4th Week

iPhone photos and videos:
March 24th (26 days): "hiccuping is my daily exercise, even before I came out of mommy's tummy!"

March 28th, (30 days): "I met my bunny blankie for the first time today."

"Let's be friends!"

March 30th, (32 days):
"I am waiting to be fed. Hurry up mom!"

3rd Week

Sophie during this stage of life simply eats and sleeps. She is a really easy baby to take care of. We're very blessed parents to have her as our first child knowing nothing about parenting and all.

17 days old, she dreams in her sleep while waving her hands around.

20 days old, and yes, she's sleeping in this picture too. ^^

15 Days Old

It was nice to spend the weekend as a family taking naps in between feeding and changing diapers. This is the new life we have as parents. What did we do before? We'd watch sports on TV and cook yummy food. But now? Now everything has changed. It's a good change, because we have a new member of the family now, and we have to learn to give love to a little being unconditionally. Tim says it's like we're getting a glimpse of what God has to do to put up with us. Yet He loves us wholeheartedly and unconditionally.

Who do you think Sophie resembles more right now? Personally, I vote for daddy. ^^

10 Days Old

Sometimes I really can't figure out what her little mind must be going through.

8 Days Old

Sophie playing (unconsciously) with daddy before his paternity leave is up. T_T I think I miss my husband more than Sophie misses her daddy. ^^

Today she's 8 days old.

Introducing A New Member of Our Family!

Sophie Amelia 恩悅 is born!!!
She came early. Her original due date was March 15th. Technically, she's suppose to be in my belly still. However, she came on February 26th at 4:59 PM.

We're so happy to have her with us. I can't believe something that small has everything required to be a human being. I'm amazed at God's wonderful creation.

This set is taken on her 6th day after birth.
More photos will come as the craziness in this household settle down, hopefully ^^~!

20 More Days

Last entry I was still talking about packing up my bag for the hospital...I almost had Sophie 5 days ago.

Well, I went in for my 36 weeks and 3 days ultrasound, and they found out that baby is on the smaller side and my amniotic fluids are on the lower side. The overseeing doctor there was going to have me do an amniocentesis procedure to test if Sophie's lunges are developed enough for an induction that night.

I was freaking out not knowing what to think at that moment as I was not at all prepared to go into labor so soon. I called Tim at work sounding like I was about to break down. He quickly left what he was doing and rushed to the hospital to join me.

Long story short. We were one signature away from having Sophie that night. Thanks to Tim who suggested that I called a good friend of ours from church who's a doctor specializing in OB/Gyn. Tim also stood by me and helped me refuse to sign for an go-ahead for the amniocentesis.

Afterward, I was sent to the Labor and Delivery floor for a Non Stress Test. My own OB/Gyn came to see me during that time and talked to Tim and I for a bit. The NST came out looking really good. Sophie was moving and active. Induction wasn't a necessity at the moment according to my doctor. We were sent home that night safe and sound (despite the thunder and lightning that happened right when we were driving home, which intensified the drama a bit).

Since then, I was suppose to go in the hospital for a Non Stress Test everyday for a week until I could get another ultrasound. However, I've only done one other one on Monday, and the result was still exceptionally great. They didn't even bother making me go in anymore.

Today I am having an ultrasound. We'll see how everything goes. The good things we could take from this scare are that:
-My bag is packed! So I am ready to go anytime!
-Our hearts are definitely more prepared now than ever before to see Sophie soon.
-We learned to say "no"!!! And it did wonders!
-Sophie's termed this week (full 37 weeks and 2 days), so her lunges are definitely fine even if she came out today.
Last but not least:
-GOD IS IN CONTROL!!!

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I made some decorations for Sophie's little corner (more to come). We didn't get the condo that we put an offer in (see previous entry). So for now, she doesn't have her own room yet, but I hope she'll find her little corner cozy and soothing.

On the other note, I really hope the ultrasound technician saw it right, and that the baby inside is indeed a girl. Or else I'd feel so disappointed if all these girlie, pinkish things go to waste. Also we'd have to think of another name for...him...
So fingers crossed!!!

25 Days

Two days ago, when I was talking to one of my piano students' mom, she reminded me that I should start packing for the hospital. I guess I haven't really done anything in preparation for labor. I've just assumed that Sophie is going to arrive late. Why? I don't really know. I even told my mom to fly here 2 days after the due date so that she wouldn't have to sleep in the living room at our one bedroom place longer than she'd have to.
One thing I keep forgetting is that February is a short month, and March will come earlier than I think.

Today is an exciting day. We've put down our first offer for a condo in the city yesterday afternoon. Today at 6:00 PM we are going to hear back from the seller whether they'll accept our offer or not. Tim and I are pretty excited about it, but at the same time we know that there's a chance we won't get the place because of the high demands for city condos in Boston. We also know that everything is in God's hand. He will give us what's best. So if this condo is not it, then may He grant us the patience and peace for our continuing journey of house hunting.

Wish us luck...!

Oh, and today I will get to see Sophie again through ultrasound in the afternoon. Can't wait. ^^

35 Days

35 days and counting down to Sophie's birth. Time seems to fly in this stage of pregnancy. For now, I must go see my OB/Gyn every week until due date. Tim and I went to birthing class last Saturday from 8:30 to 3:00. It was tiring, but we learned many valuable information about the birthing process (natural and c-section), the hospital facility and staff...

We're also hunting for houses around the area recently. For now, we're living in a one bedroom apartment, which our expanding family will soon outgrow. No luck so far though. Some houses we want to see have already accepted offers before we have a chance to view them. We thought there must be less people looking for houses in the snowy winter, and therefore leaving us with more options to choose from. We were wrong. 80% or more of the houses we like are already under contract. House hunting is definitely stressful, and it also comes with many disappointments. I know that God is in control, and He will prepare something suitable for us. However, being a human, it's just hard sometimes to obey and be patient. I hope I won't get desperate and settle for something random. No matter what, purchasing a house is a very big decision. Patience is a must! May God grant me just that.

50 Days

Sophie is due in another 50 days according to my pregnancy calendar.
She is pretty active these days getting so big and all. Sometimes I suspect that she might be dancing in there, especially after meals or when I play piano for her. One day Tim put his ear on my belly and he could hear her heart beating so clearly. It was amazing! I'll get to see her again in a week when I go for my 34 week ultrasound. I wonder what she looks like now.
My parents and Tim's parents are getting super excited too. My mom is preparing all these Chinese herbs and dried fruits for me to have during the month after labor. In Chinese, we called it 做月子 where, for the whole month after labor, the new mother has to stick with a specific kind of diet in order to speed up recovery, enhance milk production, and replenish nutrients back to the body from what it has lost for the baby. Maybe that's why Asian women age slower? I am not sure, but this process is really important for the Chinese, and it apparently works wonders.
For Tim's parents, they purchased lots of baby clothes for Sophie from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan, and are sending them to us soon.
As our little family expands, so is the love within the bigger family. We feel truly blessed by our parents and their love for us and this new member who's about to join. ^^
On the same note, we feel really blessed by our church community, our home away from home. The support and encouragement we get from these lovely brothers and sisters in Christ is like food to our soul. Sophie even has a doctor, a close church friend of ours, already waiting for her once she comes out. God prepared everything for us so perfectly, we cannot ask for more. Thanks be to God!