Progress Update & DIY

Holy JEEBUS!!! I'm almost out of the woods so far and am regaining energy as we speak. I still wake up with morning sickness & lethargy/exhaustion, but it goes away past around 11:00am and stays away till about 7 or 8pm. It's awesome!

More news, hahaha...

Isabelle tried to swallow a penny the other day. I managed to get it out, but she scratched her little throat in the process. We ended up taking her to the Emergency Room just to have her looked at. She's fine - lol, I was probably more of a wreck than she was.

I got lots of stuff done yesterday! I've done like 20 loads of laundry in the past few days, I even washed 'delicately' my coach diaper bag. I tell you, I don't think I could live without it. Best $500 I've spent in a long time, lol! :P Some things are just worth it. If it gets poo stains or milk spills (or whatever else), you just shake it out and literally wipe it off. If it's completely dirtied, you just throw it under a delicate cycle in the washing machine and hang it to dry. AMAZING, I tell you.

All I could find was a coach replica (knockoff) picture of it, but this it what it sort of looks like.



I absolutely love it.

Cooking up a storm yesterday, lol. I made Cinnamon Buns... from SCRATCH, lol. It's actually Chris' Baba & Mom's recipe - and completely delicious. & My Meatloaf. Yeah, I have a semi-unconventional way of making meatloaf. It might be because I'm Asian, lol - but I make it more like a 'Cake'.

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I've only gained 6 pounds so far with this pregnancy. I'm being good (or trying to) but I have to say, I think I've had more Ginger Ale in the past month than I've ever had...ever, lol. It sure soothes my tummy.

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DIY STUFF:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOVE this site.

Chic & Cheap Nursery, DIY


When we move into our new home, I've got 3 projects lined up!

Canvas Keepsakes

Window Cornice

Fabric Book Sling

they're lovely!

Anyway, back to Mom-ness.

Parenting

I wrote a statement on Facebook yesterday that, "Isabelle is officially a toddler that sleeps in her OWN room. *sniffle*"

I got some responses that got me thinking. Is there really a right way of raising your children?

I've always been under the belief that you raise your children how it works for your family - with your own family's quirks and dysfunctionalities factored in. I mean we've all got our baggage, right?

We chose to start integrating Isabelle in her own room at 15 months. She's not completely in there yet, but everything is a gradual change with children. Anyway, the reasoning behind that is because I'm pregnant with her little brother/sister. They will be 22 months (basically 2 years, 2010 & 2012) apart when he/she is born. She's going to be in the 'terrible 2's' and I thought it may be easier to start easing her into her room earlier than before she starts really kicking & screaming (not that she really does that but just in case).

It works with our family, because we don't have a huge California King sized bed. We have a little Queen sized bed and we all fit - and will still fit even with an addition. It just makes sense to give the new baby some dedicated time next to Mommy & Daddy; basically the time that Izzy got with us.

I slept with my Mom for a REALLY long time. I was an only child and although I wasn't raised alone (my grandmother raised me with lots of kids in the home), it was just solely 'Me&Mom' in the bed at night. I don't regret anything in what she did, because it seemed comforting at the time, but I'm just not doing the same for my children.

Sleeping with my Mom for a long time made me dependent on being 'with' someone. I'm sure it wasn't just that, but I had a lot of fears growing up as a kid that I couldn't seem to face alone. There were lots of insecurities that I fought with that I couldn't seem to have the confidence to deal with on my own. Not that that just revolves around sleeping with my child, but to me, it sure didn't help my personal growth.

I guess there are just some things that I learned being the child that slept with a parent late.

My best friend slept in her room as long as I can remember. I know all children are different but she and I were born 1 week apart and my husband (and her longtime boyfriend) can attest, lol we are practically the same person. We do have our differences though, I'm much more independent with decision making (basically knowing what I want) and she's much more independent with everything else. Hmm, and somehow, I think that the accomplishment of sleeping in her room by herself attributed to her personal growth.

I know I don't have to 'explain' myself or what Chris and I have decided to do, but I explain it for me. It helps me get through this also; Reminds me why we decided to do this in the first place. It's not easy for us either. It would be a heck of a lot easier to have her just be bundled up next to me.

Onto other parenting things...

A parent that will remain nameless told me that I was turning my child into a couch potato, because I play educational shows for her and let her watch Disney movies, LOL.

I KNOW, I'm not supposed to take that to heart, but screw you hippy, LOL!! I'm going to play bilingual Japanese/English shows and participate with her, or let her watch Baby Einstein so she can be exposed to Mozart & Bach, or LET her watch Disney Princesses because it's a great resource for Mommies who have babies that DON'T NAP DURING THE DAY.

Sheesh!! There are limits. It's not like she's watching shows the entire day. She has a good balance of lots of activities including coloring. Can your baby color with crayons & markers on his/her own at a year? Ugh, I'm not sure why I'm so bothered by that. I blame the hormones.

There are other things that some people have brought up to me about my 'unconventional' parenting choices, but I KNOW, it's mostly because I live on Gabriola - where the conventional parenting choices are 'unconventional' in most metropolitan or larger cities.

My point is, there is NEVER a right that will suit everyone. Right is what works for you and your family.

New Beginnings

It's a lovely day to start talking about our future plans.

Today is Tuesday June 28th 2011.
Christopher and I conceived on Sunday April 24th 2011. Our due date is Sunday, January 15th, 2012.

65 days have passed since the conception,
and I am 201 days before our due date.

I am 11 weeks into my pregnancy, with 29 weeks to go.

I am in the 1st trimester.

24% of your pregnancy has passed, there is 76% left to go.

I am 11 weeks pregnant with our second baby. We've had a total of 7 pregnancies; 2 succesful and 5 miscarriages.

I was hesitant to talk about it until closer to the end of the first trimester for obvious reasons. My body has a habit in flushing pregnancies at 8 weeks. I don't generate enough progesterone on my own to sustain the pregnancy (to develop the umbilical cord). Luckily we had suppliments with Isabelle and the current baby. :)

Anyway, for the good news, It seems like a completely different pregnancy from Isabelle. I kind of dreaded what pregnancy was going to be like again - considering the complications last time, but so far it's completely different.

I'm completely exhausted - and when I mean completey exhausted, I don't mean just tired. I mean, my body doesn't want to move. I fall asleep at 4pm on the dot (basically). I'm sluggish throughout most of the day. My brain is going full speed but my body can't catch up. I'm not sleepy, I'm just extremely tired - as if i'm recovering from running a marathon. Even all my joints and muscles are sore.

As far as morning sickness, I'm regularly nauseous but no involuntary puking, really. I have better days and worse days, but overall - I have nausea, but it's not like with Isabelle where it was 6 hours a day of involuntary heaving then completely fine afterwards. I'm just slightly sick the entire day.

I honestly don't know what's worse. It doesn't feel like a 'hard' pregnancy so far, although i feel like I can't give as much to Isabelle right now because Im so exhausted.

She's such a wonderful baby. She's a great listener, super smart, and loving. She just started walking a few months ago - we didn't push her at all. She went at her own pace and it's such convenient timing. Her friends all started walking at a year - as did she. And when I say walking, I mean - not taking steps, but like...going, going, gone.

We were at the San Francisco airport at the terminal waiting for our flight. There was a guy at the terminal with a handheld luggage scanner thing for strollers and so on. Anyway, she sees this light and she bolts towards it. She had been taking steps for a few months before that, but she completely got up on her own and speed walked after that laser light thingie, LOL. It was hilarious. I was absolutely horrified because the SF Airport is not a really safe place to bolt after red blinky things. Freakin' glass everywhere, balconies, and steep escalators (well for babies they'd be steep), not to mention the TONS of people. LOL, nevertheless, it was really cute. :)

I wonder what this baby is going to be like? :) I wholeheartedly think it's a boy - just based on my symptoms. "It's gotta be a boy because he's sucking the life out of me!!!" haha <3

I'd love another girl or boy. We really don't mind it either way, although Christoher has a soft spot for little baby girls. He wouldn't mind another girl. I wouldn't mind a boy. :)

If we did have a girl, her name would be Addison Rose. If we had a boy, his name would be Kesler Jacob. :)

Haha we KNOW it's not twins. We've had two ultrasounds that have confirmed a healthy SINGLE egg. Although I already feel like a whale and I'm still in my size 0 pants, although I do have to use a bella band now because I can't button the front comfortably!

On another note, we're getting some bids on our home this week (according to our realtor). Looking to purchase a home in the Cinnabar Valley area of Nanaimo. I'd sure love a home in Hammond Bay, lol - but it's way out of our price range. :) ONE DAY...one day.

I'm so spoiled by living here. It's hard to downgrade just because of location. DUDE, I want to keep living in 1700sqft and on 2/3 of an acre with a freakin' U shaped driveway. Living in the city won't really allow us to have that much land unless we pay the price for it. Our new home is less than half an acre on a slope (against and on a hill). It has a great view of the valley & forest, but it doesn't have much of a backyard. Eh, whatever right? At least we're in TOWN and there are Parks and Recreation there. :)

I just hope the babies & Kitty will like their new home as much as we do. :)

Anyway, that's a lot of blabbing for now. Maybe I'll upload some pictures later. I'm still waiting for my Dad to courier me my camera charger!! UGH, freaking t3i with no batteries!! Now THAT's a sad story. :(

Smiley Isabelle

Happy 6th Week birthday, Isabelle! :)

Christopher treated me out to Serenity Salon in Nanaimo. :) I was able to get my hair back to its normal 'Honey Brown' color. Ugh, I was so sick of black hair - you don't even know, haha. I honestly haven't had short black hair since I was 10 years old.

It was a wonderful little treat. :) They were wonderful there and not super expensive either. I think he's found me a 'local salon'. :)

On another note, I'm down to 135lbs~!! I was 165 when Izzy was born...officially losing 30lbs! :) I've just got 30lbs left to go and I'm back where I started, hahaha...!

Halfway there... :)