Home cooked dinner

Tonight my parents came over and cooked pork sinigang for us for dinner. It was delicious and according to Alex 'it hit the spot.' Never underestimate the power of a home cooked meal.

Church

I'm thankful Alex let me go to church today while he watched Chloe :)

living in so cal

EARTHQUAKE!!!  I'm thankful that I've lived in southern california almost my whole life and I'm used to earthquakes.  The only difference is now I'm worrying about my daughter's safety also.  Thankfully she's slept through them all and probably chalks it up to someone rocking her to sleep.

Semi-normal life

Thus far our lives haven't changed too drastically with our new baby.  She's been a wonderful addition to our lives but overall our life is still semi-normal.

Falling asleep quickly

I've never been more thankful for my gift of being able to fall asleep quickly. 

Similac app

Since baby Chloe has taken up all of my life almost everything I'm thankful is baby related, sorry but not sorry. Anyhow, today I'm thankful for the Similac baby app which let's me time and keep track of all the feedings, sleeping and pooping that my baby does. It's super useful and pretty straightforward to use too!

In-store pickup

Walmart has a better version of the in-store pickup but at least Target has it now too!  It's so convenient to shop online and have it ready at a local store within a few hours/days!

Lactation consultants

KP is big on breastfeeding. It makes sense why and I'm all for it too so it's great that they offer lactation advice and have lactation centers. Breastfeeding is the most unnatural natural thing which makes the lactation consultants even more helpful!

Alex Wu

The first few days of having a newborn are rough, that's a no brainer even to those who don't have kids.  I'm so lucky and thankful that Alex has been supportive, helpful and all around wonderful during these past few days.  I know he's going to be an amazing father and I don't think I'll ever be able to fully express my gratitude for having him by my side on our new journey in life.

Breastfeeding pillows

Specifically the My Brestfriend pillow. Also thank you to my sister for helping me figure out breastfeeding and latching!!

Lots of family

Especially the kind who cook and bring us food! Thank you to everyone who visited us and brought us food and gifts!! Very much appreciated.

Epidurals

Because labor blows without one!!

Homegrown heirloom tomatoes

It's almost officially tomato season and Alex has a lot of heirloom tomato plants growing all around the house. Today he picked a small tomato and it was super sweet and delicious! I'm thankful that he puts so much time and effort into growing such nutritious and yummy tasting food for our family. 

Supportive parents

Today while I was in the waiting room an old lady told me that she should have kicked her daughter out when she turned 18 so that now that they're both older the daughter would appreciate and treat the mom better.  She sounded bitter and a little angry but she was totally serious about what she said.  It instantly made me thankful for how supportive my parents are and have always been (especially my mom) even after I turned 18 years old.

3rd rest day

Today is my 3rd day of rest since work and now I'm ready for Chloe to come!  Well, as ready as I'll ever be.

A cool house

One of the nice things about our house is that even if it's super hot outside the inside of our house is cool but still bright. It's nice to enjoy the sun but be able to come inside and cool off. 

Rest days

I think I've said this already but this past week has been pretty draining on me since I've had multiple appointments and still went to work afterwards. BUT now I get to rest today and every day until the baby's born!! I plan on really relaxing the next few days and then incorporate more exercise and other random things here and there to help the labor and dilation along. We'll see how it goes!!

Last days

Today was my last day of work! I'm officially on maternity leave and I'm so ready to rest before the baby comes. As I was leaving work today everyone (including my patients) were wishing me the best and praying for me. I'm so thankful that my last day was filled with people who care about me.

dinner's out

It recently dawned upon Alex that soon we won't be able to go out to dinners whenever we want and definitely won't be going out to dinners for a while after the baby's born!  I've been trying to think of places that I will miss during the first few months that Chloe's here and we'll try to go to those places ASAP.  The plan is to eat at Bestia tonight and the back-up plan is Maccheroni Republic so we'll see how that goes!  Cheers to our last few dinners sans baby.  Typing that makes me excited for the baby to come, despite not being able to go out to eat that often.

Prayers for our family

Today one of my patients was so happy and excited that I was having a baby.  He gave me all this advice about respecting each other and setting a good example for her and while it might technically be inappropriate, I didn't mind since it was good advice (IMO).  He's Catholic and he's part of a missionary group and before I left he read his own prayer of protection and repentance that he carries with him and wished me the best of luck.  It was very touching that he cared so much and I'm thankful that there are so many people who are praying for Chloe, Alex and myself.

Simple healthy recipes

Last night I made rosemary, lemon salmon w/ vegetables in a parchment bag!  I've had something similar before but I've never tried to make it at home.  It was super easy to make and tasted good while still being healthy.  After he scarfed it down, Alex said, "That was so healthy I feel like I gained a year of life."

half-days

Some days I feel like it's a waste to drive out to LA in traffic only to stay at work for a half-day but other days, like today, I don't mind one bit.

2 consecutive days off

With my husband!! Alex rarely gets Saturday AND Sunday off so it's nice being able to spend 2 days off with him and sleep in for 2 days next to him :)

Helpful workers

Today I accompanied Alex to Home Depot where we ended up with two carts, one for lumber and another for the flower pots and bags of soil & compost he wanted. As I was pushing the lighter cart to the cashier lane one of the HD workers came up to me very concerned and said that he's going to get someone to help me put the bags of soil in my car and that I shouldn't go anywhere until he gets back. He was so concerned bc he didn't want the preggo lady to do any heavy lifting! I quickly pointed out that's what Alex was for and he calmed down and even made sure Alex was strong enough to move the stuff for me. It was super nice and thoughtful and I'm so glad there are helpful and genuinely concerned people in the world still. 

more babies!

I'm thankful and excited for everyone who's getting pregnant and having their babies in the next few months!  It reminds me of the happiness that couples, friends and families share when a new baby is brought into their lives.  I'm thankful that my friends who want to have kids are able to conceive and I'm thankful that their kids are going to be born to great people and into loving families.  Such an exciting time!

tests and more tests

I'm thankful that in this day and age we have lots of monitors and new 'inventions' in healthcare that can look and monitor us and what's going on inside our bodies.  Specifically prenatal care and all the bells and whistles that can come with it.  Thus far I've had great care from KP; lots of appointments but most of them have been on time, with great medical staff and have run pretty smoothly.  I just keep praying that everything continues to be smooth from now until she comes!

Ashes at work

The clinic I work for is faith based, specifically Caltholic based. What's nice is we close early on Good Friday and someone comes to the clinic to distribute ashes on Ash Wednesday!  It's nice especially when it's hard to coordinate the mass times bc of traffic and work. 

Surprises!!

WOW!  At lunch today my coworkers threw me a surprise baby shower!!  I am SOO SOO thankful to have such wonderful and caring coworkers!!  I can't say thank you enough for all the well wishes, advice and everything else they've literally showered me with.  We're so lucky to work with a great group of people!  Thank you so much!!

Life

I can't be more thankful for what I have in my life right now. Tomorrow our baby is officially full term! I am so thankful for how my pregnancy has been this far and I cannot express my gratitude for all the support and excitement from my coworkers, friends, family, and especially Alex.

My life is so blessed and I am so thankful for everything.

Time to cook

I spent a good portion of the afternoon prepping and cooking multiple meals. Some to freeze for the future and of course dinner for tonight. Since I have the time now I figured I might as well get these things ready for the upcoming times when I might not be able to cook! 

no video games

I'm thankful that Alex (and I) don't get sucked into video games on the computer, iPhone or even game consoles. For me is mostly bc I suck at games but it's nice bc it frees up time for us to talk and catch up!