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.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
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.
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.
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| The Maternity BeBand in black (also comes in white and nude) |
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
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.) :)
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.) :)
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
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!
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.
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!
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!
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| Team Blue & Team Pink proudly sporting their props! Click here to view the rest of the album! |
Monday, November 19, 2012
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!
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!
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| What will it be? A pretty little "she" or a handsome little "he?" ;) |
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| Revealing it back at Starbucks, where it all "started"... ;) |
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| Ready for tomorrow! So much fun! |
Friday, November 16, 2012
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:
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).
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! ;)
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| Our tri-purpose room obviously was lacking major space! Contents: 1 queen bed, 2 work stations, and lots & LOTS of stuff! |
Thursday, November 15, 2012
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
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
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| Here's a sneak peak from my "workstation"... |
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| Mama don't play, haha! My work in progress... |
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
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. ;)
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| This robin's egg blue actually turned out to be a bit too bright for our taste. :( |
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