I am really looking forward to Valentines’ Day… because S said he is going to buy me a boba! A cup of heavenly green milk tea with BOBA (from Tea Station)!! My heart is filled with gleee.

The last time I had a boba was on New Year’s Eve when S had compassion on me. The time before that was when my body only had a single inhabitant, me. I’ve been pretty good about staying away from caffeine. They say it’s ok to have a cup of coffee a day but I figured I didn’t need it so why risk it.

Plus, I’m saving loads of money. I estimate around $250 in 10 months. (Yikes!) I will be donating it to Birth Choice. They provide abortion-minded women free couseling and ultrasounds before a final decision is made. You get to see through an ultrasound that it’s not just a mass of cells… there’s an amazing little human being in there. I know I was wowed. We have our baby’s ultrasounds up on our fridge. “Historically only 30% of Birth Choice’s abortion-minded women changed their mind. However, by introducing women to their babies through ultrasound, more than 72% are choosing life.” It’s real and it’s a life.

Boba $$ given up during my pregnancy in exchange for ultrasounds for 2+ abortion-minded women. I’m happy about that decision.

Anyway, 3 more days till V-Day and boba.  

People always ask if I have any food cravings. I don’t think so?

Well, green milk tea with boba can’t count b/c I had those cravings every week without being pregnant.

But maybe I do b/c I realize I think to myself more often than before, “Hm, should I get a side of fries with my lunch?” Or get excited that “Nacho cheese doritos are on sale!!”

I just saw this coupon for free medium seasoned curly fries at Jack In the Box TOMORROW ONLY. Who can turn down Jack’s seasoned curly fries?!

Month 4:
Week 13 – You are almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and nearly an ounce. Daddy is wowed. Fingerprints have formed on your tiny fingers. Fingerprints!! Do you know that no 2 persons have the same fingerprints? You are fearfully, wonderfully, and uniquely made!
12/28/08 – W13D1 - There is so much we need to do to the house before we welcome you home. Grandpa S is itching, yearning, craving to do everything! He is such a handy guy. Did you know that he built his own house from scratch in Taiwan?
12/29/08 – W13D2 – I need to start making our bed so I can ask you to make your own bed one day. Time to get my act together… I’ll start here.
12/30/08 – W13D3 - Our conversation:
     Mommy: I’m so full. Look, my belly is sticking out.
     Daddy: Welcome to my world.
     I wonder when I will catch up. Hahaha!
12/31/08 – W13D4 - I told all my cousins today. Of course they have to know. I hope you will cherish your cousins as I do mine.
12/31/08 – W13D4 – It’s New Year’s Eve. Daddy gave me permission to have some caffeine and bought me green tea with boba!! It was heaven!! I promise to drink lots of water and a glass of milk later!
01/03/09 – W13D7 – I pampered myself today with a vitamin C facial. 4 of my high school friends and I felt like queens for a day. You’ve got to work hard and play hard.
Week 14 – You are 3 1/2 inches and weigh 1 1/2 oz. You can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck your thumb. I wish I could see your facial expressions. I’m going to have so much fun staring at you when you’re born.
01/04/09 – W14D1 – Baby! We are into our second trimester! What a milestone. God is watching over you, growing you into a person of His perfect and unique design.
01/04/09 – W14D1 - If you could hear, you would have heard Auntie Stephanie’s shout of excitement at your announcement; down the hall, in the classrooms, in the bathroom. I know she will be one of your favorite people at church.
01/05/09 – W14D2 – Ask your Dad about a liquid terminator baby, so funny!
01/07/09 – W14D4 – I feel my uterus stretching a lot today! Almost all night. My body is making space for you to grow. Are you comfy and feeling safe in there?
01/08/09 – W14D5 – Do pregnant people in their 2nd trimester have skinny days? Today was a skinny day! But the belly always grows as the day progresses.
Week 15 – You are 4 inches and weigh about 2 1/2 oz. You can move all of your joints and limbs. I’ll sing “Father Abraham” and you dance, ok? You can sense light through your fused eye lids. You’re forming taste buds.
01/12/09 – W15D2 - Baby, I heard your heartbeat for the first time today! 158 beats/min. Wow! I wish I could have listened to it longer. Too bad Daddy couldn’t be there. He was seeing a doctor, too.
01/12/09 – W15D2 – I’ve only gained less than a pound? I feel/look like I’ve gained more.
01/14/09 – W15D4 – Allen Ah-Gu saw your ultrasound pictures and said, “Very nice pictures indeed, very clear… The baby looks great and the placenta looks good too.” Woohoo! And that’s coming from a professional!
01/16/09 – W15D6 – We met Dr B, the perinatologist, for the first time today. Things are looking very good right now but complications may (or may not) arise in the third trimester. I’m sorry I have lupus antibodies that might make you sick. I pray we will both be in good health. Let’s trust in God.
Week 16 – You are 4 1/2 inches and 3 1/2 oz. There’s a lot happening inside. For example, your heart is now able to pump 25 quarts of blood each day… and more in the future.
01/18/09 – W16D1 – Daddy was the speaker at the children’s service today. He did such a great job. You would be so proud of him.
01/19/09 – W16D2 – Whenever I’m bored at work, I go find someone to break the good news to. It’s a lot of fun! Everyone is so happy and excited for us! =)
01/20/09 – W16D3 – I really need to learn to sleep on my left side. They say it’s actually good for the both of us. It improves the flow of blood and nutrients to the placenta and it helps my kidneys do their job.
01/21/09 – W16D4 – I have the best boss! She wants me to take as much time as I can get for maternity leave. She even offered to let me work more days from home and suggested maybe working from a local office once you’re born. I want to cut down on my crazy commute so I can spend more time with you and Daddy. This makes me SO hopeful and happy!
01/22/09 – W16D5 – Did you like that green juice? Did you feel a sudden rejuvenation? It’s celery, cucumber, mustard green, parsley, and apple. We bought a juicer so we can give you more fresh nutrients than I can humanly eat. Daddy said it was spicy. I liked it.
01/23/09 – W16D6 - I went in for the AFP bloodtest. They weighed me, I’ve gained a pound in the past week! Is this where the weight gain starts?
01/23/09 – W16D6 – I went and purchased a pair of 2″ heeled shoes today. They are lower than my regular shoes. Grandma L disapproves. She thinks each step I take makes violent shakes in the womb. Not true.

I’m practically all caught up and up-to-date now.  We’re currently in our 17th week and the baby is 5″ long from head to rump. 5 INCHES!! That’s crazy!

When I told S that the baby was now 5 inches long he started to sing the subway jingle, “Five. Five Dollar. Five Dollar Foot Long”. We get a kick out of that song. You have to sing it with the hand motions.

Yay, the digital conversion is being postpone another 4 months!!

We signed up for the converter box coupons but there aren’t any left right now. We don’t have cable so we would be show-less w/o it.

Yes, this means I can still watch American Idol!!

My co-workers were talking about DVRs the other day and I said, “We use a VHS recorder to tape our shows. We lost our remote control so we have to stand there when the show comes on and push the ‘record’ button.” They looked at me like I was from a different century.

Thanks, everyone, for your well wishes!! We’re excited, too! I’ll be starting my 5th month on Sunday! I feel like this pregnancy is moving so slowly… but wow, the 5th month already?! Hm, maybe it’s moving faster than I thought…

Month 3:
Week 9 – You are nearly an inch long. Your heart finishes dividing into 4 chambers and the valves start to form, as do your tiny teeth. Your embryonic tail is completely gone. Your basic physiology is in place. You’re now poised for rapid weight gain. Alright! Grow, baby, grow!
11/30/08 – W9D1 - Uncle Ron knows I’m pregnant and today he moved all my music equipment before I could get to them. I was so touched. He is a modern day Boaz. It’s no wonder that Auntie Jongni and Hannah love him so.
11/30/08 – W9D1 - Daddy is so good with kids. Paige and Marissa were so excited we were going over today. Daddy hopes you will like him just as much. Oh, I know you will love him much, much more than that!
12/01/08 – W9D2 – Today is Great-Grandma L’s birthday. She would have turned 90. I wish you could have gotten to know your Great-Grandparents. They were such faithful followers of Christ. She encouraged us to read a chapter of Proverbs a day. Perfect, b/c there are 31 of them; to teach us wisdom, make good decisions, live according to God’s will.
12/04/08 – W9D5 - Can we drive in the carpool lane? We should! You’re a person! Just a very small one… for now.
12/05/08 – W9D6 – I’m reminded again today of how much I love and respect all your Grandparents. What a huge blessing to have such godly Grandparents. I can’t wait for you to meet them. Boy, they are going to spoil you! Do you know they pray for us all the time?
12/06/08 – W9D7 – Your Dad is sleeping so peacefully next to me. We’re going to miss sleeping in on the weekends. But maybe we won’t mind once you’re here.
Week 10 – You are about 1 1/4″ long. Vital organs are in place and starting to function. You nails are forming on your fingers and toes (no more webbing). You now have peach-fuzz hair on your skin. You can bend your limbs.
12/08/08 – W10D2 – I’m so sorry I didn’t feed you food until 4pm! You poor lil’ baby!
12/10/08 – W10D4 – Coffee smells so good and I crave Tea Station’s green milk tea with boba! This is hard… but I will pull through!
12/11/08 – W10D5 - Year-end is making me so stressed. Were you swimming in terrible toxins today? Good thing I can come home because Daddy makes me laugh.
Week 11 – You are just over 1 1/2″ long and is now fully formed! Some of your bones are beginning to harden.
12/15/08 – W11D2 – We saw you for the second time today. You’ve grown!! I feel so relieved to know that everything is as normal as can be. Chances of miscarriage now is less than 2%. That’s very low. We’re happy to hear that. Daddy said, “I’m excited”.
12/16/08 – W11D3 – Daddy rushed out of bed in the morning to help me carry my laptop bag down the stairs. Then he ran back because it was so cold! I’m feeling pampered, I love it!
12/17/08 – W11D4 – I love sleeping on my back, soon I won’t be able to do that anymore.
12/18/08 – W11D5 – Grandma L was so excited to see your new ultrasound pictures that our dinner almost got burned. Haha. We can clearly see your form, your frontal skull, jaw bones, and spine. In one picture, we could see your fingers!
12/19/08 – W11D6 - I haven’t pooed in 4 days! I feel so gross! I am a walking porta-potty!
12/19/08 – W11D6 - Grandma L and Amy Ah-Yi’s hilarious conversation: 
     GL: Judy is pregnant now, when she comes over, cook her something healthy to eat.
     A: Okay, like I’m going to cook her poison.
     GL: No, don’t do that!
12/20/08 – W11D7 - It’s so cold, it’s sweater shopping time! But I don’t know how to shop now. My body’s going to change so much in the next few months.
Week 12 – You are just over 2″ long and weigh 1/2 an ounce. The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl, eye muscles will clench, mouth will make sucking movements. We wish we could install a National Geographic camera inside so we can watch you. It would be our favorite reality show.
12/23/08 – W12D2 - It’s so amazing. My body just knows what to do. And so does yours. I’m blown away… we know Who’s in control.
12/25/08 – W12D5 - Merry Christmas, little one. Next year you will be celebrating with us. I pray you would come to experience the true meaning of Christmas and accept Jesus into your heart at a very young age.

It originally started out as a food diary to make sure I was getting the proper foods. I’d then add a sentence of how I was feeling that day… but then somehow it just evolved and now I no longer keep a food diary…

Month 1:
Week 4 – You are the size of a poppy seed.
10/26/08 – W4D1 – God, You gave me the best birthday gift ever!! I’M PREGNANT!! You go out of Your way to remind me that You’ve heard my prayers. With a pretty bow on top! Thank You.
10/29/08 – W4D4 – What did I just do?! I just had a bowl of SHELLFISH pasta with white WINE sauce. Did I just kill the baby??!!
10/30/08 – W4D5 – We’re not sure what to call you right now… we pause or stutter all the time… he/she/it.. the baby…

Month 2:
Week 5 – You are the size of a sesame seed and look more like a tiny tadpole than a human. Formation of the central nervous system (brain) and muscle as well as bone formation are in early stages.
11/04/08 – W5D3 - I don’t feel pregnant. No symptoms, no cravings… I feel exactly the same. but I spot when I walk more than a few blocks?! I’m scared. I need a cloud-mobile like the Care Bears have.
11/06/08 – W5D5 - Friends who feel so deeply to shed tears at the good news. I am so blessed.
Week 6 – You are about a quarter inch long from crown to rump. Your nose, mouth, ears are beginning to take shape. Contractions of the heart begins! You heart is beating 100 – 160 times a minute! Woh.
11/11/08 – W6D3 - It feels so good that the family knows!!
11/14/08 - W6D6 – We saw your beating heart! Baby’s heartbeat, don’t let your batteries run out.
11/14/08 – W6D6 – Grandpa L said to eat more, to feed his grandchild so you can grow big and strong!
Week 7 – You’ve doubled in size from last week and are the size of a blueberry. Both hemisphere of your brain are growing. Your heart bulges from your body, like in the cartoons!
11/16/08 – W7D1 – I wish that every time I woke up from a nap, it’d be a new day. If the first delicate trimester can just pass quickly.
11/17/08 – W7D2 – It feels like a fat day everyday.
11/18/08 – W7D3 – The waiter saw the ultrasound picture in passing and treated us to free spumoni ice cream. Sweet! Congratulations to us!
11/19/08 – W7D4 - Allen Ah-Gu says he prays for us everyday. That makes me feel safe.
11/21/08 – W7D6 - Grandma L asked why Grandpa L didn’t offer me any shaved ice. He said, “The baby will be cold.” Hahaha!
11/21/08 – W7D6 – I didn’t try to speed through the train tracks under the lowering crossing gate. I know I need to drive more safely.
11/22/08 – W7D7 - I’m learning a lullaby to sing to you, “Hold On To Jesus”.
Week 8 – You are the size of a lentil bean. Your webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your hands and feet. You are constantly moving and shifting though I still can’t feel it! How neat!
11/24/08 – W8D2 – I was flipping through the channels today and Nicole from Days of Our Lives was about to have a miscarriage. It made me cry. Don’t leave.
11/25/08 – W8D3 – Each life, regardless how small, how viable, is precious.
11/27/08 – W8D5 - Grandpa S said, “If there’s anything you feel like eating, just name it!” Food is how he shows love. Loved , we are!

Will transcribe the other 2 months next time!

I got a package from drugstore.com today. Those delivery people are funny…

Are people really not going to see the package outside our door if they “hide” the box under our welcome mat??

But it gave me a quite chuckle when I got home. Heh heh.

---

Aw… I love it when a contestant gets through on American Idol and their family gets so excited and emotional; jumping on them, crying on them, hugging on them… what a fun show.

It’s Christmas week and *it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas*.Work is still crazy, but it’s the last leg! I might be on call on Friday, but it should be minimal. The Christmas decoration at church are so pretty, the gift exchange was fun and the girls there made me feel warm, the Christmas music on the radio, the bulging stocking hanging outisde my cubicle, the fireplace smell at night, seeing the kids’ faces light up when you hand them their presents, the Christmas messages and the annual church skits, the photo cards that I love receiving, wearing scarves and thermals in cold weather, getting together with family over good food, and little Robby in a santa hat pulled over his eyes…

Just 2 weeks ago I was thinking to myself, “I believe I’m willing to give up Christmas this year if only I can escape this work that is sucking my soul dry.” But now it’s almost here and I see the light at the end of the tunnel! It’s upon us and I’m so thankful God pulled me through. I am still sane! I even get more days off than I expected!

Soon I will just enjoy and revel in this beautiful Christmas season. It’s full of meaning… how could I ever have thought to trade this for some hard work?

Did you know… we got married in December 6 years ago (12/7 – Pearl Harbor Day)… my bouquet was made up of white roses, greens, and Christmas hollies. The bridesmaids wore red. There were panels of beautifully colored stained glass windows. There was a decorated Christmas tree in the church and red poinsettias that lined the stage. Pretty.

Home stretch!

I just need to make it through Wednesday and then I’m off until the new year! At first it was: “No one can take days off in the back half of December.” Now our system is shutting down on Sunday so there’s nothing any of us can do anyway. I can barely graps having so many days off in a row… but it’s sinking in and it feels gooood.

Planning to:

Be with family for Christmas
Clean my mess at home
Pack away clothes I won’t be wearing for the next few months
Organize our DVD and CD collection
Do some walking

I want to watch these favorites that make me happy and warm inside:

Mary Poppins
You’ve Got Mail
White Christmas

And I’m going to make tuna casserole! (The secret to my freshmen 15.)

Ahh… I can’t wait!