20-week Anatomy Ultrasound

The holiday season this year has been quite eventful. This year, we decided to spend Christmas with my side of the family in Louisiana, and it was really nice... mostly relaxing, which is what we really wanted with the new load I was carrying, and An's sympathy pregnancy (hehe). An and I (and Liam) enjoyed splurging on cajun food we have really missed. There are several favorite dishes we absolutely love that we can't find here in Houston (i.e. alligator and crawfish hotdogs from Dat Dog, charbroiled oysters from Drago's, fried fresh seafood, and king cake, just to name a few!). All in all, our bellies were very happy... and I think it's safe to assume Liam was quite satisfied too! ;) I think this could definitely count as our "babymoon," just incase we don't get the opportunity to have one eventually. Oh, and the holidays aren't over yet! We're looking forward to spending New Years with An's side of the family and close friends. :)

Right before we left to Louisiana, I had my 20-week anatomy ultrasound. For this specific ultrasound, I was recommended to have it done at my high-risk doctor's office, just so they'll know to look specifically at areas associated with risks pertaining to SLE. It was detailed... and quite long! I had to request a break to move around or change positions since my lower back was killing me! For the parts that weren't quite familiar to the untrained eye, we both kind of dazed off. But for the "cute" parts, like seeing the tiny little hands and feet and face, we were definitely zoned in, echoing "awwws" and "ooohs" here and there. :)

Overall, everything looked great. There was a "bright spot" in the heart that we assumed the doctor was obligated to inform us about, but it's practically nothing, and the doctor's recommendations were pretty much just to not worry about it. Apparently, it's something that shows up a lot, and in order for it to be considered a "real" concern, you'd have to display a plethora of other signs. Nonetheless, after I got cleaned up and dressed, An and I held hands in the room and prayed against all malformations and for Baby Liam's health. We didn't want to give any room for the devil to sneak in and destroy.

Instead of having to print out a ton of photos, they put all the screen shots on a CD for us. Neato!

We were able to record 3 videos of the ultrasound... 3 because I didn't prepare in advance, and the memory in my phone kept running out because I never backed up my phone (argh!). So in between videos, An had to go in and delete a bunch of photos and videos to make room. Oops! Now we know!! If you're familiar with these types of ultrasounds, they can get pretty boring, so there's your fair warning. ;) There were a couple cute moments where the tech would run across what she referred to as the "family jewels," haha. Attaboy! ;)

[1 of 3]

[2 of 3]

[3 of 3] Focus on heart

"I'm Alive!" -Dave Chappelle

Today marks two milestones: Uncle Frank's 23rd birthday and the midpoint of our pregnancy (20 wks/5 mos), and Liam seems to be aware of both. I started feeling Liam move inside of me a couple weeks ago. There were times where he would be very calm, and there were times I would wonder if I drank a little too much Coke! While lounging on the couch, I just happened to be rubbing my belly and looking at it when my skin poked out on the lower right side! I shrieked in both shock and excitement because it was amazing, yet freaky, at the same time! It reminded me of a scene from a movie where an alien was trying to escape through the belly of a human body (Matrix?), lol. An really wanted to see it too, so we sat there staring for a while, and nothing happened... An said I probably scared him, so he's not going to try that again anytime soon, haha!

This morning, I was sure Liam was going to do some tossing and turning to tell me to get my lazy butt out of bed to feed us, so I told An to just lay his hand on my belly and wait... Sure enough, just as mama expected, he put on a show, and An was SO amazed. It was such a beautiful moment. We laughed and looked at each other, smiling from cheek to cheek... there was a child inside me, growing bigger and bigger each day. Soon, he'll be born, and we'll finally gaze upon what was moving around in my belly -- God's wonderful creation!

--
Just incase you were wondering what episode I was referring to in the title, here it is. Haha. It's one of our favorites. Chappelle is a genius. We always mimic ghost-Tupac when he says, "I'm alive!"

Love in Labor

I have never heard nor read anyone's detailed account of their experiences while giving birth, especially an all-natural birth. I ran across this blog that has been beautifully written by the wife of a songwriter and a mother of two. This is her account of her first child. Every word echoed in my heart. It was so touching and powerful. I admire the consistent support of her husband through each and every step, and her determination to view everything positively, including all the moments of intense, physical pain. I want this. Although we may be a little more flexible when it comes to accepting medical interventions and tests, I do want us to achieve the same happiness and thrill of bringing Liam into this world... and I'm believing we both will.

Dear Baby Blog - Everly Veda's Birth Story

Growing Joys

I think I can already feel Liam moving in my belly. Based on the frequency, I want to say he's pretty active, and he's having fun in there doing back-flips and whatnot. :) I read in my What to Expect app to not confuse gas in your belly with discreet baby movements, and I'm beginning to be able to tell the difference between the two. (Plus, I think I'm pretty familiar with my gas symptoms by now, haha.)

I've had a growth spurt in my belly within the last couple of weeks (16/17 wks). It's like it came out of nowhere! It's a real joy, especially for me... I'm already underweight, and my lack of appetite and food aversions caused me to lose a couple pounds in my first trimester. It wasn't much of a worry to me or my doctors, so just like everyone promised, the pounds have started to build slowly but surely into my second trimester (and especially around the holiday season)! It's like I woke up and bam, I've got a belly -- and I can no longer zip up any of my pants! Every day, it gets more real. It's so exciting to see and feel him grow inside of me!

Product Review
I purchased this belly band from Target ($16.99) to help prolong the usage of my regular pants and jeans. It seems to work very well, aside from the fact that they're not "attached" to my pants, and occasionally, I'd have to go in and pull my pants up from sagging every time I get up from sitting (i.e. after a car ride). I would imagine it being a tad cumbersome for someone who is actively out and about all day, trying to make sure the band and pants are still sitting where they're supposed to be. For this, I'd just buy one staple pair of maternity jeans or slacks (or whatever you wear to work or on a daily basis). Other than that, as a student working from home who doesn't have to run around too much, I'm glad I purchased this because it's saving me a LOT of money from not having to buy a single maternity clothing item yet.

The Maternity BeBand in black (also comes in white and nude)

All in a Name

An and I usually agree with each other on many things. However, when it comes to deciding on a name for our child, it can get a little tricky! So for our son's name, as soon as we came to an agreement, we happily stuck with it...

LIAM, because who can contend that it's just a downright, cool name? Because who can name a movie that Liam Neeson acted in that sucked? And because, simply, it was the only boy name we both actually agreed on. Haha. Oh, and it has several cool meanings like, "will," "protection," and "my people," but we admit, those weren't the reasons we picked it. Haha. We also noticed it very closely resembles the Vietnamese name, Liem, when pronounced, so we actually don't mind our Vietnamese-speaking friends and family members referring to him as so. ;)

JIREH, because this is the name of God we're most thankful for throughout this season. Because it's the Lord, our Provider, who never let us go hungry, nor fear the next day because we didn't know when the next unemployment check would come through. Because after years without my own stable health insurance to depend on, my child and I are able to receive the best prenatal care at one of the top hospitals in Houston, by one of the best OB-GYNs in Houston. So, if it isn't my God who has and continues to provide for us, there isn't anyone else who can and will!

VO, because it's my husband's name, and not mine. Because it is the name of who I love and adore, who is God-fearing, and who I am proud and happy to call the father of my coming child. I love him!

So world, we can't wait for you to meet our son, Liam Jireh Vo, around April/May of next year! (You can call him LJ for short! An loves this nickname.) :)

It's a BOY! + Happy Birthday to Grandma!

Our quickly-planned gender reveal get-together was absolutely wonderful. There's nothing like sharing an exciting moment with our closest friends. I loved the excitement that emanated through the house as everyone awaited the verdict with anticipation. Our only regret is having such a small space because I would have wanted to share that moment with the rest of the world if we could! Other than that, we would do it again in a heartbeat! :)

Special thanks to my parents for helping us be able to celebrate southern style with fried catfish, and to our friends who brought a few potluck items to complete the dinner table. All the props and decor were DIY with craft stuff I had in storage, so we were able to celebrate and have a great time on a tight budget. When my dad came to visit last week, he made sure my freezer was packed with enough catfish to last us through the season! Even after cooking for the small party we had, we still have plenty to last us for a good while. They know I love my catfish!

Click here to view the rest of the album!

With that said, we're so thrilled to be having a son. Despite An being on Team Pink if he had to pick a team, his paternal instincts are already kicking in, and he's ready to be the man his son needs in his life. I think he's already so proud of him being so obedient for the ultrasound, haha.

Our son wasn't being shy at all! ;)

It is also my mother's birthday, and this will be her second grandchild and first grandson. I hope that made a great birthday present for her! Happy birthday, Mommy!

Team Blue & Team Pink proudly sporting their props! Click here to view the rest of the album!

It's Almost Time!

We're so proud of the baby today... it looks like God gave us a very obedient child, haha! Our OB kindly did us a favor despite her busy schedule today, and squeezed in an ultrasound just to find out the sex for us. I love our OB... I love how she understands and shares the excitement with her patients. Things like this make this experience so much more memorable.

The Ultrasound
It was funny because she wanted us to see the development of the baby, but when she moved a little further down, she said, "Oh, I think you guys should look away now." Apparently, the baby was exposing him/herself quite obviously, and she didn't think to have it on the screen so fast and so clearly (is this a hint??). An may have seen something because apparently, he went deaf for a few moments when she told us to look away (LOL), but he still isn't sure of what it is (probably from his lack of experience, or because he doesn't want to guess wrong).

The Victory
My! How the baby has grown in just a few weeks! We heard the heartbeat loud and clear this time through the doppler, and the ultrasound photos are much clearer now. The baby seems to be petite just like it's mama, but it's still going strong and is very healthy. Despite the spurt of fevers from a spontaneous infection, we were always in good hands. There was no reason for worry, God is with us every step of the way! I appreciated the sermon presented by Pastor Khanh yesterday. It was a great reminder of who our God is through His many names. In this case, we're thankful for our Jehovah Sabboath, the Lord of hosts. We're covered with His protection and He is always prepared to give us victory. Baby, you are our victory!

The Reveal (to Mom + Dad)
We're going to open the envelope together over some quality time tonight. It's a very exciting time for us as first-time parents. We knew immediately we wanted to find out as soon as physically possible, so you can only imagine our anticipation! I think we are blessed to be finding out as early as 16 weeks. Tomorrow will be our gender reveal get-together with a very small group of close friends and family. I love finding reasons to celebrate, and to me, there's no better reason than the coming of a new life! Can't wait!

What will it be? A pretty little "she" or a handsome little "he?" ;)

Revealing it back at Starbucks, where it all "started"... ;)

Ready for tomorrow! So much fun!

Project Nursery

As I've been researching for decor ideas for the nursery, I've been really inspired by some of the blogs I've run across. As a visualizer, I love the thrill of seeing before and after pictures, especially from long-term projects like this. Seeing all the possibilities and changes that can come just through one space is truly motivating, and if it was a product of your own sweat and labor, then it's definitely rewarding!

Therefore, I wanted to try something similar, and document the progress of this project of ours. I've never really had to "transform" anything -- I've always had fresh slates to work off of. Decorating our home after we got married was lots of fun, but it wasn't as challenging as this. In regular rooms that are already set and built, there's only a handful of purposes for a living room, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms, etc. In addition, most of us has had experiences in living spaces that contain those types of rooms, so we already have an idea of what we want and need in each of our spaces.

When it comes to special rooms with "special needs" like a nursery, it can get a little challenging, especially if it's your first child, or even first experience with caring for a baby. It's hard to know the differences between what you need and want, so budgeting can get a little tricky. It takes a lot of researching and interviewing, so thank God for Google and very reliable internet sources such as BabyCenter.com. I've worked with and cared for 18 - 36 month olds at my previous job at a Montessori school, so I'm relatively familiar with their routines and necessities. However, newborns require several different things in addition to the usual diaper changing and cleaning up after, so research was definitely necessary on my part!

This is a challenge I've definitely been invested in lately, so I wanted to share my progress and things I've learned along the way. Below are some challenges in addition to the aforementioned:

• Budget = This is our biggest priority, aside from providing the baby with everything he/she absolutely needs. We don't have a number, but we're sticking to a "lowest possible price" goal, along with a "necessities only" goal. Of course, who's to say I will know for sure what my baby will absolutely "need?" That's where all the fun comes in! ;)
• Style = What's the point of making the effort to decorate if you're not trying to accomplish something aesthetically appealing as a result? My personal challenge in this is actually trying to find a particular style and theme, and just STICK with it. There are SO many beautiful ways to decorate a nursery, and I've even lost count of how many pins I have on my nursery board! My goal here is to figure out what I want to portray and accomplish with my style, and go through with it (because we all know "Indecisive" is my middle name)!

In regards to progress, I would say Phase 1 is complete -- the purging of the old (Phase 2 was complete, until this happened!). Since I didn't plan to document this project until now, I had to dig up whatever I could find of the old room. (I took the photo to send to my family so I could show them a rearrangement of the room at the time).

I think this was the most painstaking and UNexciting phase of the whole project. It took me about  a week to complete (with my pregnant and very tired self), and of course, this phase ended with me in bed for recovery, lol. Our second room was being used as a his/her office, guest room (with a queen bed), AND storage room. You can only imagine how not excited I was to begin this task! Well, as they say, "work hard now, play hard later," and now that all is said and done, I admit that I'm very excited and ready to play hard with this room! ;)

Our tri-purpose room obviously was lacking major space!
Contents: 1 queen bed, 2 work stations, and lots & LOTS of stuff!

Are You Ready? We Are!

To our child who we adore way before you are born,

We are scheduled for our 16-week check-up in a few days. This is probably the one time I'll ever ask you to not be shy and strut your stuff!!

We're SO excited to find out what God created you to be. I also want you to know that your obsessive and detail-oriented mother [finally] has the layout and theme of your room complete (after many, many changes in plans and much, much pinning on Pinterest!)! So if you're a girl, be ready to dwell in what hopefully will turn out to be a posh and classic room that will last you through the years... and if you're a boy, look forward to lounging in what hopefully will turn out to be a bold and masculine space to call your own.

Whatever the Lord chooses, I made sure to incorporate plenty of bold colors and patterns to help stimulate your precious development so that you will have what it takes to build on those skills that will help mold you into the man or woman you were meant to be. :) Although we're on a tight budget, we're determined to prioritize and maximize our resources to give you everything you need, and then some. :)

So whether or not you are ready to reveal the identity of one of God's greatest gifts to us, we will continue to love you all the more... while we'll nerve-wrackingly wait another four weeks for you to be ready.

With unconditional and unrelenting love,
Mom + Dad

Here's a sneak peak from my "workstation"...

Mama don't play, haha! My work in progress...

Middle Name: Indecisive

There are only a handful of things I'm certain of in life: my salvation through Christ, my husband, An, and that I'm a woman... I change the layout of my rooms several times a year, I've gone through countless hair styles, and now, I'm about to change the theme color of the nursery walls for the second time. Haha. Baby Vo, you are totally worth it. ;)

This robin's egg blue actually turned out to be a bit too bright for our taste. :(

Social Network Cravings

For me, Facebook has become more than just a social networking site -- it has become the source of the majority of my pregnancy cravings!

In the past week, alone, I can count about 3 food items I saw on my news feed that resulted in me saying, "Oh, I want that... now." Usually, if I can't satisfy the craving, it goes away in a short amount of time. Now, however, it's not like that... I guess these hormones are very decisive, and nothing slides!

For example, the other night, peas spontaneously popped in my head, and I wanted it... badly. We didn't have any, so I grabbed a can of vegetable beef soup that had about a handful of peas in it. I thought it was enough to do the trick... until I devoured 2 whole cans of lightly seasoned peas within the next couple of days.

Today, I saw banh xeo (Vietnamese savory/sizzling crepe) on my news feed, and you guessed it... I wanted it! Lucky for me, An was already out at the Asian market, so he was able to pick some up for me. However, I can't say it was as satisfying as the peas. Sometimes, these cravings can be deceitful... or maybe they're just extremely specific. Unfortunately, I took a couple bites, and I was done. *shrugs* I guess you can never compare anything to grandma's cooking! Next time I crave something Asian, I'll just go back to Facebook to find something with little variation possibilities! ;)

Does this make your mouth water as much as it did mine?

First Feeling of Worry

We had our 12-week check-up today -- something we were really excited about. We were anticipating seeing big changes in the baby's development on the ultrasound. Our very first visit at only 8 weeks showed the baby as a cute little blob of tissue, with a tiny flicker as the heartbeat. That was a precious moment for us.

Our precious (and alive!) blob of tissue! Can you see me?

Our second visit at 10 weeks showed a baby in the form of a gummy bear! You could see a well defined head and belly with little nubs as arms and feet. I think this is the visit we laughed the most at. I wish we had a recording of it, but the best part was watching our little "gummy bear" wave his/her little nubs energetically on the monitor. It was just too darn cute!

Our upside-down gummy bear swimming around at 8 weeks. Wee!

This time, the nurse started us out with a doppler just so that we could hear the heartbeat. It used the same instrument as an ultrasound, but it was connected to a small machine with a speaker. She searched  around for a good few minutes, and with each move of the wand, we were getting a little more nervous. An and I are both generally calm people in stressful environments, so we contained ourselves well... that, and we hold on tightly to our faith in God. While I was laying there, I silently prayed and muttered proclamations of life and fruition, and I could tell An was doing the same. I thank God for a man of faith. He keeps me balanced and brave.

After a few minutes, the nurse gave up, but calmly mentioned she's going to go out and grab the ultrasound machine. Like the good soul she is, she cheerfully talked about how great the new machine is, with its ability to show life-like images, and how she's still trying to get used to it since it's so new. Haha, this really made me happy. Though I didn't have much to say in response, she definitely put a smile on my face.

Our physician's assistant, who we are well acquainted and very comfortable with, shows up and performs the ultrasound for us just to make sure nothing is missed. Sure enough, just as God willed it, our precious baby's up on that screen, more alive than ever -- twisting and turning, waving his/her arms and just having a ball! They measured the heart rate then, and in the words of our PA, "161... beautiful." She continued to point out 5 fingers on one hand, the spine, the feet and tiny little legs, and of course, the alien-like head. (She didn't fail to mention it looked like an alien, either, haha!) At the end of the session, she said, "Sorry for the little scare," which slightly surprised me, considering I thought we did a great job of remaining calm, but I figured she understood well what exactly was going through our minds when the heartbeat couldn't be detected. Here's the video of a portion of our session, below.

So I guess that moment gave us a glimpse of what it feels like when we worry for the life of our child. It wasn't a big deal, but it was definitely a first for us. I'm sure every parent can describe this moment differently, but this is my account. Though it was so short-lived, it was like an intense roller-coaster ride within a 5-minute duration. Our hearts sank with worry for the worst, but they lifted up once again as we remind ourselves of our faith in knowing our God has a purpose for everything... and then they sink again as the fear of reality grabs a hold of us once again, but then right back up it goes when we remember we have the almighty Prince of Peace to lean on.

Turns out, the heart beat couldn't be detected with the doppler just yet because I'm still too small at this stage in the pregnancy... which, to be honest, I'm actually thankful for! If you know me, I'm a super petite gal... so most likely (and hopefully), I give birth birth to a not-so-big baby as well! ;)

The Announcement

We planned to make a public announcement of our joyful news at the end of our first trimester, right at 12 weeks. We cheated and announced it on the 11th week and 6th day... Not too bad, right?

Of course, arty-fartsy and sentimental me had to come up with a cover pic for our announcement. I couldn't have found a better idea than this! I've always loved Toms ever since the time they debuted their ever-so-genius philanthropic business concept to the world. I totally bought into the idea with a quickness... plus, I'm a sucker for super comfy flats. On top of that, I wanted to steal a chance to show off our family that includes our handsome busy-body lab, Tahoe. He's a hand-full (this may be the biggest understatement of the year), but we love him to pieces (and so will our kiddos)!

A special and huge thanks goes to my BFF, Serena, for being our personal photographer that day. Like I said, Tahoe's definitely not easy to deal with, so she ONLY had to take a million pictures of us...

The rest of our announcement photos can be viewed here. Enjoy!

What Happened Was...

Warning: Post may contain TMI for some sensitive and un-weened souls.

Several close friends and family have asked us whether our pregnancy was planned or unplanned, and the answer to that is... both!

It was a pretty amazing moment when we first found out from a home-pregnancy test. I was about 4 days late, so I sent An on a non-urgent errand to pick up a test on the way home from his weekly boys' night. I have a knack for knowledge and researching, so I knew the best time to test was in the morning when your HCG (the pregnancy hormone) levels were at its highest. I'll tell you this: between An and I, he was the more anxious one to find out. I have this ability to maintain a giddy inner-me where I can jump for joy and freak out as much as I want without anyone noticing, haha (or so I think). When morning came, I could tell he was wide awake, just laying there, waiting for me to wake up, do my thing, and give him a verdict. Of course, I decided to play dumb, pretended to walk to the bathroom half asleep, and went back to bed pretending to go back to sleep. I think he knew what I was up to, so he tapped me on my shoulder and said, "So?" Haha, I can never get anything past that guy...

I gave him my "pee-stick" and allowed him a minute to decipher the results. Overwhelmed with anxiety, he frustratingly exclaims, "What does it mean? I can't understand it!" even with the legend clearly printed next to the result window. "Seriously?" I ask. It's not my fault he decided to be cheap and not get the test that actually spells out "Pregnant" and "Not Pregnant" for you! Haha. He takes another minute, and this huge grin appears on his face. Yes. Success. My husband can read lines. Haha.

Can YOU read this pregnancy test? =P

It was a very joyful moment for the both of us, but I admit, my maternal instincts kicked in quickly, and the first thing that popped in my mind was, "I need to see a doctor... NOW." You see, I've had this autoimmune disease (lupus) for 16 years now, that I've been faithfully counting on the healing of, mind you, and I believe in precautions and making wise decisions about my health. All I wanted was to make sure I did everything I could to make sure my baby was safe, and leave the rest to God.

Now back to the planned/unplanned thing. When An and I got married, we weren't sure when we wanted to have children, but we knew for a fact we wanted to have them. If you know us well, you'd know we're not into detailed planning. In our own individual lives, even before we met each other, we've trusted God with a lot of things, and we seemed to like it very much that way. Even the story of how we met was very spontaneous and well, a God thing. Therefore, we haven't changed in that department much, and we don't plan on doing so anytime soon, either. When we got married, I was still in school, and at that time, I still had a ways to go. We decided birth control would be best for us. However, a year later, with changes in both his and my careers, it seemed as if God had different plans for us, and it wouldn't hurt letting Him in on even more aspects of our life. Long story short, we discontinued birth control while making sure I stayed off of lupus medications, and consequently started prenatal vitamins. However, we decided not to set a "goal," nor actively "try." We wanted to protect our hearts and avoid obsessing over a goal, and just allow God to call the shots. Two months later, voila! God blessed us with a late period and positive pregnancy test! See? Planned, but unplanned!

I believe it's a miracle in itself that, even with my health condition, I was able to conceive as soon as I did, even without intention. God is so good and merciful. An and I have always believed life is always easier when you just close your eyes and let go, and give God full reign. It has always worked for us then... and it is still working now.

Taken after our first OB visit @ 8 weeks in the back of our complex.
I shed a tear of joy at this visit. :)

Introduction

I love to write for many reasons... to express myself, and to keep my writing skills honed, just to name a couple. Sometimes, it feels like a sweet release. Some people use a punching bag... or the restroom - I write.

Another reason I write is to record memories. I take pictures, too. I believe pictures are a thousand words, but what happens to those moments you aren't able to catch? All you have is your memory, and sometimes, you can't even trust it because it fades. Words stay around forever (especially on a free blog on the internet... Thanks, Google).

I have another blog I use primarily to express my personal experiences with God, faith, love, and trust - the whole works. I usually only write it in when I'm deeply prompted to by the Holy Spirit, mainly because I'm too busy to write. So when He says to write, I make sure to do so.

I wanted to make another blog (this one) for a different purpose -- my family. My husband, An, and I have been married for a year, 7 months, and 9 days... and I'm 12 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I want our children to be able to do something neither my husband nor I got the opportunity to do... to recount the days that existed in their family before they can remember. I want us to be able to do that same, too. It's the same reason we pay for wedding videos and maybe even write our own vows -- to be able to look back at them years later and feel an emotion we completely forgot the feeling of. It's a beautiful thing...

So, here's to precious moments, challenging moments, tears of joy, and above all, true love...