Your Big Day

Dear Isabelle,

So in deliberation with the doctor, we have decided to schedule a c-section date for your grand arrival. The doctor says that there is a 50/50 chance that you still might turn to the engaged position. However, it would be better for us to schedule something just in case you don't. Mommy wants to bake you in me for as long as I can so I asked the doctor to schedule the surgery as late as possible. The doctor came up with March 2, 2009 at 9:30 am. So I guess, if you don't do the flip, we will have you in our arms on that day!

Another reason why that day is sooo very special...it's also your Daddy's birthday! He will turn 33 this year and you will be my birthday present to him. YAY! You just helped Mommy save some money...what a good little girl you are!

Now we just hope you co-operate and stay in Mommy's belly till the 2nd!

Love, Mom

Surprise Baby Shower!

Hi Isabelle!

Mommy works with the most amazing team of people! We were just surprised with an awesome Hello Kitty themed baby shower. Our art director, Kimberly, lured us into the boardroom by saying she wanted to speak to Mommy in regards to the jobs we have been doing and we took the bait. We were totally shocked when she opened the door to the boardroom and everyone from the Production and Art department was there!

There were lots of goodies to eat and we were presented with the cutest Hello Kitty card that our colleague, Andrew, created. There was also a very generous gift in the card!

Mommy is going to miss coming into work everyday and going about her work routine. But I also cannot wait to see how your arrival will change my life!

Love, Mom

Week 38

Week 38: Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Baby Belle,

We are almost there! You probably won't weigh more than 7 lbs when you are born because you are going to be a little tiny thing! And your eyes will be brown and stay brown.

So anyway, we went in for our weekly baby doctor check-up yesterday. We had another non-stress test (NST) and ultrasound. You were asleep during the NST and so your heartbeat was only measuring at around 130 beats/min. After about 15 mins, the nurse decided that you she should wake you up and brought in a mini zapper and zapped you in the legs with it! Your heartbeat immediately jumped to 160+ beats/min! Sorry, Mommy didn't know what was happening when she brought in that apparatus. I would not have let her done that to you...I know you were a little shocked because I could feel you jump in my belly!

And we also had an ultrasound to see what position you were in. You are still breeched! Oh well, I guess you are teaching Mommy that she cannot control everything in her life and sometimes she just has to let go of things and go with the flow.

After our doctor's appointment, Mommy also went to see an acupuncturist for a session on moxibustion. Seems like nothing will make you move into position. So we are now gearing up to schedule our c-section in around a week and a half. We will see you very very soon!

Love, Mom

Ultrasound News

Dear little miss Diva,

Got a call back from the doctor today and you are now up to 5 lbs 15 oz! That's almost 6 lbs...it's great! So, Mommy gains 2 lbs and baby gains 1 lbs! Well, you better be gaining because you know what Mommy has been eating?? Here's an example of what we had today...
For breakfast:

• 1 soft boiled egg
• 1 yogurt
• 1 blueberry muffin
• Harry's berries strawberry juice
  
• 1 orange
• 1 asian pear

For lunch:

• Ee-Fu noodles
• 1 orange
• handful of Harry's berries strawberries
• 1 small bag of chips

Snack before dinner:

• 2 blueberry muffins

Dinner:

• Lamb vindaloo accompanied by paratha stuffed with potatoes and spices
  

The doctor says that all your organs are developing at a normal rate. You are going to be just a little bit smaller than an average baby but that's because Mommy is petite too.

By the way, Mommy made those blueberry muffins herself! We will make it together one day when you are older.

Now we are just hoping you turn in time! If not, we will see you around 39 weeks when we have to schedule a c-section. So do your job and start moving your cute little butt or people will think that Mommy is "too posh to push" but it's actually Belle who's too posh to come out through the birth canal and have a cone head! Just kidding...however you come into the world is fine. Soooo...we will either see you in 2 or 3 weeks!

Love, Mom

Week 37

Week 37: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Hi Belle!

You did well on your non-stress test yesterday. I think you still think that Mommy's belly is your playground because the nurses had to repeat the test twice. You were super wiggly during the first round of the test and they could hardly get a good reading because you kept doing the disappearing act. I think you are going to be exactly like your Daddy, someone who cannot keep still! You were totally cracking the nurses and Daddy up.

And at Mommy's doctor's appointment, we gained a whopping 3 lbs! It was all the Mickey D's and ice cream we've been having over the week. The doctor is happy again with our weight gain and encourages us to gain some more. Well, you better be packing on the pounds too, don't just leave it all up to Mommy!

But at the ultrasound, we see that you are still in a breech position. If you don't turn soon, Mommy will have to schedule a c-section and you will have to come early! The baby doctor now wants us to see her twice a week for monitoring and ultrasounds. You are already making Mommy worry even before your grand arrival.

See you again next week.

Love, Mom

P/S: Ahhh...Mommy forgot to take a pic of us today. :(

Ultrasound Day

Hi Belle,

So we got to "see" you today at our ultrasound. But again, you are not cooperating. Not only that we found out you have moved into a breech position since we last saw the baby doctor, you were also facing Mommy's spine so we could not get a good picture of your face. Are you really that camera shy or do you just want a "BIG REVEAL" like your Auntie D said to me to today?

Also, the doctor said you are measuring a little bit smaller than average. They estimate that you are about 4 lb 13 oz...the average baby at this gestational age is about 5.7 lbs. So because of this, Mommy has to schedule another ultrasound, this time with a specialist, to see if all your organs are growing well. At our next appointment on Feb. 10, we also have to do a non-stress test to make sure that you are not getting stressed inside Mommy's belly.

Hope all goes well, Belle. Everything has been perfect up till now...this is just a little bump on the road...we hope you continue growing well and we'll see you in 4 weeks.

Love, Mom

Week 36

Week 36: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Hi Belle!

Daddy and I can hardly wait till tomorrow...why? Because we have another ultrasound scheduled to take another little peek at you. Please cooperate this time, OK? Last time you had your little feet up to your face and your hands were covering your face too. What a flexible little girl you are. This time, we want to see the pretty face of yours... Mommy's gonna drink a glass of orange juice before our appointment so you move around a bit.

We probably don't need the external cephalic version because we already know that you are positioned head-down. It feels really funny when you wiggle your little head! And Mommy feels your hiccups low down in her pelvis area too.

That's all for now...see you tomorrow, little Belle!

Love, Mom

Week 35

Week 35: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Dear Isabelle,

The countdown begins...the end is near and the start of a new beginning is just around the corner! Mommy and Daddy are frantically getting things together before your arrival. Grandma and Grandpa have booked their flights to LA and your 爺爺 and 奶奶 are applying for their visitors visa for their visit.

We also had our bi-weekly baby doctor's appointment yesterday. Everything measured well. Our fundal height is 35 cm which corresponds to our age in weeks, blood pressure is in the normal range and your heartbeat is around 140+ beats/min. However, we lost 1 lb—back down to 129 lbs. How come? I don't know but our diet hasn't really changed at all! The doctor is not too concerned right now and just encourages us to eat more...hmmm...how much more can Mommy eat? We are already eating every hour!

On the bright side, she told us to schedule a 36 week ultrasound. We made it for Thursday, Feb. 5 and are excited! Mommy and Daddy can't wait to see you again...yippee!

Daddy also suggested we hire a doula to help us out. Since you are our first, we want this experience to be a great one. So Mommy is looking into a few referrals. We would preferably get someone who matches both Mommy and Daddy's personality and birth vision.

Love, Mom

Hospital Tour

Hello Isabelle,

We had our hospital tour with our pre-natal class last night and got to go inside the labor and delivery area of the hospital. We will be delivering at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. We went to look at the Early Labor room, the Active Labor room and the Recovery room. One good thing about all these rooms are that they are all private...so we get our privacy!

We didn't really like the Early Labor room, it was small and cramped. Our teacher said that we should stay home as long as possible until we get to active labor before going to the hospital because once we are there, we will be hooked up to all sorts of machines and be uncomfortable, which might slow labor down.

The Active Labor room was more pleasant. It had a flat screen TV, 5-disc CD player, light dimmers, full size showers (some of them even have jacuzzi tubs!) and flexible birthing beds. Mommy's going to bring in her spa CDs to help in our relaxation...hope all goes well in there!

As for the Recovery room, it's OK. They encourage Dads to stay over so they have an extra cot for Dads to sleep in. Our teacher said that they also encourage us to have you in the room as much as possible. Daddy is in full agreement of that, he doesn't want you to spend too much time in the nursery.

We also saw a Deluxe room! Those are catered to the celebrities that give birth at Cedars. It looked more like a mini apartment with 2 bedrooms adjoining the labor room and connecting bathrooms. Every Deluxe room includes an in-room refrigerator, stocked with chilled juices and bottled water, stereo/CD player, as well as a television and VCR. They also provide new mothers with a hair dryer to use during their stay and a "Suite Experience" hotel-style robe. Almost like a Four Seasons!


After doing the tour, everything seems sooo much more real! Mommy's next project is to pack our hospital bags!

Love, Mom

Week 34

Week 34: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Dear Isabelle,

WAAAAHHH...Mommy is getting HUGE, Daddy called her "ripe" and your Godpa Dan constantly refers to you as the watermelon. How much bigger are we going to get? Not too much I hope, because we can hardly get in and out of our SUV already!

Do you have long legs, Belle? Mommy feels you stretching your legs and pressing them up against our ribs...ouch. But at least you don't kick me in the ribs, which I appreciate! Maybe you'll be a ballerina or a gymnast. We can't wait to meet you, little one!

Love,
Mom

Week 33

Week 33: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Dear Isabelle,

Oh...your weight is finally making Mommy feel quite uncomfortable. For the last week now, Mommy can feel her pelvis stretching out, making room for your grand entrance to the world. Her hips, butt cheeks and pubic bone are starting to ache and it is making Mommy waddle like a duck! Oh and sleeping has been such a hard thing to do now. Not only we have to wake up every 4 hours to use the bathroom, sometimes we wake up in the middle of the night because Mommy has rolled onto her back and your weight feels like it is crushing her lungs and we have to wake up to catch a breath!

Our baby doctor visit went well on Jan. 13. The doctor says we are progressing perfectly and are right on target! We gained another 2 lbs and are up to 130 lbs now. We will see our doctor again in 2 weeks and after that, it will be once a week...YIKES! Time is creeping up on us...

Love, Mom

Week 32

Week 32: By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Dear Izzyboo,

We are in our 32nd week now...another 8 more weeks till we meet each other! Mommy and Daddy are frantically getting your corner nursery together. We got and put together your crib, now we have to start putting together your changing table (courtesy of your 爺爺 and 奶奶 again). Mommy bought some cute letterings that spell your name. I can't wait to paint it and put it up on the wall.


Love, Mom

P/S: You have been hiccupping more than ever! Mommy will try to drink LOTS of water, OK? It's just hard to fill my stomach up with water now since there is almost no more room in there!

Prepared Childbirth Series

Dear Belle,

Our first class starts today! All of our classmates are first-time parents so they were all clueless like us. We learned some relaxation and breathing techniques and Mommy is supposed to practice daily so that it will be an automatic response for our body. We got a few spa/relaxation CDs and will be trying them out! Hope you enjoy them too because the RN says, "A relaxed baby is a happy baby!" Another 4 more classes, for the next few Mondays and we'll be done!

Love, Mom

Week 31 and Happy New Year's Eve!

Week 31: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Happy New Year's eve Belle,

2009 is definitely going to be a big year for all of us! It will be a start to a new chapter in Mommy, Daddy and Zoë's book called "Life" with you as a new addition to our little family.

Yesterday, we received your carseat! This is a gift from your 爺爺 and 奶奶. It looks sooo good and Daddy was trying to figure out how to install it. We will take it in to the local Fire Hall so they can help us make sure it is installed correctly. Can't wait to put you in it!


Love, Mom

Last Doctor's Appointment of the Year

Hi Isabelle!

We went to see our baby doctor today for our usual check-up. And as always, everything is going according to plan. The doctor was very happy with Mommy this week because we put on 4 lbs since our last appointment 2 weeks ago...so now we weigh in at 128 lbs! You had a strong heartbeat at 157 beats/min as well.

After our appointment, Daddy treated Mommy to a manicure and pedicure (shhhh...don't tell anyone but Daddy got one for himself too...heehee) since Mommy is unable to bend over to paint our own toes anymore!

Love, Mom

30-Week Mark!

Week 30: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face.

Hey Jingle Belle,

It's Christmas eve and you turn 30 weeks today! Your Grandma also made it to LA safe and sound...we are elated because she is going to be cooking us some yummy food while she is here visiting. YAY! We get to eat Mommy's favorite, Penang Laksa...yum!

Also, yesterday we went to Daddy's work Christmas party...did you feel lots of hands patting you? Everyone wanted to rub our belly to say hi to you. We had lots of salad, turkey, roast beef and desserts! After the party, we went to the airport to pick your Grandma up.

Can't wait till next Christmas when you will be crawling around the house!

Love, Mom

P/S: Mommy thinks she felt you hiccupping yesterday...what a weird feeling!

Belle—the Master Contortionist

Hey Cheeky Monkey!

You are a master contortionist! Do you know what that means? It means you can bend your body like no other!

Mommy and Daddy went in for a 3/4D ultrasound last night and you definitely made the technician WORK! You had both hands over your face and your feet were up around your little face too! At one point, you were sucking on your toes! He couldn't get a good photo of you. He even made us walk up and down the hallway 10 times to try to get you to move...but you were all balled up. Daddy was disappointed because he soooo very wanted to see how you looked like!

We only got ONE ok photo where we could see one eye and your little nose (which looks like Daddy's nose!). Maybe we'll make another appointment to try to get another peek at you. If we do, please try to cooperate OK, little monkey?


Love, Mom

Another Baby Doctor Visit

Good morning Belle!

We just got back from the baby doctor and are very happy with our progress! Mommy gained another 5 lbs and the doctor is happy. So we now stand at 124 lbs! We heard your heartbeat again, very strong at 150 beats/min. Mommy managed to record it this time for Daddy (and your grand parents too!) to listen to because he couldn't make it to our appointment today.

BelleHB_12.15.08.mp3 -

Mommy asked why she is feeling some subtle "pins and needles" under her breast bone and the doctor checked and said that you were the delivery position (head-down) now and most probably the sensation is from you resting your feet up against Mommy's ribs! Yikes...when you grow bigger, please don't start kicking Mommy in the ribs, OK?

From now on, our appointment schedule is once every 2 weeks instead of 4...we are getting closer and closer to meeting each other. YAY!

Love, Mom

Jingle Belle, Jingle Belle...

Hey there my little jingle Belle!

Mommy is finally ready for Christmas! We cleaned up the house, put up the Christmas decorations and were singing to Christmas carols today...you absolutely LOVED it...totally dancing in Mommy's belly! This will be Mommy and Daddy's last Christmas as a couple...next year, you will be here to join us! How exciting!

All Mommy wants for Christmas is a little jingle Belle!

Love, Mom

The Start of our 3rd and Final Trimester

Week 28: By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Hi Izzyboo!

We are in our 28th week today...and it's our third and final trimester. We are in the home stretch! And wow, are we ever growing! Mommy had to take out her belly ring because it is finally feels like it is stretching our skin. Our belly is getting itchy too! Mommy is trying her best not to scratch but it is very hard when I am unconsciously doing it in my sleep!

Daddy has started getting ready for your grand arrival by getting us a new car. We now have to get your carseat. Daddy says this car is really safe and smooth for you to ride in it...it's been a week now, and Mommy absolutely agrees! We even feel safe driving down the crazy LA freeways...usually we don't like driving on them.

Anyway, we have scheduled a 3/4D ultrasound next week so we can take a little peek at you...we haven't seen you in such a long time. We want to see how you have grown and they say that we can even see clear feature details! Mommy and Daddy can hardly wait for that appointment!

Till then....

Love, Mom