Hello from BabyCenter!

Your baby is twice as big as he was last month, but he still weighs only about 7 ounces. (Meanwhile, you've probably gained as many as 14 pounds, most of which is from amniotic fluid, placenta, and water retention.) Though things may seem calm on the surface, your little one is kicking, flexing, reaching, rolling, and even sucking his thumb now. If you haven't felt him move yet, you will in the next few weeks.

I didn't have an ultrasound today (bummer!), but I scheduled it for Aug. 2.  I can't wait!!  Baby's heart rate jumped from 140 to 151 bpm.  Yay!!  I think that's a good sign for a girl, seeing how my MIL literally jumps for joy every time it gets above 140.  I think she wants "the avocado" to be a girl even more than I do.  I took one of those online tests to see what are the chances of me having a girl...as it turns out I have 66% chance of having a girl and 33% chance of having a boy!  Go me!  Yeah, the test has some really iffy questions, but it at least gives me a little bit of hope.   

I gained 2 lbs.!  Woo hoo!  I've been under a load of stress so that is a huge accomplishment.  Dr. H said my goal is to gain a lb. a week, so at 40 weeks..I should be 120 lbs.  Weighing 120 lbs. at 4'11 with a pregnant belly....real attractive . 

My due date is Dec. 21, not Dec. 27.

I went to see "The White Chicks" with Ngan and my brother.  I had never laughed so hard in the theater before.  Luckily we went on a Tuesday night, so there wasn't a lot of people around.  The plot was weak but it was funny as hell.  Well, I'm tired..good night!

::Update::

Hello from BabyCenter!
Starting to feel like a balloon? You may be gaining weight rapidly at this point, even if you're not eating much. Don't necessarily blame yourself if the pounds are accumulating faster than you'd like — what's important for you and your baby is eating smart. Make sure you eat a balanced diet rich in protein, fruits, and vegetables.

Boy or Girl? You Can Find Out Now

Many doctors recommend an ultrasound at this point of your pregnancy to rule out anomalies. Your doctor will check on the baby's growth and development and may even be able to tell you your baby's sex if you want to know.

I can find out now?!!!  Is that true?!?  That means I'll be able to find out at my next O.B. appt. on Wednesday!!!! 

My chinese zodiac is a pig, what's yours? 

Contrary to its rather negative reputation in the West, the Pig of Chinese Astrology may be the most generous and honorable Sign of the Zodiac. Pigs are nice to a fault and possess impeccable manners and taste. They have so much of the perfectionist in them that others may be inclined to perceive them as snobs, but this is a misconception. Pigs are simply possessed of a truly luxurious nature, one that delights in finery and riches (in surroundings, food, lovemaking and otherwise). This Sign believes in the best qualities of mankind and certainly doesn't consider itself to be superior. Pigs also care a great deal about friends and family and work hard to keep everyone in their life happy. Helping others is a true pleasure for the Pig, who feels best when everyone else is smiling.

A Pig with no one around to appreciate its giving nature is a sad sight. Pigs are so magnanimous they can appear almost saintly; this can lead some less-than-well-intentioned souls to stomp all over this Sign, and the bad news is, the Pig will take the blows! Pigs make great companions in part because of their refusal to see the more negative or base qualities in a partner, but that rose-colored view can lead to this Sign's allowing itself to be taken advantage of. Contrary to their seemingly benign dispositions, however, Pigs can be quite venomous in response to being crossed by a lover, friend or business partner (hence QtVixen )

Pigs are highly intelligent creatures, forever studying, playing and probing in their quest for greater knowledge. They can be misinterpreted as being lazy, however, due to their love of reveling in the good stuff; this Sign could happily spend hours on end making love, napping, taking a long bubble bath or dallying over an incredible spread of rich foods. Pigs tend to make wonderful life partners due to their hearts of gold and their love of family. Even so, Pigs can be rather exclusive, choosing to spend time with those who will appreciate them most and ignore the rest of the populace. Pigs would do well to realize that there's more to life than being needed. When they open up their world to a diverse group of people, they will truly bloom.

So true it's scary. 

I'm well into my 16th weeks, almost 17 weeks now and still no kicks!  Should I be worried?  I hope the little "avocado" is okay in there.  Ryan called me this morning with *great* news!  As of now, the return date is September 15.  Nothing is definite but September is a lot better than December! 

16 weeks and 1 day! 5 more months to go

Hello from BabyCenter! Your baby's about the size of an avocado now, but in the next three weeks he'll go through a tremendous growth spurt — doubling his weight and adding inches to his length. In the meantime, he'll be playing with his umbilical cord and practicing breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid through his lungs. You're going through a bit of a growth spurt yourself. Your uterus has expanded so much that the ligaments in your abdomen are stretching to make room for it. If you feel any twinges of pain now, that's why.

P.S. - I finally have my butterflies back!! Thanks to the beautiful, the talented, and the perfectionist Avideh!! You ROCK!    Thanks for spending so much time working on it babe!!!!  You make me feel so special . 

I'm so happy!!!!

Update on my OB visit:

I've lost 5 lbs. since my last visit, I think that was approximately 2 months ago?

My baby's heart rate went from 185 from the last visit down to 140. 

Everything else seems to be normal and everything's in its place.  I've just got to fatten myself up a little before my next visit.  My Dr. said I should eat a fairly small meal every 3-4 hours.....Yeah right, how can I even think of eating anything when I feel nauseated just looking at food. 

I miss you Ryan! 

I miss Ryan so much!  I keep looking at our wedding pictures, and reliving the moments we spent together on his leave only to depress myself even more.  Sometimes I feel like crying, but couldn't for some reason.  It seems like this second time saying goodbye is even harder than the first time. 

I'm in my 15 weeks now, which means I'm in the 2nd trimester!  I'm really looking forward to feeling the baby's first kick, and finding out the baby's sex.  I really don't care if we're having a boy or a girl at this point.  As long as he/she is healthy and happy.  Ryan and I decided on the name Arianna if it's a girl, and Sean if it's a boy.  We haven't really picked out the middle names yet because Ryan wants my parents to give our baby a Vietnamese name, and that will be his/her middle name.  I make it a point to keep Ryan updated on my OB visits, and the changes my body and the baby are going through while he's in Bosnia.  I also found a pretty helpful website that has a summary of each week's progress, so he knows what to expect (moodiness from mommy, etc.).  We have no doubts that it will be a very difficult journey, having to juggle school, work, and the baby among other things but we have faith in us, and we believe our love will carry us through.  I love Ryan from the depth of my heart and I know he feels the same way about me. 

A proud wife of an Infantryman.

I'm officially Mrs. Ryan Farrell!!  Our wedding was beautiful.  Everything was absolutely perfect!  Avideh, Ryan and I had so much fun at the bachelor/bachelorette party, all thanks to you.  It really wouldn't have been the same without you.  Everyone loves you, my in-laws always comment on how nice and bubbly you were, and they absolutely adore you.  And you know Tonya loves you!  We can't thank you enough.  Please visit us more often!

On a more serious note, I think Ryan got gypped out of the last few days of his leave, but I suppose I should be grateful for what I can get out of the Army.  It was soooo hard saying good-bye to him for the second time on our 1-year anniversary!  I want him home soon.  I want my husband back.