23 weeks!

Weekly check-in:


How far along?: 23w3d
How big is baby: The size of a papaya (same as last week?!)
Weight gain/loss: +1 lb
Pregnancy symptoms: Weight gain, growing belly, mild sciatica
Maternity clothes: I am wearing more babydoll tops at work and more and more people are noticing my ever growing belly. I alternate wearing my 2 maternity work pants and regular pants with Belly Band at work. My mom has sent me some maternity clothes which I'll hopefully get by Saturday! Yay! On weekends, I still wear my regular clothes but for bottoms, I have to have my belly band.
Stretch Marks: None (knock on wood)
Sleep: I am getting ~7 hrs of sleep so I can't complain
Best moment this week: People at work (outside my department) are finally noticing my belly. It's nice to be able to share the news with everybody.
Movement: Not a lot of kicking but I definitely feel a lot of movements. She still responds with a kick when Daddy Jarbs talks to her
Food cravings: still pancake, caffeine free diet rootbeer
Food aversions: none in particular
Labor signs: None and hopefully not until October
Belly button in or out: Still in but just waiting for the day it officially pops out.
What I miss: Medium rare steak!
What I am looking forward to: Working on Baby Jarbs' nursery
Milestones:

Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow.

Baby Jarbs' nursery project begins..

With only ~3.5 months left before Baby Jarbs' arrival, Daddy Jarbs and I are now in full baby planning mode. We got a long to-do list so we're tackling each task one by one.

The nursery project has officially started. The 2nd guest room will now be Baby Jarbs' nursery. Today, we got rid of the queen bed which was in that room. Thanks to our friend Patty who have offered to adopt the queen bed and armoire. The closet in the said room is unfinished so Daddy Jarbs is working on getting that done.

For the nursery design, Daddy Jarbs wanted to incorporate something Hawaiian (surprise, surprise!). I wanted a more contemporary look. After some research and discussion, we've settled with the following color palette for the nursery:

The crib and dresser that we plan to have in the nursery will be in espresso finish so that will give the room a more contemporary look. I'll post pictures as the nursery project progresses :-).

Agent in training..

Daddy Jarbs went shopping again and look at what he got for Baby Jarbs! It's a onesie with matching hat which says "FBI Agent in Training". He bought it at the store in his office. I told him to stop buying pink stuff for Baby Jarbs! lol. I also want to get gender neutral clothes so that if and when we have Baby Jarbs #2 and he turns out to be a boy, he can use the hand-me- down clothes :-).

Doctor's appointment

We had our routine doctor's check up this morning. Daddy Jarbs came with me. Everything is still looking good. My blood pressure was 108/60 which was normal. My weight gain is still in check. The doctor measured my fundal height which is a measure of the size of the uterus to assess fetal growth and development. It is right where it should be. We were also able to hear Baby Jarbs' strong heartbeat. She moved a lot prompting the doctor to call her "little rascal" :-). We also told the doctor that Baby Jarbs has been hiccuping a lot. She said that it's a good sign that Baby Jarbs is doing that as early as now. It's a sign of a healthy baby. Hiccups prepare the baby's lungs for healthy respiratory function after birth. Yes, we got a strong breather :-). 

My next doctor's appointment is in 4 weeks and will have my glucose tolerance test then. Ick!

22 weeks!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 22w3d
How big is baby: The size of a papaya
Weight gain/loss: +3 from last week (gasp!). Holy growth spurt!
Pregnancy symptoms: Still ever growing belly, faint linea negra
Maternity clothes: I alternate wearing my maternity pants and regular pants with Bella Band over it. Dresses and loose tops are also my faves.

Stretch Marks: None.Itchiness in my belly has subsided but I bought Eucerin lotion for itchiness.

Sleep: Been getting 6-7 hrs of sleep
Best moment this week: Watching Daddy Jarbs talk to Baby Jarbs
Movement: Yes. A lot. She still hiccups a lot.
Food cravings: pancake, rootbeer
Food aversions: Nothing in particular
Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: Still in but it may pop any day now :=/

What I miss: My waistline!

What I am looking forward to: Doctor's appointment tomorrow and prenatal massage on Saturday.

Milestones:

Baby's settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

Play time..

Every evening, as soon as we get home from work, has been our play time with Baby Jarbs. We'll lay down on the bed, Daddy Jarbs will put his head against my belly and talk to Baby Jarbs. As if on command, she will start kicking and let her presence known! Or maybe she's annoyed that we're disturbing her? Haha. We can't wait to have our little pumpkin so we can play with her in person.

Pink Explosion!

Grandma Jarbs got Baby Jarbs a bunch of cute outfits that she can wear from newborn to 12 months. Thanks so much Grandma Jarbs! I am sure Baby Jarbs will look adorable in all of these :-).

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's day to all the fathers especially to daddy-to-be, Daddy Jarbs! Baby Jarbs greeted her daddy with a kick this morning :-). For father's day, I got him the Hangover shirt:

Daddy Jarbs loves the movie Hangover.  He actually wants to "wear" Baby Jarbs for halloween and have her dress up as baby "Carlos" just like in the movie Hangover. Well, I found the perfect shirt for him. Now, he can start practicing wearing/carrying a baby :-). We walked to our neighborhood Farmers Market this morning and people were checking out his shirt lol. 

I also got him the Being Dad dvd to help him prepare for Baby Jarbs' arrival. It's a good documentary about pregnancy from a guy's point of view. We watched the dvd and Daddy Jarbs freaked out during the delivery scene! LOL.

We celebrated the rest of Father's day with a crab feast at sis-in-law, Terri's summer house in Cobb Island!

Sunset in Cobb Island

21 weeks!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 21w3d
How big is baby: The size of a banana
Weight gain/loss: +1 from last week
Pregnancy symptoms: Still ever growing belly, kicks/rolls, faint linea negra
Maternity clothes: Been wearing maternity pants and regular pants with Bella Band on top. Still wearing regular, loose tops though
Stretch Marks: None but my belly is starting to get itchy! I've been slathering with lotion to lessen itchiness. I also cut my nails really short to prevent scratching my belly.

Sleep: Having a hard time falling asleep. My body is still on West coast time.

Best moment this week: Watching Baby Jarbs kick Daddy Jarbs!

Movement: Yes. I have noticed that there are certain sitting positions that I do that make her move more. If I am sitting on the couch with my legs tucked/folded on the side, she doesn't like that andmakes it known!! She has been hiccuping too. So cute!

Food cravings: watermelon, coffee yogurt, crabs!

Food aversions: Nothing in particular

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: Still in but gets slightly pushed out when my belly is full from too much eating

What I miss: Weighing 10 lbs less!!

What I am looking forward to: My prenatal massage this afternoon :-). It is covered by my insurance. And yes, my insurance rocks!!

Milestones:

Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).

Register for prenatal classes...check!

Daddy Jarbs and I just signed up for the following prenatal classes: Childbirth Education ,  Baby Care, Breastfeeding and Natural Childbirth.  We know we can never be 100% ready for the arrival of the baby but we're doing our best to equipt ourselves with the skills and knowledge needed to prepare for Baby Jarbs' arrival in October. The classes are recommended to be taken between 30-34 weeks of gestation so we are not scheduled to take them until the end of August to early September.  The classes are held at Sibley Hospital and is taught by a Sibley trained L&D nurse. Since we registered early, we were able to avail of the special course fees for June. It saved us a few $$ :-). It's going to be a busy summer for us. Our calendars for the next few months are already starting to fill up!

Order crib...check!

Daddy Jarbs and I went back to Great Beginnings store in Gaithersburg, MD and finally ordered Baby Jarbs' crib. We ended up choosing the crib that we liked during our initial visit a few weeks ago. We got the Munire Urban Safeside crib. 

We knew this is the crib that we want the moment we walked into the store. We were set on getting it since it passed all the qualifications that we are looking for in a crib.  It has a static side rail so we never have to lift and drop the rail for safety purposes. With the recent banning of all cribs with drop side rails, we think this is the best option for us. We did not get a convertible crib (converts to a full size bed) since a few years from now (and maybe after Baby Jarbs #2), we do not know what condition the crib will be in. Some parents have complained about having scratches or teeth marks on the crib railing. I don't think we would want a full sized bed with teeth/bite marks :-). Plus, we do not want to pay extra for the conversion kit and have to worry about storing them for a few years. I am sure we will be ready to buy Baby Jarbs a new bed when she is older.

Ooh, I have to mention that we got a good deal on our crib purchase since we were able to use the Great Beginnings coupon that we have for 20% off a regular priced item. I got that coupon when I went to the Bump It Up event a couple of months ago. The crib is scheduled to arrive and be delivered in 10-14 weeks! :-)

Baby Jarbs kicked her daddy :-)

When we woke up this morning, Daddy Jarbs shook my belly in his attempt to wake up Baby Jarbs and feel her move. He put his head against my belly and before you know it, Baby Jarbs was kicking him! She probably got upset that she got disturbed from her sleep :-). She kicked her daddy several times. Both Daddy Jarbs and myself giggled with amusement after every kick. Do we have a soccer player in the making? Maybe she'll be playing for the women's World Cup one day :-).

Trip to LA

Daddy Jarbs flew from Cabo San Lucas to California for my cousin's wedding a week ago. It was a joyous occasion. We were able to see family members based in California, New York and North Carolina who we do not get to see often. All the titas (aunts) and cousins are looking forward to meeting Baby Jarbs one day. 

 Waiting to board the yacht

 Mr. & Mrs. Ellel

Daddy & Mommy Jarbs

 With the bride

 All the cousins

Is Baby Jarbs hiccuping?

I was sitting in front of my computer at work with my belly pressed against my desk when I started feeling what I thought was a kick. A couple of seconds later, I felt another one...and then another one. It continued for the next minute or so. The movement was consistently spaced and felt I right in the middle of my abdomen and at the same area each time. It suddenly occured to me, perhaps, Baby Jarbs has hiccups? Awww. Too cute. According to this article, fetal hiccups are completely normal. It says,

"only more mature fetuses hiccup in the womb because their central nervous system is adequately developed in order to allow this to happen. It is believed that the fetus breathes in amniotic fluid or drinks it. When this happens and the amniotic fluid enters and exists the fetus lungs then the diaphragm contracts and hiccups results".

Studies also say that if babies hiccup a lot inside the womb,  you shouldn't be surprised if they also hiccup a lot after they are born. Uh-oh.

20 weeks!

Weekly check-in:

How far along?: 20w3d
How big is baby: The size of a cantaloupe
Weight gain/loss: +10 lbs! Eeek!
Pregnancy symptoms: Growing belly, fetal movements/kicks
Maternity clothes: Yes and no. I wore my Gap maternity pants when I was in LA and it was soo comfortable. For tops, I still wear my regular clothes but prefer the loose ones. For work, I wear my bella band over my regular pants. I can't button them anymore :-/.
Stretch Marks: None (still crossing my fingers)
Sleep: I am not sure if my body is still adjusting from the 3 hour time difference while we were out on the west coast but I've only been getting about 6-7 hours of sleep this week.
Best moment this week: Whenever I feel Baby Jarbs move/kick. Also, when Daddy Jarbs talks to the baby. The other night he told her "Don't break my heart ok? You can't date any boys yet" lol. Lastly, seeing Daddy Jarbs read the baby book :-).
Movement: Yes! I feel her everyday now although I have noticed that she moved a lot more when we were in Mexico compared to when we are back in the US. Hmm, maybe she has preference for the beach already? Also, as of today, I think I started to feel her hiccups! I can also distinguish a move vs a kick. A move (maybe she's flipping around?) feels like a fish swimming inside my belly while a kick feels like more like a tap.
Food cravings: Waffle and watermelons!
Food aversions: Nothing in particular
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: Still in but I wouldn't be surprised it if pops out sooner or later!
What I miss:
What I am looking forward to: Ordering her crib, hopefully this weekend
Milestones:

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid.

Shopping for Baby Jarbs!

I told myself I am going to hold off and not buy anything for the baby yet. Well, that only lasted for a few days. I finally caved :-(. I got her this cute outfit :-).

Matching hat :-)

I also talked to my mom and she said she bought clothes for Baby Jarbs as well! Grandma Jarbs has bought her an outfit too!! This baby is not even born yet but she already have these clothes lined up for her. We got a little fashionista in the making :-). What can I say, baby girls are so much fun to dress up!! I don't even want to shop for myself anymore.

Baby Jarbs is half baked :-)

The bun in the oven is now half baked :-). Yes, Baby Jarbs officially turns 20 weeks today meaning,  we're halfway there!  Yay! I can't believe how time flies. I am sure the next few months will go buy fast as well. We need to knock down tons of things in our to-do list when we get back to DC.  Daddy Jarbs and I have recharged our batteries during vacation so we're ready to tackle all the things we need to do in preparation for Baby Jarbs' impending arrival. 

Baby Jarbs had a big milestone this week.  She has started kicking! I can feel her movements now pretty much everyday.  I love it :-). Daddy Jarbs has only felt her move ONCE! She always stops moving whenever Daddy Jarbs tries to feel her move outside my belly. We think she is scared of her daddy and behaves when he is around lol.

The first 20 weeks of pregnancy has been pretty easy. I hope that the last 20 weeks (and hopefully, the next 20 yrs :-P) will be smooth sailing as well. 

Happy 20 weeks, little pumpkin! :-)

Baby Jarbs' first gift

Today, we had lunch at one of my favorite Filipino restaurants in LA called Salakot. It's one of the nice Filipino restaurants I have been to. We all enjoyed the yummy food, especially Baby Jarbs.  Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had in their amniotic fluid.  I am having her get used to the taste of Filipino food as early as now :-).

Of course, our meal will not be complete without my favorite Filipino dessert, halo-halo :-). 

Later in the day, Daddy Jarbs and I met up with my friends from highschool who are based in LA. Daddy Jarbs got to meet them for the first time.

Still good friends after all these years

Baby Jarbs got her first gift from my highschool classmate, Angelica. Cute little outfit from Gymboree!

Cute outfit with matching skirt/tutu!!

Baby Jarbs' first souvenir shirt

I was trying hard not to buy clothes for Baby Jarbs just yet. Well, guess who got her her first souvenir shirt? Daddy Jarbs! We were at the Cabo airport waiting for our flight when Daddy Jarbs went "shopping" for a souvenir shirt. I was totally oblivious and was enjoying my bag of cheetos while waiting for our flight. A few minutes later, Daddy Jarbs walked back to where I was seating and showed me his purchase! It's a pink jumper shirt which says "Cabo San Lucas, Mexico). Awww, her first souvenir shirt from her first vacation :-). The size is for 6 months though so she probably wouldn't be able to wear it until spring/summer of next year.

Baby Jarbs is not even born yet but she already has her daddy buying her clothes! We're in big trouble :-).

Last day in Cabo..

Today was our last day in Cabo. It's kinda bittersweet. The vacation seemed very short but we achieved our goal for the trip which was to relax and do nothing! This will be the last official vacation where there will only be the two of us - Daddy Jarbs and myself. However, we are excited and looking forward to taking Baby Jarbs with us on our future getwaways. We want to share with her our love for traveling so we plan to train her young :-)

On our way to breakfast

 Last breakfast by the beach

 Lounged by the pool while waiting for our car pick up to go to the airport