in so when I got home from my the chiro, I cleaned the house and organized the additional gifts that I have received during my work shower. So much for not doing anything baby-related.

Later in the day, Daddy Jarbs took me out again for dinner. This time, we went to  the famous Ray's The Steaks. They recently opened a new location in DC. The place is not fancy schmancy but the food was good nevertheless. I had been wanting to have a good piece of medium rare steak but since I am pregnant, I can't run the risk of eating raw meat and get sick. Sadly, I had to order my steak medium well :-(. I know it's not ideal but I still enjoyed the meal. The steak was very flavorful so I can just imagine how awesome it would be if I had gotten it medium rare. After I give birth, I want to go back to Ray's so I can completely enjoy a nice cooked steak guilt-free :-).

After dinner, Daddy Jarbs and I walked around Gallery Place, our old stomping ground. We ended up getting frozen custard and Italian ice for dessert :-).

When we got home and were walking towards the door, I glanced at my shadow on the neighbor's fence. I thought it looked pretty funny so Daddy Jarbs took this photo lol.

More baby shower photos!

Here are more photos taken from last weekend's baby shower. Click to enlarge photos.

Family & friends

Games!

Gifts!

Clothes, clothes and more clothes!

Guests!

Pre-birthday dinner!

Daddy Jarbs took me out to a nice dinner tonight for my pre-birthday celebration. We went to Buddha Bar which is a nice restaurant close to our house. It just recently opened so it was our first time to eat there. The food was fantastic! We ate tons! I think my belly grew another inch after dinner :-).

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When we got home, Daddy Jarbs gave me my birthday present. My birthday is not until tomorrow but I couldn't wait :-). I was not expecting to get any gift since he already got me an early birthday present .  It definitely was a pleasant surprise when he handed me a gift bag. I'm spoiled :-). This is what I got!!

A new Canon HD camcorder!!! :-). We have talked about eventually getting a camcorder that we can use when Baby Jarbs arrives. I had no idea he will get me this for my birthday. I am looking forward to using this to capture the cuteness of our little princess. Thanks Daddy Jarbs!

Suprise baby shower at work!

My co-workers gave me a surprise baby shower at work this afternoon! There were cupcakes and a spread of different desserts and cheese and crackers! They invited Daddy Jarbs but he was so busy at work and was not able to come. I was showered with more gifts from our baby registry - from baby bottles, to books and MORE clothes! Yay!

Photos to follow.

31 weeks!

How far along?: 31w3d 
How big is baby: still the size of a squash
Weight gain/loss: +1.5 lbs! I swear Baby Jarbs is having a MAJOR growth spurt this week. I've been constantly hungry. My belly looks bigger and weighs much heavier every single day. I read that babies gain much of their weight during these last few weeks.
Pregnancy symptoms: constant hunger, linea negra, pressure in my groin whenever I stand up. My co-worker said I am starting to waddle :-(
Maternity clothes: I am getting a good use of my TWO maternity work pants. I want to buy one more but I am having second thoughts. I do not want to spend money and only be able to wear it for ~8 more weeks. Sometimes I still wear my regular work pants, unbuttoned and with a belly band over it.
Stretch Marks: none; still keeping my fingers crossed 
Sleep: 6 to 7 hrs of sleep with trips to the potty. There are nights when I only get up 2x to go to the bathroom.
Best moment this week: Seeing my friends and family at the baby shower
Movement: Yes, definitely. She always makes her presence known especially at night. Daddy Jarbs and I crack up every time we see my belly jump
Food cravings: Cosi's artic mocha; anything sweet! I have to be good and lay off on sweets especially for the next 8 weeks!
Food aversions: none
Labor signs: mild braxton hicks contractions 
Belly button in or out: half outie
What I miss: being able to walk normally!
What I am looking forward to: my last birthday celebration before I become a MOM!
Milestones:

Baby's going through major brain and nerve development these days. His irises now react to light, and all five senses are in working order. (He won't pick up anything from his nose until after birth, though -- smell is transferred through air, not amniotic fluid.)

Where did this belly come from?

31w2d

Daddy Jarbs took this photo before we left for work this morning and holy moly, where did that belly come from? I swear it was not there yesterday! lol. It looks like Baby Jarbs had a major growth spurt just from the last couple of days! I am not sure if the camera was just angled but it looks like my belly is sticking out more! Good news is I can still see my toes and put socks on without any struggle. I wonder until when that will last. 9 more weeks to go!

Nursery progress...

We finally made some progress in the nursery! Our colors will be brown and pink :-). We had the walls painted brown and I plan to put cute wall arts in pink which I ordered from Etsy.

This is the before picture of the room. It's a spare bedroom which we rarely use so it looks so blah. Did I tell you I hate white walls? :-P

Now, the walls are painted and crib and changing table/dresser are assembled! The room is still a work in progress but we're slowly getting there.

Some of the loot from the baby shower

Baby shower!

I had my fantastic baby shower today! Daddy Jarbs' sister Kim hosted the party in her house. Daddy Jarbs drove me to the party. While waiting for me, he hung out with his friend who lives close by.

I did not check the evite so I had no idea who were coming. I was happy to see a lot friends and family there :-). There were tons of yummy food from regular cake, cupcakes and a diaper cake! We played baby shower games which were a lot of fun and of course, the gift opening! We have received so many gifts especially a lot of adorable clothes. Baby Jarbs is a little fashionista in the making :-). I'll teach her how to love clothes just like her mommy! lol.

To those who came to the shower, thank you very much! To family and friends who helped plan and organize the baby shower, thank you soo much! Mommy Jarbs enjoyed everything
 :-). Daddy Jarbs and I feel so blessed to be surrounded with such thoughtful and generous people. Baby Jarbs is lucky to have all your love and support!  

Here are some photos from the shower. More to come!
Click to enlarge

Adorable diaper cake made by Daddy Jarbs' aunt

30-wk doctor's appointment

I had my regular doctor's appointment this morning. It was pretty uneventful except for the $100 parking ticket we got for parking on the street 5 minutes before 9:30 am! :-(. Daddy Jarbs came with me to my appointment and we got to Baby Jarbs' heartbeat again. I gained 4.5 lbs since the 26-week appointment. My blood pressure is still looking good (118/70). After this week's appointment, I get to see my doctor every two weeks until the 36th week where I would then have to go in weekly. Today, we discussed a little bit about labor and delivery. My doctor will let me go until 41 weeks. If Baby Jarbs does not arrive before then, I will be scheduled for induction (crossing fingers that we won't have to resort to this). At the latest, Baby Jarbs will be here first week of November!  If I'll end up being induced, perhaps, we can schedule the induction the same day as Daddy Jarbs' birthday which is on Oct 29th! Hmm..something to think about.

My next doctor's appointment is in two weeks, which will be the day before we leave for Aruba! My doctor will check my cervix then to make sure I am not dilated yet. If so, we may have to forego the Aruba trip :-(. I hope Baby Jarbs cooperates and let Daddy & Mommy Jarbs enjoy this last mini-vacay before she comes!

30 weeks!

How far along?: 30w3d 
How big is baby: still the size of a squash
Weight gain/loss: +1.5 lbs; 20.5 lbs! I think Baby Jarbs is having a growth spurt again. I am constantly hungry and my belly has been itching again. 
Pregnancy symptoms: huge appetite, linea negra, braxton hicks contraction, heavy belly, occasional sore groin which feels like I just went to spin class for the first time
Maternity clothes: Yes. I tried on a couple of my pre-pg jeans and I was happy that I can still zip it up but just can't button :-/.
Stretch Marks: none but my belly's been itchy these past few days. I use Eucerin lotion for the itch.
Sleep: ~7 hrs of sleep with trips to the potty. I am glad that I still do not feel uncomfortable and can still sleep fine.

Best moment this week: Playing hide and seek with Baby Jarbs :-). Every afternoon, after we go home from work, Daddy Jarbs and I try to find where Baby Jarbs is located in my tummy :-P. She moves a lot so she's in diffrent positions every time. We would poke her and sometimes she would push back as if to say "leave me alone!"
Movement: a lot especially at night. I think she's a night person which Daddy Jarbs said she got from him!
Food cravings: watermelon; purple sweet potato
Food aversions: none
Labor signs: still braxton hicks contractions 
Belly button in or out: half outie
What I miss: being able to walk fast!
What I am looking forward to: Doctor's appointment tomorrow and seeing family and friends at the baby shower this weekend! Yay!
Milestones:

As baby's skin smoothes out, her brain just keeps getting more wrinkled. All those grooves and indentations increase surface area, meaning more room for that oh-so-essential brain tissue. She's also adding some brawn -- her grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger.

Who will Baby Jarbs look like?

Since we have 10 more weeks to go, we are getting more and more excited to meet Baby Jarbs. I cannot help but wonder who she will look like. Will she look like Mommy Jarbs, Daddy Jarbs or a good mix of both? I am sure she will look more Asian since she will be 3/4 Filipino. It will be interesting to see if how Daddy Jarbs' Causcasian/Polish genes will manifest. I wonder if my Spanish genes from my ancestors will manifest too? I think Baby Jarbs will more than likely have brown eyes like Daddy Jarbs and myself. Daddy Jarbs' dad and sister both have green eyes so who knows if it skips generation and Baby Jarbs will have a tinge of green eyes? I highly doubt but it will be really cool if she gets green eyes :-). I also want to make a wild guess that she will be on the tiny side. My doctor said it does not look like I will have a 9 lb. baby (like Daddy Jarbs when he was born). In a way, that is a good thing because my doctor does not think my body can handle popping out a 9-lb baby! I would have to have a c-section if that's the case. With the way my belly looks, I am guessing she will be somewhere between 6-7 lbs.

Daddy Jarbs

Mommy Jarbs

I have tried playing in one of the baby morphing websites just for fun. I uploaded photos of Daddy Jarbs and myself and this is what they came up with:

Baby Jarbs

The morphed pictures look a little bit weird and retarded lol. It will be interesting to see if Baby Jarbs will even look close to these morphed photos! +/- 10 more weeks before we find out :-).

Wow, 30 weeks!

I can't believe that after this week, our countdown is down to single digits!! I am sure the next couple of months will fly by so fast. Our August is fully booked and before we know it, October will be here. Daddy Jarbs and I have been really busy preparing for Baby Jarbs' arrival and enjoying our last few months as a family of 2! I still got tons of stuff in my to do list but I am hoping to check them all off soon. My goal is to have all stuff ready by the end of September so that I can just relax come October. I have inflated my exercise/birth ball yesterday. I have had it for years but have not used it at home since we moved to our current house. Now, I have the ball nicely inflated so I can start doing the exercises to help prepare for labor.

For some reason, I have a feeling Baby Jarbs will come early but of course, only time will tell :-).

29 weeks!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 29w3d 
How big is baby: Baby Jarbs is now the size of a squash. Yay! 
Weight gain/loss: +1 from last week; 20 lbs. My weight gain has slowed down for the past few weeks. 
Pregnancy symptoms: Braxton Hicks contraction, kicks on my bladder 
Maternity clothes: Yes 
Stretch Marks: I was closely examining my belly the other day and so far, none yet! 
Sleep: 6-8 hrs of sleep with trips to the potty 
Best moment this week: Getting the call from my doctor confirming that I passed the 3 hr glucose test and that I do not have gestational diabetes! 
Movement: Yes, a lot. It's starting to feel like there's an alien in my tummy. Daddy Jarbs and I are having fun watching my belly twitch, jump and get lopsided as she turns and rolls.  
Food cravings: anything cold 
Food aversions: None 
Labor signs: Occasional braxton hicks contractions 
Belly button in or out: half outie :-( 
What I miss: eating sashimi 
What I am looking forward to: Finish working on the nursery! We just had the closet done. We're getting the armoire this weekend. I also ordered wall prints so I am waiting for those to come in before I can finally put the nursery together.
Milestones:

Baby's energy is surging, thanks to white fat depositing beneath his skin. And since he's growing so fast (weight will triple by birth), things are getting kind of cramped in the womb. What all this means for you: Get ready for some more kicks and jabs to the ribs.

29 week bump pic!

We've been so busy these days and have not been able to religiously take photos of my growing bump. Here is one taken this morning before we left for work. Daddy Jarbs swore that my belly has grown overnight.

Baby Jarbs @29w1d

Hilarious gifts for Baby Jarbs!

Daddy Jarbs' good friend, Scott, his wife Amanda, and son Griffon gave us a little surprise before we parted ways after the high school reunion. When Scott and Amanda had their baby Griffon a couple of years ago, we sent them funny, personalized onesies with messages/private jokes between Daddy Jarbs and Scott. Now that we are having Baby Jarbs, it's payback time! They gave us this cute onesie with a message saying "My dad's tattoos are cooler than your dad's"!  Hilarious! Daddy Jarbs and I were cracking up when we opened the gift. 

On the way home from Solomons Island, we did another practice drive to Sibley Hospital but this time taking another route. We now know two different routes that we can take going to the hospital depending on the time of the day we need to get there. We also drove around the hospital vicinity checking out places where we can park and walk around if need be. We also took note of places close by where we can get/order food.

When we got home, there are more gifts waiting for us in the mail! Another personalized onesie and bib from Scott and Amanda. Those who know Daddy Jarbs will appreciate the message on the onesie and the bib :-). To give a little background, Daddy Jarbs had a Fiat convertible car during highschool which won him the award for the having the coolest car. Back then, he was also part of a group called the Daisy Boys :-P. 

Baby Jarbs will look cute wearing these. Thanks Scott, Amanda and Griffon for the thoughtful gifts! We love them!

Weekend at Solomons Island

This weekend is Daddy Jarbs' 20th yr high school reunion at Solomons Island. We drove down Friday afternoon and went to our friends Jeff & Mary Anne's house which is about 10 mins away from our hotel. After dinner, we went to Daddy Jarbs' high school happy hour at the Tiki Bar. Since I can't drink alcohol, I stuck with virgin mai tais and water :-).

This morning, we woke up in time for lunch and got steamed blue crabs :-). Baby Jarbs was happy to eat crabs again! Daddy Jarbs and I were both so stuffed from lunch so we went back to the hotel and took a nap. We woke up in time for Daddy Jarbs' reunion/dinner party.

Daddy Jarbs was happy to see his good friend Scott who with his wife, Amanda and 2 yr old son, Griffon,  flew all the way from Kentucky. Scott was Daddy Jarbs' best man in our wedding.

Daddy Jarbs and Scott

Daddy, Mommy and Baby Jarbs at ~29 weeks

After the dinner party, I went up the hotel room and called it a night. I can't stay up too late nowadays. Daddy Jarbs went out to hang out with his high school friends. I do not think having a pregnant lady hang out at the bar two nights in a row would look cool :-). 

Since Solomons Island is just a short 2-hr from DC, we plan to come back and visit next summer with Baby Jarbs in tow :-). 

Childbirth preparation class..check!

Daddy Jarbs and I just completed a 6-hr childbirth preparation class. Originally, we signed up for a course recommended to us by our doctor. After doing some research, I read not so good reviews about it so I looked around for other good childbirth preparation classes. I tried to stay away from classes offered by hospitals. I read that those classes are geared towards making sure that you will be a good patient  and making things easier for the hospital. After reading different message boards and asking around, I finally came across the class offered by Susan Messina who is a Birth Works instructor. Susan's classes had rave reviews from previous couples who took her class.  She offers an 8-week class and a weekend intensive class. All her classes until October were already full but I took my chance and emailed her.  I asked her if we can be put on the wait list in case somebody backs out. Well, she emailed me last week to say that because of the demand, she will offer a 3-hr/2 session class this week. I immediately emailed her back and told her we are available!

The sessions took place at Susan's home at Palisades in Northwest, DC. There were only 3 couples so the sessions were very personal, hands-on and interactive. A lot of things were covered during the 2 sessions. We learned about the different positions we can do to help Baby Jarbs turn into an optimal position and ready for birth. We also practiced some positions that we can do to relieve pain during labor. Susan also went through the hospital procedures so we'll know what to expect when we arrive in the hospital.  The sessions were  very helpful and informative. Basically, the class was centered around the Birth Works philosophy:

"Birth Works is a process...not a method. We believe that each woman will labor and birth in her own way. There is no one right way to give birth.  Our childbirth classes honor each woman's wholeness and individuality and encourage integration of the mind, body, and spirit through the practice of human values.

Birth Works is intuitive... in our childbirth classes, we encourage women to listen to their bodies by following their instincts, moving and eating as needed, breathing slowly and deeply to promote relaxation and facilitate labor, and choosing labor positions that keep the birth passageway open."

Daddy Jarbs and I liked the class. We thought being 28 weeks along was too early to take childbirth classes. We were worried that we may forget what we'll learn since we still have about 12 weeks to go before my due date. However, after finishing the class, I am glad that we took it early. It gives us enough time to really think about the type of birth process that we want and more importantly, prepare ourselves both mentally and physically for labor and delivery. I know we can never be 100% ready for Baby Jarbs' arrival and we can never plan ahead how my labor and deliver would go. I am such a planner so I can never go through L&D without having any knowledge of what to expect. Having gone through the childbirth class, Daddy Jarbs and I feel more prepared, knowledgeable and confident with the decisions that we'll make to have a safe labor and delivery.

I passed my 3 hr glucose test!!

I got a call from my doctor and she told me the greatest news ever! I passed the 3 hour glucose tolerance test with flying colors, which means I do not have gestational diabetes! Hooray! I knew in my heart that I am healthy and that Baby Jarbs is doing great :-).

Interval                     Abnormal reading            My numbers

Fasting                      95 mg/dl or higher               73 mg/dl
One hour                   180 mg/dl or higher             156 mg/dl
Two hours                 155 mg/dl or higher             114 mg/dl
Three hours               140 mg/dl or higher             96 mg/dl

Maybe I'll celebrate with an ice cream tonight :-).

28 weeks!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 28w3d
How big is baby: Still the size of an eggplant!
Weight gain/loss: + 0 from last week; still 19 lbs
Pregnancy symptoms: Heavy belly, weight gain, kicks on my bladder, stuffy nose, pain on my inner thighs as soon as I stand up and after I've been sitting for a long time. I think the baby is sitting on a nerve. It goes away after I walk around.
Maternity clothes: Yes, yes! Still love to wear fitted tops and full panel pants/capris
Stretch Marks: None; still religiously applying Palmer's cocoa butter everyday
Sleep: still getting a decent amount of sleep (~7 hrs) although I feel I can sleep more
Best moment this week: Taking the childbirth preparation class with Daddy Jarbs
Movement: Yes. Last week, it felt like she was in a tranverse position (laying sideways) because I would gets kicks/jabs on opposite sides of my belly!
Food cravings: Nothing in particular. I had been laying off on sweets/carbs since my GD scare. I've been eating more proteins though.
Food aversions: I refuse to eat the adobo frog legs that Daddy Jarbs cooked. Eww! Even if I am not pregnant, I don't think I would want to eat it.
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: Poor belly button has been hanging on for dear life for weeks now. I think it's slowly losing the battle! :-(
What I miss: Eating/doing whatever I want without thinking about harming the baby
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the result of my 3 hr glucose test and hopefully it is to my favor! Keeping fingers crossed.
Milestones:

Baby's lungs are mature enough that, if born right now, she has a pretty good chance of surviving (with help from medical technology). Her skin is still pretty wrinkly (one byproduct of living in amniotic fluid) but will smoothen as fat continues to deposit.

3 hour glucose test today

Since the result of my 1 hr glucose screening test a week ago was abnormal, I had to take the 3 hour glucose tolerance test to determine if I have gestational diabetes. I arrived at the doctor's office at 8:30 am this morning. I did not eat or drink anything since about 8:30 pm the previous night. They drew blood around 9 am to take my fasting blood glucose. After that, I had to take a sugary drink similar to the one I had for my 1 hr test. This time, I had the orange flavor. I would have preferred the fruit punch but it's not available. The drink contains 100g of glucose which is double the amount of glucose compared to the fruit punch I had last week. My blood was drawn an hour after after I finished the drink and subsequently for the next 2 hours. The wait in the doctor's office was fine since I had magazines to read but I did not expect that the drink would make me reaaaally sleepy! I guess because it's because of all the sugar from the drink. I wanted to take a nap right at the clinic's reception area! The hunger did not even bother me much. After I left the doc's office (around 12:15 pm), I went straight to the Thai restaurant which is about a block away. Needless to say, I inhaled a whole order of chicken panang and 1 cup of rice (with mango sticky rice to go)! :-).

More house projects...

Since the painter was here to work on Baby Jarbs' room, we had him paint the exterior brick wall in front of our house as well. We have planned to have this painted for a long time but it always gets pushed to the back burner. Now, finally, no more boring, ugly white paint :-).

BEFORE
This is what the house looked like when we bought it.

AFTER

We love the new color!! Our neighbors and even the USPS lady have complimented it :-). Daddy Jarbs also pulled the ugly bush and planted nice plants in front of the house to add some curb appeal :-).