Bring on the barbie dolls!!

IT'S A GIRL!!

Above - arrow points at the exit to our future grandkids...hehe...

We're very excited and can't wait to meet her in person. She's doing well being her usual active self as the ultrasound technician did her measurements. The due date may now be August 24th but no matter, we still have to endure a steamy Summer :o/ We'll make the best of it no doubt.

The famous thumb sucking pix :oD We got one! We got one!...haha..

Oh hey, maybe two thumb pixs :o)

As previously mentioned, we had planned to name her Katelin but now we're (more like Yogi) kind of sort of keeping our options open for something we like better or possibly fits her personality more, especially now that I can feel her move. Let us know if you have suggestions, Chinese names are also welcome.

Congrats to all you Aunties and Uncles to be having a little Niece :oD

Egging Them On

There's good reason we've waited as long as we did to have a bunny of our own, there's egg-nuf of them hopping around :oD

Cutie pie, Lilah striking a pose before her first Easter egg hunt on foot. Last year, she was only at crawling speed.

Check out them ears :oD

The daddy-to-be teaching Taylor the big boy handshake (whatever that is).

And, Yogi's nieces and nephew, the three little know-it-alls in the family...thus far.

Yup, it was all about the kids and their eggs this past weekend and we had great California weather to do it in. I also took advantage of what mobility I had left and did a short bike ride to my sister-in-law's house a few blocks away. Some of you might think I was crazy (Yogi included) but it worked out fine. We lowered my seat so my feet can be planted on the ground at the same time in case I needed the balance. We rode slow and followed all the bike traffic rules, not to say we normally wouldn't :oP

All in all, baby is doing fine. We were out at a bar on Friday night to celebrate a friend's birthday and I notice baby was moving around almost constantly. Not sure if it's liking the music or telling us to quiet down cus it was way pass mommy's bedtime. We'll find out sooner or later :o)

And, for all you anxious Aunties and Uncles, we should get visual of the baby's gender by this time next week...baby's leg permitting!

Movements are Good

A little update on our baby, she (per nurse) is doing fine. In a previous post, I mentioned I felt her move over the weekend and she hasn't stopped since. She especially loves it when I eat and drink :o)

Other than that, I'm trying to get a couple new routines down to help baby and me to be more comfy as the pregnancy moves on. First, I'm trying to get myself uses to sleeping a new position. Per the pregnancy book, prenatal Yoga video and babycenter.com, on my left side with a pillow between my legs is best to increase circulation of fluids and oxygen to the baby while I sleep. It's tougher than I thought! I would wake up in the morning laying on my back and pillow on the ground…haha… Yogi's suppose to get me a body pillow so I can grab a hold of it and avoid it slipping away throughout the night. We've even switched our comfy pillow-topped bed to our much firmer guest bed. A lot of getting uses to but it’s only the first week.

I also started watching and doing the Prenatal Yoga video (thanks to Tracy) last night. I felt really relaxed afterwards releasing all the tension in my body and slept vert well. Also, baby will appreciate more room to move around in as I expand my flexibility :oD However, I don't feel that my muscles has strengthen since they’re not sore this morning, maybe I don't have enough weight on me yet; nonetheless, I’ll still make an effort for the gym to give my body new movements just not as often :o)

Cheers to a nice Easter weekend!!

Jordan

Better late than never, here's a pix of Jordan (looking more and more like daddy every day) and I taken a few weekends ago at dim sum. The little dude is the son of our friends, Ken and Elaine. He's one of the most easy going babies I have met in a really long time. At almost 1 years old, a stranger can pretty much pick him up and walk out with him and he would not make a peep. I'm not sure that will last long ;oD

Poor thing cried every time the group yelled and screamed during the Super Bowl party. You can imagine how loud our house was when the Giants made the last touchdown...yells, screams, high-fives, and baby crying. We haven't had a party since...hehe...

...and here's Yogi enjoying Happy Garden's food...haha...

Staying Active

I served my first day off on Friday having worked the new schedule 80 hours in 9 days. I went to the gym, visited ex-coworkers at Health Net, shopped, visited friend, Tracy, and meet up with friends at happy hour. My next day off will probably be much mellower. Special thanks to my ex-manager, Brenda for the adorable baby gift below. I’m sure baby will have no problem living up to it! Also, thank you to Verna for the teddy bear and Marissa for the delicious white chocolate (my favorite) covered popcorn. Obviously, we were too slow to catch a pix of the popcorn :oP

Saturday was another ex-work reunion with the Lyon gang at Hudson’s bday! Kim's little prince turned 1 year old and was cute as can be with giant smiles from ear to ear (when he’s not sleepy). Hope to see you all again soon!

Hudson's dreaming with mommy, Kim and I above and welcome back Mala and Evani - fresh off the plane from vacationing in India below.

Later in the afternoon, we went bowling with a few friends we haven’t seen in a while. Yes, I bowled too after a whole lot of convincing my hubby but not with my Tweety (ball). I had to use a much lighter ball and didn’t get my usual scores but it felt like I had satisfied a huge craving…haha…so I was happy and so was baby. I finally felt it move for the first time shortly after. It’s these fluttery tingly little sensations. Yay!! Daddy can't wait for his turn to feel!

And yesterday, I played a few games of pool at a friend’s house. That’s another craving I’ve been meaning to satisfy. Yogi was scrutinizing my every move to make sure I wasn’t over extending myself which I tried not to but tummy definitely starting to get in the way. It was the first body part to touch the table every time…hehe…all in good fun and moderation these days.

Thanks Karla!

I don't mean to dampen the spirits of my blog but I think it's important to pay tribute to friends and family who are important to us; people who have played significant roles in our lives to become better people in one way or another. Roles that will help us become better parents too.

Yesterday afternoon, I received a phone call from Verna that Karla (bride in pix below) has past away. She was an ex-coworker at Health Net and we became good friends after we both parted from HN. A few months ago she was unfortunately diagnosed with leukemia and have been fighting the disease ever since. She received a bone marrow transplant towards the beginning of the year and infections have not been easy to overcome.

She was definitely a fighter and if anyone can endure such emotional and physical stress, she was the superwoman to do it! I know she didn't give up. I know she hung on as long as she could and I know she's at peace knowing she tried as hard as she did.

This woman (Karla) was surely a one-of-a-kind. She uses to sit on the other side of the cubicle from me at HN and I uses to work through smart azz comments she would shoot back to anther coworker, Mike. It was like listening to a funny afternoon talk show on the radio. The fun never stops when she's around.

She committed herself 150% every time she worked on a project. Her genuine efforts and dedication towards helping others succeed is very respectable. She's also made valuable time to visit us when she could even for a few minutes or just a drink. I'll never forget the apple martinis you and I bought for one another when we could have paid our own...haha... I’ve learned a lot from you, Karla. Thank you. You will definitely be missed. R.I.P girl friend.

Titus's Red Egg Party

Congrats to Heidi and Karl for making it through the first month with Titus! Apparently nights have been tough. Boy, are we looking forward to it...NOT!!

Nevertheless, it's time to party all over again in a whole different way...haha... Pix of pretty mama, Heidi and son, Titus above.

Titus's party also gave me an opportunity to catch up with a couple other little ones I haven't seen in a while.

Jayden (9mths) was in a great mood to play with Auntie Linh.

Can't leave out this big boy nephew (my cousin, Nicole's son), Dylan at 2.5yrs old. He's definitely all boy climbing on chairs/tables, playing with fishes in the tank, and bugging his parents for a kite...haha...you're too cute even when you don't get what you want.

PS. These baby announcements keep coming... Congratulations to our friends who wed last summer expecting their first! We're very happy for you guys and we're going to have lots of fun with our rats :oD

The Ching Wedding

Saturday night, we attended Bo and Carrie's wedding. We had a nice time and ate a lot. Congratulations to them! Btw, thanks Uncle Bo for offering a free photo session for our baby. We'll definitely take you up on it!

Above is a picture of the newlyweds walking stuck to a balloon for well wishes to be written on Bo's funky boxers. Yogi represented our table and wrote, 'Practice makes perfect.' Guess we could have been more creative with a phrase written on his behind...haha... ;o)

Do we have the baby glow?

Yogi goofing around with our friends, Tiffany and Stefani.

...and finally an updated bump picture at the end our 16th week. Watch out it's popping out at a rate of approximately 1lb a week. PS. hope you remembered to turn your clocks forward.

Nurse Addresses 'She'

Yesterday's checkup at Kaiser with nurse Jill went really well. We reviewed my previous test results and all is normal. We also discussed our last visit to the ultrasound technician to find signs of down syndrome (results are very low chances). We confessed that the technician had a 85% hunch we're having a girl. The nurse is then convinced that the technician may be right because they know what to look for in the ultrasound as far as the development of the reproductive system is concerned. We're happy either way and will keep our hearts open for a boy in case we hit the lather 15% chance. Hopefully we'll get visual proof at another ultrasound in just 24 days and know whether or not to call it Katelin yet :oD

The nurse moved on to the exciting part with a little radio tapped onto my belly in search of 'her' heartbeat. It didn't take the nurse long to find her but as soon as daddy commented, "Her heartbeat is so fast..." she went on the move. She was so good at it, the nurse wasn't able to find her again. At the least, we're glad she's in there somewhere and keeping herself comfy. Although, she may be a shy one :oD

Of course, the nurse couldn't resist ordering another blood test before I leave. I have had so many, I've stop counting and don't remember what they've tested for but my driver-cook-purse holder-secretary-father of the baby probably does...hehe...

Stay tune for pixs of us after the weekend. We're crashing a wedding and a red egg party for Titus. Yay! Have a good one!

Bye Bye First Trimester

Growing full speed towards the half way mark of my pregnancy has recently gotten easier. I'm able to eat, sleep, stay up late on some nights, and exercise, what more can I ask for? Well, how about feeling the baby move? I thought I felt something like a tummy grawl (usually when you're hungry) last night...hmm...maybe that was it. Then again, I might have really been hungry. I'll tune in some more and let you guys know when the kicks are full-blown kung fu style :oD

One aspect that's getting harder, I mean heavier is the 'front'. I bounce around the office daily and I get the usual cute giggles from co-workers but it's also the reason why I can't wear high heals, need to hold onto the rails walking up and down the stairs, and having to adjust to a new equilibrium every morning. I can only imagine come month #8 and 9. Lets cross those bridges when we get to it.

My work hours changed this week to 9/80, meaning I work 80 hours in 9 days instead of 10. I get 1 day off every other week - woo hoo! It's longer days but the extra day off will make room for doctor's visits :o)