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Monday, June 25, 2007

The results are IN!

Mark and I had our detailed ultrasound today and found out that we are having a baby girl!! :):):) We're happy to report that she is doing well - 10 fingers, 10 toes and a healthy heart beat! :) During our ultrasound the baby had the hiccups and I felt it! She was so active - rubbing her eyes and giving us a thumbs up (see first video below). The MD had a little trouble finding out whether she was a boy or a girl since she was so proper and kept her legs crossed during the exam. ha ha! We're taking suggestions on names, so send us a comment with your favorite! Here are the first videos of baby girl Garcia... enjoy!





I am 20 1/2 weeks today and this is what my baby is doing: http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/calendar/week20

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Greetings from Bali/Lombok!

We arrived at Gili Trawangan island (an island off of Lombok) Friday morning local time. Mark and I took a flight to Senggigi and then a boat for 1 1/2 hours to get to the island. It's really beautiful! Very similar to Boracay - paradise! So relaxing! Mark and I had spa treatments and massages and have been hanging out with a few foreigners we met on the island. We will probably leave back to Bali on Tuesday and head to Ubud for a day or two. Everything is going great!
The baby is doing well. I'm pretty sure now that I have started feeling the "flutters" from the baby. The first really noticable one was when Mark and I were at LAX waiting to leave for Bali. It feels like a rolling push, similar to having gas/indigestion - sort of like a twitch/spasm in your stomach. :) I usually feel it in my lower mid-abdomen. I've also noticed that the lower part of my belly is getting harder. The upper part of my belly (above the navel) is still somewhat soft. We're not able to post a new belly pic from here since we are logging in from an internet cafe and cannot connect our camera. We will upload a new one as well as some vacation pics when we get back to Bali (where we are able to connect to the internet using our own computer).
Hope all is well back in the states!

I am 19 1/2 weeks today and this is what my baby is doing: http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/calendar/week19

Here are a few pics we took from the Gili islands. Enjoy...


Sunset from the deck of "Tete Batu" (Reza's dad's resort/bar to open in 2008)


Friends we met on the island - (left to right) Reza (from Jakarta), Patrick and Elsbeth (from Holland)


Gili Air island - stopped here for lunch after snorkeling


North side of Gili Trawangan island



North side of Gili Trawangan

For more pics from Bali:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8626110@N05/sets/72157600482985931/show

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Destination: Bali, Indonesia

Mark and I will be leaving for Bali, Indonesia tomorrow night as our last big vacation before the arrival of our little bean, who I'm sure will keep us extremely busy for a while before we can take another long exotic vacation. :)
Mark just booked the trip yesterday and we're leaving tomorrow! LOL
We return on Sunday, June 24, and the following day we will have our next appt with the OB to hear the baby's heartbeat and find out whether we'll be buying lots of cute little blue or pink outfits! :) Stay posted as I will be blogging it as soon as I get my hands on a keyboard!
Our last appt with the OB, he did a 4D ultrasound (below). Who do you think he/she looks like so far - Mark or Joy?



From what I've read, I should be feeling flutters any day now if I haven't already. Since I'm not sure what it's supposed to feel like, I may have already felt it, but I'm not sure. I've heard it being described as a 'wave,' 'gas,' 'flutter,' 'butterflies,' etc. I guess once it starts to happen more frequently, I'll recognize it. Hopefully, the baby won't have to punch me in the gut for me to know its him/her and not gas or (in)digestion! :)
Anyway, we'll try to take belly pictures and post on our blog while we're in Bali to keep everyone posted on the growth of the baby/belly and how we're doing. But if we don't have internet access or only have minimal access, we'll just have to catch up when we return.
See you soon!

I am 18 1/2 weeks today and this is what my baby is doing: http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/calendar/week18

Monday, June 4, 2007

4 Months of Catch Up

Okay... so I tried starting a journal on a different website before, but got lazy and didn't keep it up. I'll try my hardest to keep up this journal weekly to keep everyone updated on what's going on with me, Mark, the dogs :), and, of course, the baby.

So... to get everyone up to speed... WE'RE PREGNANT!! :) Our expected due date is November 7, 2007.

We found out on Friday, March 16 (day before St. Patrick's Day) - the day Carla, Brigitte, Mary Ann and I went to Vegas to pick out landscaping for Carla and Darrell's house. I wanted so much to tell them that weekend, but was proud of myself that I didn't. This has really been the hardest secret I have ever had to keep!!! It was early in the morning, before getting ready for work, when I took the home pregnancy test while Mark was still asleep. He was up late the night before hanging out with some co-workers so I didn't get a chance to tell him I would be taking a test. He was so passed out, but as soon as I told him I was pregnant, his eyes practically bulged out of his head!!! LOL! I think he was still a little hung over from the night before, but boy... did that sober him up quick!!! LOL!!


Archie was the first person I told since he made me promise him that he would be. And it almost slipped out to my mom because Aiden nearly told her that there was "a baby in Ninang's tummy" when they were talking on the phone! Luckily, she didn't notice - phew!

I immediately made an appt with my MD on March 29, and she confirmed my pregnancy. :) :) :) :) I was so elated! She gave me a list of OBs in the area so I called a couple of them and scheduled an appt for April 20.


On April 20, Mark and I met at the OB after work and I had my first vaginal ultrasound (see poster top right). I think it really hit Mark when he saw the baby for the first time on the monitor. He was so excited! We took our first family photo in the doctor's office. :)



The following weekend on April 28, we scheduled dinner with our families to break the news. We told them it would be for Mark's belated birthday (his b-day is April 1). When we got to the restaurant, we told everyone that it was also an early Mother's Day and May b-day dinner (Mother's day on May 13, Tita Med's b-day on May 1, and Papa and Carla's b-day on May 7). We gave everyone cards with the picture of the ultrasound in them (see video of announcement below). Tita Meds cried! :)



The next day (Sunday), we had a bbq with close friends and announced the news to them. What an eventful weekend!! Then, that Tuesday I announced the news at work. I have a co-worker that is also preganant. She is ~1 1/2 months ahead of me, which is nice so I can know where I will be, how I will look and what will be happening in ~1 1/2 months.

Mark and I have also been taking weekly pics of my belly as it grows. I have posted a separate blog of these pics so you can see the transformation http://markandjoy.blogspot.com/2007/06/belly-pics.html.

I am 17 1/2 weeks today and this is what my baby is doing: http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/calendar/week17

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Belly Pics

view slideshow

9 1/2 weeks


10 1/2 weeks


12 weeks


13 weeks


15 weeks


16 weeks


17 1/2 weeks




18 1/2 weeks


19 1/2 weeks


20 1/2 weeks


21 1/2 weeks


22 1/2 weeks


23 1/2 weeks


24 1/2 weeks


25 1/2 weeks


26 1/2 weeks


28 1/2 weeks


30 1/2 weeks

32 1/2 weeks



33 1/2 weeks



35 1/2 weeks


37 1/2 weeks