Preggar Update

Week: 30
Weight: haha, nice try, gained about 18 pounds so far

Random thoughts:
Heartburn is gone – whoo hoo!!! Still using stretch mark lotion although I haven’t seen any yet. My hair always grows like weeds but it’s not falling out as much. Still taking my prenatals and iron (yuck). I’ve noticed my feet fell “fuller” in my shoes. I’m noticeably pregnant. Some swelling on my legs at the end of the day. Appetite is non-stop. I still have a belly button! Adzuki is very active and has the hiccups everyday. Shortness of breath easily. Going to bed earlier (10pm). Often, I’ve misjudge distances (belly hits the car door, bathroom door, fridge door, thinking I can squeeze by, haha). Starting to feel some soreness in my thighs, which I heard is common.

How do I feel? 1 to 10 with 10 being “Fantastic – business as usual”: 9.7

Pregnancy Advantages

Although I’ve only lived in Minnesota for my adult life, I’ve become accustomed to the chilly and sometimes brutal winters. I recall the first winter as an eye-opener. I had to change my car to a front wheel drive vehicle and invested in “winter” gloves, hat, scarf and boots… none of the “it looks pretty” accessories.

When I heard about this big winter storm over the weekend, I didn’t get too concerned. A true Minnesotan won’t change plans b/c of a snow storm! Besides, it was Shanna’s annual Christmas party- one NOT to miss. She has outrageously good food, white elephant, toys for tots and lots of games. I made a list and checked it twice before our drive down to Burnsville (long story but I do give her a hard time about living so far from me. List: Cheesecake, Toys for tots, White elephant, lots of libations, overnight bag, shovel, snow boots, “winter” accessories and sleeping bag (Bill’s boys scouts habit). The drive was uneventful, no snow in sight. As we partied into the night, the snow started coming down. I went to bed around 1am (what a party pooper) and heard the rest of the crew stumble in around 4am. At about 8-9am, I woke up and started to help with clean up, which I love to do and it’s much easier when you’re not hung over. The snow was still coming down and the winds were strong. No worries, we’ll wait until later to leave. Throughout the day, Bill went out to clean off the car and help a lady who got stuck... windy, snowy, not so good. We did need to get home b/c the cookie exchange was on Sunday and I haven’t picked up ingredients yet (I know, priorities). At around 4pm, we started the trek home. Roads were very slick and visibility was non-existent. But Bill’s a great winter driver. We had to skip a few exits since they were not plowed and took a long loop to get home.
Once off the highway, Mr. Berger was determined to stop at McDonald’s (needed greasy food for the queasy stomach). First stop – order food, second stop, pay for food, third stop… well, we were stuck. I got out of the car to pick up the food as Bill shoveled the Mc Donald’s drive-thru. We eventually rocked the car out and continued our .5 mile back home. Finally, we turned onto our street, which was completely unplowed. Very long story but I eventually walked up the block with the food (longest walk EVER) and 7 guys pushed the car back to the main street. Bill drove around and eventually parked at the strip mall that was already plowed. He walked back looked like he just swam across a frozen lake. And the story continues.

The next day, I woke up early and peeked out the window, “Bill, hurry up and get dressed, our neighbor with the snow blower is out there and if we head out now, he might help us!” Our neighbor helped me a few weeks back when he saw the manual shovel we always use. We geared up. I cleaned the car and Bill started shoveling. By this time, his hangover was gone but the hours of shoveling = sore everything. Luckily, our neighbor did help with half of our driveway. When he headed down the street with the blower, it felt like we saw a water dispenser after being stuck in the desert for days. After all was clean, we drove to the mall to pick up Bill’s car – clean lot but the city plow came through and buried the entrance. Another shovel session later, the car was free. I went and picked up my cookie ingredients, made 9 dozen cookies in record time and headed off to the cookie exchange. It was good to be pregnant this weekend since I always got the comfy chair and didn’t have to shovel!

Gobble Gobble

Thanksgiving was great. We went to the Berger’s and had your traditional T-day dinner, turkey, ham, sides, the whole deal. My turkey cookies were a big hit. We went home around the early evening time and spent the night watching Bill play Fable 3 (he just got GameFly). Black Friday was uneventful since I’m not a big Black Friday shopper. I did head over to Babies R Us, for the 5th time this month but who’s counting, and purchased the 50% off rocker and ottoman. On Saturday, we had a continuation of the T-day dinner with the Berger/Chang tradition, crispy duck, sausage/mushroom stuffing, sweet potato streusel, greens, smoked salmon & caviar and a classic pumpkin pie. YUM!
A bonus surprise – my preggar clothes came in the mail. And for once, they all fit and I love them (shopping online for clothes have never been 100% for me). These full panel pants are amazing and the tops are super comfy too, thank you GAP. When I stepped on the scale today, it held steady at a total weight gain of 14 pounds… one good side-effect of heartburn: eating better.

One Size Does Not Fit All

I'm really excited and looking forward to Thanksgiving. I can actually go up for seconds and thirds without an ounce of guilt. Well, that was my thought until this week. Heartburn and acid reflux greeted me with a hot and heavy "hello". I've been up at night and all the Tums in the world is not making it go away. I guess this is my major pregnancy symptom. Trying to avoid meds, I cut out all soda (yikes), 99% of chocolate (I know!) and stop eating after 7pm. Mr Acid Reflux replied, "ha, nice try". I have now turned to zantac and will see how that goes. Good thing Thanksgiving is an afternoon meal.

In addition, I've also noticed my ill-fitting pregnancy clothes. The pants are getting tighter and they even look shorter (if that's possible). The tummy is starting to protrude through my should-be loose fitting tops. My belly button is slowly starting to smooth out and the skin around my tummy is saying "I am NOT one size fits all". Today, my skin feels like I'm wearing a too tight pair of spandex. I know, very sexy. Although it's been slightly uncomfortable at times, I'm plugging along and overall still feel pretty good.... which I'm sure will change after that T-day meal.

Pillows & Punching bags for the Lil' Tank

Yesterday was another ultrasound day. Bill and I headed over to Methodist in the afternoon for the appointment. Our ultrasound specialist and doctor was very upbeat and nice. Adzuki was not behaving at all - it looked like we woke him up from his nap. He showed us his big foot and then a big yawn. That was really cute. Then he proceed to chew and pull on the umbilical cord. In addition, we've noticed that Adzuki likes to use my fibroids as either a comfy pillow (since the big ones are on the right and he lays his head by there) and sometimes, when he feels like it, he uses them as punching bags. Not so fun for me but it's kind of comical to see all the action. I wasn't aware I had fibroids prior to getting pregnant and they must like me because I've got about 5-6 of them keeping Adzuki company.

What else did we find out... Adzuki has a big ol' head. The doctor looked at Bill and then me and said, "he must take after you". HA Also, this wee one is ahead of his growth projection by 10 days, and weighs 2.2 pounds (the average should be 2 around this time). She asked how much Bill and I weighed at birth (6lbs+ versus my hefty 8.8). She then said, "he'll probably weigh in around your frame". While this is great and good to know he's healthy, all that was in my mind was "big head and large baby". oh boy - you know what I'm thinking.

Kicked in the Head!

We're in the end of week 24 and according to the "what to expect when you are expecting" app on my phone, there's a possibility that you can hear the baby's heartbeat if you listen closely to your belly.

Well, since I'm not about to pull a Gumby, I told Bill about this exciting possibility. Sitting on the couch, I had him put his ear up to my belly. Whether it was perfect timing or maybe Adzuki wanted to say 'hello', Bill got kicked or punched in the head. I was laughing hysterically when it happened. He said it was really loud, like a big thump under a swimming pool. No heartbeat, just a lot of thumping around.

I guess we all know who will be wearing the pants in this family - kicks in the head and gentle but firm nudges when it's mealtime... we're in for a ride!

Do I look pregnant?

I look at myself everyday and don't really notice any physical changes. Who am I kidding? Well, last night was a clear indicator that I am getting big. After work, I went home to change and get ready for WorldQuest - a game on world knowledge, hosted by the Employee Resource Groups at work. Attire: wear our Mission in Motion tee shirts. No problem! I have a couple at home. Since it was a little chilly, I put on a white tee underneath and thought...wow, a little snug... must have dried it on 'high heat'. Then, I put on my tee shirt... whoa, is this the right size? Took a look at the tag - yes, it's a large but felt like a small. What happened? This thing is tight all over!!

I'm sure all the halloween candy hasn't helped either. Too funny. All this time, I'm thinking, "people at work probably don't notice" But now I'm thinking it's, "people at work notice I'm getting big but not very PC to ask - why you so fat??" HAHA

It's like crack! - October 19th

Last week, Bill and I took some vacation time since Bill had a number of days to burn before the end of the year. We decided to stay in town for a “staycation”. It was my first and not so bad! I had plenty of things on the “to-do” but it didn’t get done. We went to Babies R Us and it was craziness… I had no idea there were so many baby products. It was a quick realization that we are moving into a new stage of life- parenthood. In addition, we started to look into daycare. That stirred up a whole new conversation, “how can anyone afford kids these days?” Of course, the week couldn’t go by without many fun meals – dim sum, good Mexican food and a tray of warm chocolate chip cookies. My comment as I was eating them, “it’s so good, it’s like crack!”

We also met up with Bill’s parents and finally broke the news. Bill gave his Dad an early birthday card with an ultrasound pic of the ‘high-five’. Even though this will be #13 for the grandparents, they were ecstatic. Bill’s Dad went around the restaurant and started telling people. His Mom couldn’t wait to tell the siblings and we drove around to their homes – too funny.

Bill can now feel Adzuki moving around. If he puts his hand on my belly, the moving starts in a few minutes. It’s really fun… kind of like he’s trying to say hello!

Hamburger - October 4th

Good morning! Today, Bill and I are off to the doctors for a full appointment along with an ultrasound. We’ll also get to know if Adzuki is a boy or girl. There was a lot of growth this weekend, I started to get ligament pain on Friday and by this morning, my pants no longer fit. Perfect timing since I just purchased my first set of preggar clothes.

The ultrasound went really well! The doctor told us that everything is normal – which is great. In addition, we saw the hands and feet – you have big flintstone feet (like your Mom) and had a high five going (Bill called them ‘big mitts’). HAHA From a growth perspective, it looks like I’m at 21 weeks although it’s only 19.5. You’re about 13 oz and camera shy – always having an arm by your face. In addition, I noticed that you really like to wiggle around after I eat… especially after dinner, which is very cute. We also found out the gender – it’s a boy! Hamilton Berger it is – hahaha

Fat Rolls - September 30th

I looked in the mirror last night and noticed a few things. (1) My belly has grown to quite a big size. When I sit down, my shirts are clinging onto this big melon (2) I was expecting this very cute round melon. At this time… it just looks like big fat rolls. Hopefully, it’ll start to shape up! (3) I no longer have a waistline. Seriously. The ever expanding belly has decided to expand out AND across. It’s fun to watch but also a bit daunting since it’s never been an “ok” time for me to gain weight.

What did you do this summer? - September 20th

We had a very busy weekend. On Saturday, there was a birthday party, Melissa’s daughter Alex turned one! Then, we headed over to Eric & Sarah’s for poker night. Bill loves poker night with the gang – Eric & Sarah and Tim & Jess. They both have little girls that recently turned one; Elsa & Greta. At the bonfire, Jess asked me, “So what did you guys do this summer?” My response, “Well, we went to Hawaii with family and had a blast and we also got pregnant.” It was so dry she didn't know if I was kidding or not and had to ask Bill. They were all genuinely excited and then Jess said she was pregnant as well! What a blast. I definitely need to go clothes shopping next weekend – the pants are definitely “snug” now.

Cravings - September 9th

A few things really scared me about pregnancy – weight gain, stretch marks, morning sickness, cankles, and giving birth. I’m now in my 16th week and it’s been a very different experience from what I anticipated. I haven’t gained any weight, haven’t have morning sickness and we’ll need to give it some more time on the cankles and stretch marks. Cravings have been on and off. My favorite treat is McDonalds sweet tea, haven’t touched chocolate (extremely bizarre) and I love soups! I’ll be sure to keep you posted when the cravings get out of control – hehehe

Check up time - September 7th

Labor Day weekend was uneventful and full of rest. Whoo hoo! I had no idea how tired I can get with a full week of work. Bill and I spent the weekend cleaning, running errands and a whole lot of nothing. We did go to the mall to try out some maternity pants since mine are getting tight. Wow – maternity pants are super comfy! In addition, Bill started to look at baby clothes and was surprised and excited at all the options.

On Tuesday, I had a check up with the Nurse Practitioner (Sheela) who is also awesome! All is going very well- your heart beat is very strong, around 150 beats per minute. I haven’t gained any weight and Sheela suggests a total of 10-15 pounds of weight gain until birth. She would like to see 2-3 pounds a month from now on. Not being able to gain weight has never happened in the history of my life! I can drink one too many glasses of water and gain weight. Bill makes sure I am stuffing my face and comes up with all sorts of creative food options, which includes drinking soy milk…. Last time I tried soy milk was probably more than 10 years ago.

Happy Hour - August 27th

I have regular Happy Hours with a few friends from work, Danielle & Marcie. We decided to try out Tryg’s in uptown today. The drinks were great (so I heard), apps were so-so. Since I could only get a ‘root beer’, I decided to spill the beans. Both of the girls were so excited! It’s such a great feeling to see other people truly happy and excited about the good news. In addition to my root beer, I stuffed my face with a loaded baked potato and teriyaki wings :)

Growing Pains - August 25th

This week, I had some “growing pains”. At first, I wasn’t really sure what was going on… dull pain in the front and back pain as well. I took some Tylenol but it didn't work. It wasn’t a big deal until I couldn’t sleep b/c of the pain. So I visited Dr. Swauger (who is awesome). She ran some tests and told me all is well – the back pain might be from the fibroids and the front pain is commonly known as “round ligament pain”. At the end of the week, the pain was gone and I’m back to a sound sleep every night!

Adzuki goes to Hawaii - August 14th

I've been keeping a journal but slacking on setting up a blog. So this is a little bit of catching up...

This week, we headed over to Hawaii with the family (Mom, Aunt Kathy, Uncle Johnny and cousins Anthony and Katrina). Hawaii was awesome. The guys and Katrina went snorkeling and parasailing. I was a little bummed I missed out on all the fun but there will be plenty of other times. We ate a ton of sushi (I had the cooked stuff), pineapple, malasadas, and bento box meals. We even got a cookout in there too – surf and turf. One dinner that was lackluster was Pizza Hut – bleeh.
Since Mom and Aunt Kathy already knew, we decided to tell the rest of the group. Everyone was very excited. Anthony immediately asked if he can be the Godfather. He then proceeded to plan a few things (I need to remember his birthday, probably swing up to Minnesota when you have the baby, etc, etc) It was very cute to see him excited about the news being that he’s 21 and celebrating his 21st birthday in Hawaii!

We visited the Dole Plantation as we headed up to the North Shore. Of course, I couldn’t miss out on having some Matsumoto Shaved Ice with sweet milk and adzuki beans! It was a wonderful week – full of food, fun and sun 

The Adzuki Surprise - July

I decided to get healthy this summer. After my physical, I started to take a multi-vitamin, some D12 supplements and tried healthy eating. So.. when I was 'late', I really didn't think much of it.

By the time I found out, it was around 6 weeks already. Wow, what a surprise. Bill was shocked and very happy. Probably more shocked than anything because I told him as we were driving back from Rachel's graduation party. I wasn't sure if he was concentrating on the road or just the usual Bill when it comes to surprises - totally calm and collected.

You might be thinking why Adzuki? Well, when we found out, it was the size of a small bean and I thought of my favorite red bean desserts in Japan and China, Adzuki. The word itself means "red bean".

Other than lots of fatigue, I've been feeling pretty good. Actually - too good to even believe that I'm pregnant!