Week 19: It's a boy and it's moving!

It's a boy!

Even though we've suspected since week 12, we now have official confirmation that it's a boy. We would have been happy with either gender but we're excited for a baby boy! We now intermittently refer to baby Jemily as Lucas to test the name out. So far, we like it - I also like the name Luke as a nickname. Now we just have to figure out a middle name, and maybe a Chinese name.

And he's moving...sometimes...

I've been feeling a few flutters down there since last week - at first, they were pretty subtle so I couldn't tell if they were stomach growls, gas, or Jemily moving out and about. But now the movements are stronger so I know it's Jemily moving. What a weird and awesome feeling! It's like there's an alien life forming inside me. Jeff was with me when he made his first perceptible kicks so he was able to experience them with me by putting his hand over my belly - it was a truly magical experience! The movement isn't quite consistent at this stage though. After a few days of not feeling much, I poked him and got a quick punch in return! It's nice to know he has fast reflexes. ;)


More pregnant company

Jeff's cousin Michelle came to visit last weekend. We're always happy to see her but this time was especially fun because she's also pregnant and our due dates are only a month apart. Not only did we voraciously feast together, I also took her with me to prenatal yoga class. It's definitely much more motivating to go with other mommy friends. Jeff and I are also excited that baby Jemily / Lucas will have a cousin the same age!

A face that only a mother could love ;)

Week 18: Working Out, Pregnancy Buddies, & Reading

Working out while pregnant:

Prior to getting sick in week 8, I was still doing my regular runs on the treadmill - albeit a bit more slowly than usual just to make sure I wasn't overexerting myself. After getting sick, we ended up going on vacation, and then by the time I felt better, it had been many weeks since I'd been on a treadmill and I just didn't know if it was safe for me to start up my running routine again. I've been focused a lot on walking and some Blogilates videos once in awhile. I attended my second pre-natal yoga class this week and I'm really enjoying it so far.

I wish I could work out more - I miss sweating it out with a good run! But I worry about overexerting myself - even though it's most likely okay, I don't want to take any chances with baby Jemily. Plus, with my new job there just isn't time to do more beyond daily walks and once a week yoga. Jeff and I are thinking about getting a treadmill so that we can work out in the comfort of our own home after Jemily is born.

Pregnancy buddies:

My dear friend Donna is also pregnant, so going through this experience with her has been super fun. She's also three months ahead of me, which makes it super helpful for me since she's figured out a bunch of stuff already. Pregnancy can feel overwhelming - knowing what to do, what to buy, etc. so being able to share research and information with a trusted friend really helps. Plus, it's fun to have a pre-natal yoga buddy. I can't wait for our kids to play together (and hopefully give us a break)!

Reading:

I have a ton of pregnancy and parenting books on my list to get through. I didn't want to start too early in the pregnancy, lest I forget everything useful but now I feel like I'm so behind! Here's what I've read so far:

• BabySafe in Seven Steps: This book was mostly an advertisement for Babyganics products. This book is skippable.

• What to Expect When You're Expecting: The information in this book is all stuff that I get through my pregnancy apps so it seems a bit redundant. I was surprised that I read it cover to cover - the only thing I found noteworthy was the list of what to take to the hospital, which will change once we take the hospital tour and find out what the hospital provides (and doesn't provide). If you're short on time, this is another book I'd skip!

Progress:

The one thing we have figured out is the post-partum nanny - who-hoo! :)

Week 17: First Month Nannies, Prenatal Yoga, and Baby Names

First Month Nannies

In Chinese tradition, the one month following birth is a critical time for the new mom to recover. The two most critical aspects are getting enough rest and following a specific diet. Hence, Jeff and I have been looking into Chinese first month nannies to help out with these two aspects. Most of them offer pretty standardized services for 26 days (I'm not sure why it's not a full month).

Childcare:

• Pretty self-explanatory - they sleep in the same room as baby and are in charge of night duty, minus breastfeeding (they can bring the baby to you if/when you need to breastfeed).

Meal preparation:

• The meals are prepared with ingredients aimed to restore the mom's health and energy post-delivery.
• You can let her know your food preferences and she will adjust her cooking accordingly.
• The fees do not cover cost of food. You take the nanny to go food shopping once a week. 
• They can usually make enough food for everyone in the house, unless your family is unusually large. Most of the nannies we spoke to assumed it was a given that she would prepare enough food for Jeff to eat too.

Thoughts:

These type of nannies are expensive to hire - many moms have told me it's worth the cost though. They're also difficult to find, as they're not exactly listed on care.com or Yelp. You basically have to either get one through a friend's referral or agents / brokers. It's challenging to evaluate them if you don't have a reliable referral, so you are taking a leap of faith when you invite a complete stranger into your home for 26 days. The good ones that have a lot of positive referrals book many many months in advance - people will call to reserve them as soon as they pee on a stick!

Prenatal Yoga

I attended my first prenatal yoga class this week. I really enjoyed the workout - mostly because I haven't done yoga in months so I'm pretty out of shape! I hope I can keep going at least once a week throughout my pregnancy to stay healthy.

Baby Names

While we're not 100% sure on the gender yet, the boy names we like are Lucas, Adam, Jacob, and James (more or less in that order). Boy names are hard!

Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto, August 2015

Week 16

Strangely enough, I still don't look too pregnant, even though I can't wear pants anymore. I can barely zip them up now so I've pretty much given up on the rubber band trick. I can't quite commit to maternity clothing yet so I'm just wearing lots of loose and stretchy non-maternity clothes and hoping I can hold out for as long as possible. Maternity clothing just doesn't seem very versatile or prudent when you calculate the cost per wear!

This week, I'm feeling overwhelmed by all the things we need to research and prepare for so I'm trying to get organized. The list is neverending but so far, here's what I'm trying to prioritize:

- Redo the guest / baby's bathroom
- Look into getting a nanny for the first month (月掃）
- Determine longer-term childcare options (nanny or daycare)
- Decide on blood cord banking
- Start downloading and reading parenting books
- Purchase the big ticket items:

• Car
• Crib
• Stroller
• Car seat
• Er...everything else?

On the plus side, I've found a prenatal yoga class and I've signed up for a bunch of parenting classes for us to attend. Who-hoo - two things off the list! Too bad I still have a lot more to go...

Kyoto Imperial Palace, August 2015

Week 15

Telling my boss about my pregnancy was a bit nervewracking for me, since I'm only 2 weeks into a new job at a new company (Sheryl Sandberg would be so proud of me for leaning in this way - I'll post about that some more another day). Luckily, he was super supportive and excited for me - I had no reason to be nervous at all. He also highly encouraged taking a babymoon, which of course I've already been thinking about (even though we technically had one in the first trimester, since we went to Taipei, Kyoto, and New York). But still, this will be our last opportunity to take kid-free vacation for a long time, so I'm definitely going to advantage of it. :)

Jeff and I are thinking that it's probably not a good idea to fly too far so we're thinking potentially Maui. He's never been and I haven't been in many years, so it'd be nice to spend a relaxing babymoon there. I might do some research to see which resorts are close to hospitals, just in case. A bit paranoid I suppose, but you never know!

Golden Pavilion, Kyoto, August 2015