Happy 2009!

Where did the year fly by? I don't quite recollect what happened throughout the year, but I suppose that in hindsight, it's been quite eventful? There has been vast changes for both my husband and I, professionally and personally. Mostly for the better, I suppose.

Here's to hoping that 2009 will bring further success, happiness and contentment.

My resolutions:

1) Enjoy my baby for all that she is. Even though there will be times when she'll be a fusspot, and I'll feel like screaming and pulling all my hair off - in a blink of an eye, she'll be all grown up and I'll never have these days again where I'll be her whole world. And to be honest, I'm already dreading having to give her up to daycare in March, and crazily enough, I'm already tearing up at the thought of her getting married and starting a life of her own. And she's only 3 weeks and 1 day old. She's already outgrown 3 outfits, and her socks are all too small for her. So yes, cherish all these times that you have because it'll be gone before you know it.

2) Be as successful at work as I can possibly be. Because I want to be able to give the world to Isabel. I want to be able to bring her around the world - Paris, Rome, Egypt, Australia, Alaska, everywhere.

3) Love and cherish my husband and child.

4) Be supermom. =D

December 31st, 2008 - 19 days old

Gah...

I'm pissed. At myself. Apparently I've missed the window for newborn photographs to be taken of my kid. 2 weeks is the magic number for when the baby will suddenly turn into a fussy missy, and I suppose that she'll no longer be considered a newborn after that....

Booger.

And the worst thing is, if we actually had a boy, I doubt I'd be this annoyed at myself....whoops! Yes, I'm a bad mother. (but seriously, how many guys do you know who'd actually care about seeing baby pictures of himself? - unless he's trying to impress a girl by pretending to be sentimental, and no, I'm not going to encourage that)

Merry Christmas!

Our first Christmas at our house, and as a real family. And of course, John had to commemorate it by making me wear a ridiculous/gaudy sweater. The things one is willing to do when appearance isn't one of her top priorities anymore...

Merry Christmas, all!!

Christmas 2008

15 days old

Little Tricks Up Her Sleeve...

So, my daughter have been smiling since day 1, but I never did think that it was intentional...I mean, she smiles in her sleep when I sing to her, and there are times when she'll give little smirks as she toots her way through her diaper...But I always thought that they were flukes. However, this morning, when I went to her crib, she was already wide awake and cooing....She looked at me and I smiled. She quickly closed her eyes shut. So I said "Is someone pretending to be asleep?" Then she opened her eyes again and gave me a big smile.

I have a little prankster. And she makes my heart melt.

She's 13 days old today and she had her first dr's appointment. She's back to her birth weight, the little chunker, so that's good news for me as that means the feedings are working as they should. That makes all those sleepless nights and sore nips a little more worth it. I wouldn't say that it makes it ALL ok (hey, it sometimes hurt like a mother****** when she latches on half asleep...it makes me want to scream as loud as she does!), but it's close.

Oh, and I can officially fit into my fat jeans, buttoned up and all. Woo hoo!

I Can't Think of a Title, Therefore I'm Not Going To Bother...

Since our baby was taking her own sweet time arriving, my guests/caretakers have to find ways to amuse themselves to deal with anti-climax after the 8th has come and gone with absolutely nothing eventful happening...So, out with the cards and the cash!! (It's Monopoly money, but still!)

All they need are some cigars and some gin....or for a more appropriate "Chinese" mobster feel, cigarettes hanging out from the side of their mouths and one leg propped up on the chair....

I'm just so glad that I did not have to be induced....The pain was bad enough as it is. But as they all say, it was well worth it....I think!

New daddy

Our new family

Such a big girl!!

3 days old

December 14th 2008

One week old and full of smiles

Stats:

Isabel Clarissa
Born 12/12/08 at 9.40pm EST
Weight: 8 lbs 4.5 oz
Length: 21.5"

She was a big, BIG surprise, as we were expecting a 6lb boy! Matter of fact, when they announced that "It's a Girl!!" I was like, "What???" and immediately looked down at her for confirmation....

We definitely got our surprise.

I never knew that I can love someone so much (regardless of the sleepless nights, the poopy diapers and her very very VERY prominent wail...wonder who she got that from?)

But she's my little angel/PITA and I love her more that I can even comprehend.

Our Big Surprise...

40 weeks and 3 days...

STILL pregnant =S

Week 40

What's happening underneath that bump?

The last week...or is it?! The average sized newborn is 7 1/2 lbs and 20" long. At this point, most of the vernix is gone, 15% of the body is fat and the chest sticks out.

Although you aren't considered post due until you reach 42 weeks of pregnancy, if your doctor feels that you have gone long enough in the pregnancy , he or she may induce labor

No baby yet...although I suppose that considering the fact that only 2% of babies are born on their due date, along with the fact that we are not entirely sure when the conception date was (the original date was estimated to be 2 weeks after this, until the ultrasound proved otherwise), it shouldn't be surprising.

And now that I've pretty much calmed down (as oppose to thinking that every twitch and pain is a sign to signal the troops), I'm going to use this time to finish up stuff on my to-do list that was pushed aside (basically, the "C" items) Today's going to be productive. Well, if I don't konk out by 3pm....I woke up at 4am and could not fall back asleep. And it's way too early to start on my list as the whole household is still sleeping. Booger.

But regardless, he/she will be here by next week, as the Dr will be inducing if nothing happens naturally. I have a biophysical profile scheduled for baby this Wednesday, to see if he/she is still happy (well, you'd think that he/she should be smart enough to come out if he/she don't like it anymore!). Here's to hoping that things progress along naturally and soon.

(Any doubts that this baby is "Malaysian"??! Lateness apparently is built into his/her genes)

Week 38 and some House Updates

What's happening underneath that bump?

The baby is now nearing 7lbs in weight and is less than 20" long - he/she may be gaining an ounce a day now as fat for life outside your uterus. His/her intestines are accumulating lots of meconium and the creamy, white coating called vernix that formed to protect your baby's skin from fluid is now disappearing. The lanugo downy hair that also protects the skin is also going away as your baby prepares to be born. The circumference of the head and the baby's abdomen are about the same.

Well....apparently I have a few silent readers here! *waves hello* I guess that's good to know that I have the ability to lure a few unsuspecting victims in! Or wait....do you guys use it to lull yourself to a state of drowsiness so you can have a good night's sleep??! ?Hmmmmmm......

The past couple of weeks have been filled with never ending "little" projects to prepare the house for our guests. And most of the tasks are smelly. So poor John has to do most of them, as baby really protests when I inhale the scent. Such a little brat!

The bathtub was reglazed, the bathroom floor "redone" (taking that word in lightly.....I doubt that HGTV would approve), and the floors for the whole downstairs was recoated with a protective layer (we have hardwood floors and we basically just resealed it). Sounds simple enough, but not when you realized that you have to move ALL the furniture out of the way first. Whoever said that a pregnant woman is unable to do much have obviously never met me. Although, again, I have to say that kiddo was not happy with all the lifting going on. Tough. He/she will have to learn that life's not going to be all about him/her sooner or later.

I just realized that I've never shown any pictures of the house....And figured that I might as well, as we've worked our butts off to have it ready....and additionally, our house will probably never be this clean again for the next year...or is it the next 10?

The End of a Chapter

John just left for the airport to pick my family up. From that moment on, it will never just be the two of us ever again. I have to admit, I felt immensely sad. And I cried. Because that part of our life is over.

Yawn...

Time off from work really isn't all it's cropped up to be. Or maybe it's just me. The whole point of me taking time off was to finish up stuff that I wanted to have done before next week. But all the things I would like to do would require some sort of help from my husband, who is at work. Being pregnant really restricts a lot of activity, and it being cold out really doesn't help.

Bah humbug!

Week 36

What's happening underneath that bump?

With four weeks to go, your baby is almost ready! This week, the fat is dimpling on the elbows and knees as well as forming creases in the neck and wrists. The baby's brain is still developing, he/she is around 6lbs in weight and is almost 19 inches long.

You may notice that the baby has dropped at this point and you'll feel the shift in pressure lower in your abdomen. This is the birth position and it means your due date is getting close. In fact, you could go in to labor any time now!



Well, the good thing is, my OB said that I currently have a 5 pounder in me. So even if I'm 2 weeks overdue, he/she'll probably will be about 7 lbs. Phew! That's a huge relief. I was starting to wonder if I was carrying a 10 lb roaster!

Things are really getting down to the line now....anytime after next week, baby will be fine to come out (he/she wouldn't be classified as premature anymore anytime after the 38th week). Although my dr was saying that he's not expecting an early arrival, from the look of things.

So, we've started really working on finishing up (ok, in some cases, finally starting) projects around the house and just random stuff that needs to be done before our guest arrives. And I don't just mean my baby, but we'll be having a house full of people in about...oh...less than 3 weeks? I'm starting to wonder if I even have enough towels to go around!

One of the definite must-dos is to refinish the bathtub downstairs. Simply because it's gross (thanks to us using it as a dumping/washing ground for all our paint supplies) and there's only 2 bathrooms in the house, and I'd really rather avoid people having to track up the stairs to shower. So my poor hubby had to suffer through the horrible fumes to have it reglazed. I was a little afraid that I'll come downstairs to a comatose husband...the fumes were awful, and even the little lingering odor that I could smell through shut doors upstairs was enough to make my kid curl up in my stomach. He/she has not been a happy camper lately, probably because of all the things I'm "putting it through".

Before

My Lightbulb Moment...

Apparently, lifting heavy things during one's 8th month of pregnancy is not such a good idea....And the funny thing is that, it happened when I was cooking.

My nice hubby bought me a new "toy".....something that I've been wanting for a long time, but never did buy because it's not exactly cheap. But Marshalls' got in a huge shipment of Le Creuset items recently, and we found the exact size and color Dutch oven that I've been wanting. Hubby grabbed it.

Now, the thing about these ovens is that they are made out of cast iron. We bought the 5 1/2 qt one, and empty, it weighs about...oh...8 to 10 lbs? Filled up with chicken, 2 lbs of potatoes, liquid/stock and other ingredients....well...you go figure it out. Lets just say that baby was NOT happy, especially when I had to put it back on the counter to change the height of the rack in the oven, and then put it back into the oven again.

It's been over an hour since putting it in the oven, and baby is still a little miffed, judging from the kicks he/she's still handing out to my belly.

Whoops.

Week 34

What's happening underneath that bump?

The baby responds as a newborn with its eyes open while awake and closed while sleeping. Your baby knows the sound of your voice, so spend lots of time singing and talking throughout the day. The same lullabies you sing now will calm your baby once he or she is born.S/he is developing immunities to fight mild infection. Those sharp little fingernails are at the ends of the fingertips already, and you might need to clip them during the first few days after birth.

He or she is around 18 inches, and is about five pounds. The skin has turned from red to pink, and all of the organs except for the lungs are fully mature. Movement is restricted even more this week, and baby is curled up tightly in the womb. You should still feel movement frequently, but it will be much more confined. You'll notice every little hiccup or kick now, as the skin of your abdomen is stretched and the baby is pressing against your organs

Happy Halloween!

John's having a ball giving out candy to the neighbourhood kids - BUT, he's also filtering our candy giveaways ---He's hoarding the ones that he likes..So the Reese's peanut butter cups are making their way down his belly instead of out to the kids. Can you believe that??!

We had dinner recently at this couple's place whom we met during the child prep class, so I ambitiously tried to make dessert. It was either that, or bring a store-bought one, and you should have seen John's face when I suggested that.

So, I turned to my "go-to guru" from the Good Things Catered blog, and once again, she did not disappoint. Thanks so much, Katie!! (although my cake definitely didn't turn out as asthetically pleasing as hers, but since I've never iced or decorated a cake before in my life, I cut myself a break. It was delicious, though! Score 1 on the Supermom board!)

Excuse the pale white face here...(I look like I'm made up to be a ghost!) I'm trying out a new foundation and as you can see, it's not working out for me.

On the baby note, I had another appointment today...I'm 34 weeks and 4 days today, and I gained FOUR POUNDS since my appointment 2 weeks ago! That means I'm 144 lbs now, and have gained a total of 27 lbs. My goal was only 25. Humbug!

Food for thought...

Ok, I hate baking. Because I'm bad at it. This is the person who used to bake ALL.THE.TIME. in highschool. Perhaps I sucked then too...but at least my testers were a little more lenient, maybe? I don't know. Kiddo is going to have to deal with store-bought treats. Heck, aren't kids discouraged from having too much baked goods anyway?

Cookie Dough Truffles:

Verdict: Easy to make, but I remembered AFTER I finished making them that I never was a cookie-dough kinda girl...I find it odd that there are people who can lick the batter bowl after making cookies (i.e. my husband) Bleh...


But my husband loves cookie dough, and he said that he liked them...That's good, since they are ALL his. I don't think that the neighbours were a fan either.

So....this is probably going to be a one-time thing.









One Hour Bread:


Verdict: I honestly think that I did not mix the dough enough before shaping it....The texture was way too sticky. But since I've already dumped the mixing bowl into the sink and filled it up with water (I know, sometimes being too much of a anal-clean freak will come bite you back in the ass), I wasn't about to go mix it again. It does LOOK nice though. It didn't really taste that bad either....Actually, it hardly tasted of anything. As for the texture, it's a little dense.


I think I should stick with recipes that are written for dummies/first-time bakers.


On another note, my husband is pretty proud of himself. His "garden" bore "fruit".

Isn't he adorable? Although I'm not sure if that will be enough to feed even a baby bunny rabbit, but hey, it's still a carrot!

Can't see it? Don't worry, it's not old age, or your cataracts acting up. Even my camera had difficulty focusing.(hahaha)

Here's an extremely close up view :

Our flowers in the front yard are doing fantastic as well...Which is somewhat of a miracle, since I don't remember doing a thing to ensure that they survived from last year. Goes to show...sometimes, things are better left alone.

Week 32

What's happening underneath that bump?

The baby is up to 4 lbs now, and 17" long. While he or she still has room to move around a bit, the womb is becoming cramped for your little one. Right now, your baby can open his or her eyes, breathe with the lungs and coordinate thumb sucking. All 5 senses are functional, the toenails are completely formed and the hair on the head continues to grow.

A little progression chart using the same dress....I can NOT believe that I can still fit in it!! Although I'm definitely not going to wear it out, it still DOES fit.

Finish!

I actually finished the bumpers! I'm actually quite relieved as I thought this would be one of those meant-well-but-the-motivation-is-slowly-dripping-away kinda deal....So, yay for me!

Some of the miscellaneous stuff I was working on concurrently...Blankets, burpies and washclothes. I am actually quite tempted to make a grown-up sized version of the blankets -- the minky fabric is soooooooo soft!

Next up, sanding and refinishing the side table that we found at a yard sale for $10 - turns out that table was made by an old Grand Rapids furniture company. What are the odds?! (Hubby grew up in that area)

I'm No Supermom

But I can sure as heck try! First stop - be a whiz in the kitchen. And considering the fact that I'm the same person who almost killed herself (think thick white carbon monoxide pouring out of the microwave ---- yes, microwave oven. I blame you, mom. Yes, that pot was NOT microwave safe. At least, not for the cooking time I needed it to be.) when she tried to cook rice for the very first time, this MIGHT be quite the feat.

But anyway, these are the recipes that I intend to try - These people really seem to be food gurus, and their pictures of the final product is just the final push over the wall to motivate (delusional) me to try it out for myself:

Appetizers:

Ginger Wings

Buffalo Chicken Dip


Main Dishes:

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup - This looks PERFECT for a cold winter's night! And if I can successfully make the breadbowl from scratch as well, I'll call myself a kitchen goddess


Chicken Tikka Masala - Now, I've successfully made this in the past, but it's always by using the bottled curry sauce (I know, that's also called cheating). But "from scratch", here I come!

Chiang Mai Noodles - This would be a true test for this blogger --- All her recipes/pictures look delish, but because this is an Asian dish (Thai, to be exact), I have to admit that I'm a little sceptical whenever someone raves about such dishes when the recipe came from an American cookbook.

Hearty Beef Stew - Since this recipe calls for red wine, it'll be post baby before I'll make it. But doesn't it look like it'll be something that will make those cold nights bearable??!

Tomato Herb Flatbread - Looks perfect for the end of summer meals when the tomato plants are flourishing. I can't wait to plant my very own next year!

Quick Shrimp Pad Thai - Again, this will be a good test..but it does look awfully delicious!

Big Mama's Chicken Pot Pie - This is the kind of culinary pieces that will seal the deal in me being a full-fledged accomplished mama in the kitchen!

Chicken Marsala

Baked Macaroni and Cheese - I usually can NOT stand cheese, but ever since I got pregnant, I've been noshing my way through packets of American singles. Straight up. This sounds like something that will make baby (and hubby) happy

Baking/Desserts:

Cookie Dough Truffles - will be trying this this weekend, as we were invited over to our neighbours and hubby volunteered to bring dessert

Autumn Apple Pie - I'm really not much of an apple person, unless it's juice or pie, or crumble. Basically, the unhealthy version. And this looks GOOD.

Apple Crunch

Tender Banana Bread - I have 2 bananas ripening up on our kitchen island as I type...

Christmas Bread Wreath - Definitely something that I'm going to try this Christmas. If it turns out, it'd be a good handout to the neighbours

One Hour Bread - the one time we tried to make bread, we weren't sure as to whether our yeast culture had gone bad......it looked and tasted a little sour-y. This one sounds great because we don't have to continue feeding the culture and thus, make bread every freaking week, else the culture will grow bad. I mean, I love bread, but who's got the time to make it every week???!

31 weeks

What's happening underneath that bump?

Growth begins to slow a teeny bit, and the brain goes through a period of rapid development. The only major organ left to fully develop is the lungs. If your baby is a boy, his testes will begin to descend from the body cavity to the scrotum. The bones are still hardening.

The baby is becoming quite cramped, and can't move around very well. It's easy to see the baby's elbow or leg pushing against the abdomen

At this point, most women are eager to have their baby not only because they can't wait tfor the new addition, but also because they are sick of being pregnant!.

Dang right that I'm ready to have the baby! I'm absolutely tired of being pregnant! But it's still scary to think that I'm now down to single digits (weeks) before I'm due...

Good thing that John's finished the furniture and it's all been moved up to the nursery. So yay!!