Today, Dylan learned to pull himself up for the first time! No wonder he's been climbing on me lately..

:) I'm such a proud momma.

Dylan at 6 months old.

I haven't updated my baby blog (http://markcaleeandbaby.blogspot.com) in the longest time. I've been so busy taking care of the lil man. When I go online, Dylan's in my arms half the time; I've mastered 1 hand typing & 1 hand eating..well a lot of '1 hand' anything, ha. So I'm taking this time (while he sleeps) to cluster all these updates on his amazing development. People always say, "OMG, you have the sweetest, most behaved baby! He's so happy!" We say, "If only they knew..." Ha. Many people like to ask me baby advice or what he's able to do nowadays, so here I go.

My 6 month old:

-Has 2 bottom teeth :D They came in at around 5 months.
-Crawls. Super fast. I get so scared he'll bump his head on hard objects like our wooden bed frame, for example. But yea, he's unstoppable.
-Rolls. Uncontrollably. I can't even change his diaper sometimes because he rolls over and over and over. No matter where he is, he'll do it, even in his stroller.
-Eats his feet/socks.
-Babbles a lot. He talks to himself haha. No more "A-goo-goo". He's expanded his vocab.
-Slaps anything...as in pounding his hand on surfaces.
-Kicks a lot. He kicks me, and it hurts, esp on my neck & ribs.
-Attacks my laptop when I use it. Slaps the keyboard like crazy!
-Grabs anything in site; he nearly knocked down a glass of Coke the other night when we were eating at a restaurant for dinner.
-Watches me when I eat. He watches the spoon come from the plate, all the way to my mouth and back. Until I finish eating. He's nosy.
-Screeches/screams. And I mean, he tenses up, turns red, and screams. He does it either for attention or if he's tired. He literally sounds like a boiling tea pot. Waiters / waitresses laugh and stare at him all the time. Ah..
-Likes to be put in the air. We call him, "SUPER DYLAN!!"
-Pulls my hair, really hard. It hurts. When he crawls around Mark, he pulls his leg hairs (hahaha).
-Eats my hair too.
-Scratches his head too much especially when he's frustrated.
-Learned how to push his crib bumper down so every morning I wake up, look to my left, and see him staring at me with his arms hanging out the crib..with a big smile as if to say, "Good morning Mommy & Daddy!"
-Oh yeah, he also broke part of the bumper.
-Sleeps through most nights.
-Is addicted to his pacifier.
-Cannot fall asleep on his own. No joke. He has a "routine" of how he's tucked in, and he won't sleep unless someone does it "right". He also has to fall asleep with his pacifier; it's a must. But he falls asleep in the car seat, as long as he has that pacifier.
-Puts anything in his mouth. Like I said, his feet, socks, clothes, hair, toys, phones, blankets, anything in site.
-Wears 9/12 month size clothing. He's tall.
-Smiles a lot; he's a camera whore. He loves the spotlight!
-Holds his own bottle so he feeds himself.
-Sits up with his arms supporting himself. He's so close to getting it though!
-Kneels with support.
-Stands up in his crib if he holds the rail.
-Sometimes he screams soooo loud when he wakes up, as if it was the end of the world. He's a screamer. I think it's because he goes to sleep & sees me, but then when he wakes up he sees no one.
-Knows his name. Call out "Dylan" & he'll look in your direction.
-Climbs over anything, even me, just to get to whatever he wants.
-Eats solid foods (puree fruits & veggies); I had no problem teaching him to eat with a spoon. He loves everything but peas. He does this nasty face & then he gags and shakes his whole body. It's kinda hilarious.
-Doesn't eat rice cereal. It makes him constipated.
-Uses a sippy cup for water/juice.
-Is fussy. Especially when he's sleepy, cranky, and hungry.
-Gets anxious when he sees me or Dad making his milk. Once he sees that bottle, he goes nuts.
-Loves dogs. He loves seeing my dogs run around & play & bark. He finds it funny. But when Happy's around, Dylan tends to wanna grab his fur & Happy kinda snaps & gets uncomfortable. That's 1 thing I hate & get nervous about (I can't trust the lil brat...Happy, that is).
-Loves to be around people. He's not exactly that attached to Mommy, just yet. A couple more months probably; but most of the time, he always lets people hold him without an issue.
-Loves "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". He has this huge smile every time he hears me or his toy sing it. I think it's because when he was first born, it's what Mark used to sing to him at the hospital to try and soothe him. I think he remembers..amazing right?

I converted.

to TUMBLR.

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Follow me!

I think I'm going to copy & paste every single blog I wrote in here & print them out one day. Memories to keep!

Every week is something new.

FIRST OFF, I have to say Happy Birthday to my Daddy. I love him unconditionally, and I wish him the best. He deserves it.

I know I haven't updated my blog in a while; being a mother is the best job in the world though. I love having someone to spend all my time with, someone to teach, someone to play and show new things to, someone to love, cherish, & dedicate everything I am to.

I'm so happy I have Dylan in my life. He never ceases to amaze me. I always look at his little feet & hands & I tell myself Gosh, I can't believe this is my baby.



Dylan is 3 months old already, turning 4 months old in a week & a half. I keep repeating myself, but I honestly cannot believe where the time went. It just zoomed right by. I still feel like I barely left the hospital last week. Every week Dylan learns something new.


Dylan at 2 months:
-Cooing more (his thing is "AH-gooo!) He does it all the time.
-Noticing colors; his vision was improving. He was following everyone all the time, especially me because I held the key to his happiness--his bottle.
-Holding his head up better. He was really wobbly, that bobble head. But he was getting the hang of it!
-Smiling :D I really don't know WHY, but Dylan finds it fascinating when his dad does the robot lmfao. I'm not even kidding. Dylan is like, the happiest kid on earth when Mark dances.
-Sleeping better through the night. He still woke up about every 3 hours, but occasionally he'd sleep as long as 5 hours or 6 even.
-Drooling. Drooling is the first sign of teething! Although his teeth aren't going to pop out 'til around 6 months.



Dylan at 3 months, so far:
-Rolling over! He did it on the day of his 3rd month birthday (Aug. 23). Amazing little kid. Makes Mommy & Daddy proud. Dylan sleeps on his tummy because of his sensitive stomach. People tend to worry about us letting him sleep like that, but Dylan has such a strong neck that he knows when to switch from side to side. He does perfectly fine, I don't worry about my tough guy :) I keep a close on him all the time anyways.
-Control of his head. Now it's soooo much better.
-Vision is even better. He loves watching TV even though I hate letting him watch it...but Mark likes watching the news too lol.
-More vocal. He could talk all day if he wanted to. You just have to be with him 24/7 & it's like he's telling you a story.
-Playing with toys. I'm amazed. This started happening last week when I took him to Palmdale to visit grandma/grandpa. I put him in his Pooh swing & all of a sudden he started playing with the toys. I was like, Where did this come from? I swear the day before he didn't even acknowledge toys & BAM! They're his favorite.
-Putting everything in his mouth. From his hands to my hands to blankets, bibs, toys. That boy wants to chew on everything :) I bought him a vibrating teether ring & he LOVES it! He actually knows how to hold it & put it in his mouth. What a big boy...
-Sucking his thumb/fingers. I personally have no issue letting Dylan suck his thumb. They always say "Oh no, don't let him suck his thumb. He's gonna need braces" or "He's gonna have a lisp" or "He's gonna ruin his thumb". Blahblahblah. Honestly, that doesn't happen to every single person who's sucked their thumb when they were babies. And it's not like Dylan's gonna be sucking his thumb forever. I like the fact that he can use his thumb as self comfort vs. having a pacifier that'll always drop all over the place. It means I wouldn't have to constantly stick that pacifier back in his mouth every time it pops out. Mark & I have no problem with letting him suck his thumb.
-Laughing. He doesn't do the HUGE laughs yet (except when I show him the dogs at my dad's house...he laughs soooo hard at Chumbah cuz of his barking! It was adorable)..but he's getting there. He does cute little laughs :) Like when I tickle him and stuff haha. I can't wait until I hear those contagious baby laughs.
-Holding his bottle. He helps me hold his bottle. Boy learns quick.
-When he's not holding his bottle, he knocks it out of my hands. That's the part that drives me a LITTLE crazy. I'll be feeding him, and he has these out-of-control arms & he knocks his bottle of out my hands & it falls to the floor!
-His legs are getting fatter. Now at almost 4 months old, he's putting on more meat! My cute little chubbbbbbs!
-Very tall. I think Dylan should be around 25 inches now. He was 24 inches last time he was measured..which was a couple weeks ago. And he probably weighs 14-15lb now. He still wears Size 1 diapers though cuz he's not super fat. That's a good thing though because I have a bunch of Size 1 diapers left that I need to use up and not waste!!!



We had a party here last night in honor of my grandma's death anniversary / dad's 63rd birthday, and Dylan was smothered! Everyone loves him :) They kept saying, "He's sooooo guapo!!!" Also, my stepsister Leliza came up with a nickname for him..she calls him "Churhino" (it's pronounced 'choo-ree-no')..kind of an inside joke. Well actually, on FB, I posted a picture of Dylan with his favorite rhino toy, and I put a caption saying "I'm gonna eat 'chu rhino!" And my sister was like, "I printed the picture before that choo-ree-no picture!" I was like, "You mean...'chu RIE-NO?'" HA. So strangely it just became his nickname for her. Crazy ninang.

Anyways. I'll update more on all the great things that Dylan will achieve in the future. I'm excited! Halloween is coming up next month! I can't wait to pick out a costume for him :) I will definitely post pictures. And here are some random videos of Dylan that I wanted to share. Goodnight all!

Dylan is almost 2 months...

Okay. It's been a while since I last blogged. My mind is boggled! I must try & recap as much as I can.

Well, ever since the day I got home from the hospital, I was completely engorged. That was the most painful thing I experienced; just imagine your boobs were stretched out to the max & were hard like rocks. I had no other way to make it go away besides to pump or let Dylan nurse. Unfortunately, Dylan doesn't like to feed off the breast because he had a bottle the first time out of my belly. And once a baby has a bottle the first time, it can be very difficult to get them to latch on. Like I wrote in my last blog, I had so much difficulty trying to get him to latch on at the hospital, even with everyone's help. He's been experiencing nipple confusion. Ever since then, he doesn't take it very well. There are SOME times where he'll want it, other times he won't take it without a nipple shield (it's a thin silicone shield that is shaped like a bottle nipple instead). It is the most frustrating thing trying to give your baby as much breast milk as possible. But this seriously drove me insane. Dylan was never satisfied in one feeding so I always had to split it as half breast milk, half formula. Also, he would breast feed for like over an HOUR because he wouldn't suck hard enough or he'd fall asleep or he'd just be messing around. I was able to pump like 3-4 ounces the first two weeks, but afterwards, it wasn't as easy. Idk if you guys ever knew this (those studying nursing probably do though), but if a baby doesn't nurse consistently from the breast (like every 2-3 hours), the milk supply decreases. A baby's suck is so strong that it triggers a hormone to continue producing milk, and when the baby stops, even after a day, your milk starts to decrease. That's exactly what happened to me. No matter how much I try, Dylan refuses to feed off the breast completely now. He only wants the bottle. I try pumping, nothing comes out. I still have milk, but it's not enough. The pump doesn't have the same "suck" as a baby; when Dylan would still feed from me like less than 2 weeks ago, he gets a lot more out than I could ever with a pump. It was just very depressing for me to accept. I really wanted Dylan on breast milk strictly from the beginning; ever since I was pregnant, I kept telling myself that I only want Dylan on breast milk & it'll reassure me that he'll be as healthy as ever. I mean, I know formula isn't the devil or anything, but there's nothing like getting the nutrients & necessary anti oxidants from the mother's milk. Now I've stopped breastfeeding. It really does make me sad & I'm not even exaggerating; it was so serious to me to have him breast fed. I would cry on different days out of so much frustration & loss of hope. Dylan just SCREAMS when I try to breastfeed him. It was just too much stress for both Dylan & I so I just stopped. I know them breastfeeding worshipers out there probably would look at me as a failure, but it really isn't as easy as it seems.

Besides the breast feeding problem, Dylan's circumcision (he had it donez on June 2) turned out different than most. I don't want to explain it in full detail, but he has to see a urologist to get it fixed :( He's perfectly fine, pain free & urinates normally, it's just the LOOK of it isn't normal & it needs to be reconstructed. That was another headache added on.

By 3 weeks old, Dylan started experiencing extremely horrible gas pains. I would cry almost every other day trying to figure out how to solve the problem because he was in so much pain. :( It was really hard for me to see him go through that. I tried the gas drops. I tried gripe water. I tried bicycle exercises with his legs. I tried putting him on his belly. We tried 6 different formulas. Enfamil Lipil, Similac Advance, Similac Sensitive, Similac Isomil Advance (soy milk), Enfamil ProSobee (soy milk), and lastly Enfamil Gentlease. It was from worse, to WORST. Last week, Dylan's pediatrician suggested that Dylan should drink soy milk instead. She also titled him a "COLIC BABY". Great, I thought to myself. I have a colic baby. I bought it to try it out and wow, yeah, that was definitely not the answer. Last weekend, Dylan was non stop throwing up, screaming for hours and hours in so much pain. And I mean, HOURS. I remember it was like 3-11pm that he wouldn't fall asleep or stop crying :( I didn't know what to do. I called my doctor's office but they were closed so I was connected to an on-call doctor. She told me that it was probably the formula because for most gassy/fussy babies, soy milk is NOT the answer. It just makes it even harder to go poo & it's too thick. I was so pissed & I had Mark get Enfamil Gentlease right away. It's funny that I tried this one last because I read reviews online saying the Similac Sensitive seemed to be the best choice for gas because Enfamil Gentlease received more bad reviews. After a few days on the Gentlease, he is doing SO much better. He's getting more sleep, he cries less, less gas; he's still a squirmy little guy, but he's feeling so much better. He's so happy when he's full; he gives me tons of smiles when we play with him. Yummy in his tummy. Such a big relief to me because I couldn't stand seeing him go through all that.

So yes, Dylan is a colic, gassy baby. But he's almost 2 months old & he's started to see a lot better. It's so much fun seeing him grow. He follows me wherever I walk around in the room. He also follows his bottle when I'm preparing his milk, waiting for me to satisfy his hunger, haha. He's colic at times, where he just cries his butt off for absolutely no reason, like in the car, omg. Sometimes I just can't go anywhere with his insane crying. I also can't put him to sleep without holding him for a long time. Since he has such a sensitive tummy, he can't sleep well straight on his back sometimes. So it's hard to put him in the crib at times. He love sleeping in his swing. He's so comfortable & it eases his pain. He does fine in it, I don't care what other opinions people have about it. He also sleeps longer at night time, about 5 hours, sometimes 6. We've been getting enough sleep also because Mark's mom, aunt, and my mom are around to help us babysit him. We're grateful for the help; we would've probably gone insane if we didn't have them around because of Mark's situation & my situation.

We're just thankful our baby boy is doing just fine :) Growing so fast...I love my lil guy.

Labor & Delivery--finally!!

Wow, I finally find some time to update my blog. As you can imagine, I've been so occupied with my new life being a MOMMY! I definitely have to dig deep in my brain right now & try to remember as much as I can from the moment it all started. Lia & Michelle have the video from when Mark recorded the delivery, as well as some moments of when I was in labor, so whenever I get my hands on those, I'll definitely share it with you guys :D

Before I blog for a very, very long time, I just wanna give a huge thank you to everyone who congratulated us & who came out to see us at the hospital...for waiting hours and hours for Dylan's arrival..for all the food and gifts...for sticking around while I was in agony in the recovery room...for welcoming our little boy & showing all the love..for all the support, we seriously appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts! It means a lot to us to have shared with you all the most important event in our lives so far :) We couldn't ask for better friends & family. Also the staff was very good to us; we are so thankful to have had their help! After going through all the pain & health complications, it was DEFINITELY worth it, seeing that my baby is finally here. He's the best thing that's happened to me; I don't know what I'd do without the two loves of my life--baby AND baby daddy. Mark & I are truly blessed.

I'll post everything that's been happening recently in the next blog! All the postpartum stuff :)

Friday, May 22, 2009

Mark & I arrived at Little Company of Mary hospital at 6pm exactly. They already expected me there. Our labor room was 309 :) I was super happy to have phone signal up in there! Because I know in some rooms there isn't any service at all. Ashley & Mark were there like a minute after we got there! I was so surprised that they had come right away to show their support :) My first nurse was Krystal. She was a really nice lady. She asked me all these medical questions & had me sign all the necessary paperwork. I had to change into those super ghetto hospital gowns that make your ass pop out lol. I was really paranoid about that so I always covered myself up as much as I could. The fetal heartbeat monitor was placed around my belly along with the monitor that keeps track of my contractions. Then I got the IV set up in my arm..that thing made me so paranoid..just the thought of a needle staying in my arm for hours and hours. They finally started inducing me around 7:30pm. They inserted 'Cervidil' which is used to help soften or ripen the cervix. THAT SH*T HURT. And this might be a little TMI, but I dreaded the nurses checking how much I was dilating. I squeezed Mark's hand so hard because my 2nd nurse, Ta, was KILLING ME! Oh man. Another nuisance was the fact that I had to call my nurse to assist me whenever I had to use the restroom. I pretty much had to go every hour because in addition to the baby putting all that pressure on my bladder, I had an IV flowing fluids throughout my body so I dialed my nurse quite often. Since I was experiencing those preeclampsia symptoms, I had a blood pressure cuff go on every 15 minutes to monitor my blood pressure. Can you just imagine how much crap I was hooked up to?! It was ridiculous. Lia, Jsun, Michelle, Janelle, and Andrew also came to visit :) I was starving & very desperate for food :( Everyone was eating! All I could eat were ice chips. Gosh. We pretty much watched Jon Kate Plus 8 the entire night. I was really curious as to when I would be fully dilated.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

By midnight, I was hoping it would all be over by 2-3am. Janelle, Andrew, and Ashley had left already, but Lia, Jsun, & Michelle decided to stay. My nurse Ta had asked them to wait in the waiting room to let me rest. I got so angry because she told them that, and that I could only have 2 people present during the birth. I was like WTF? The last nurse had told me that anyone could come and be a part of it. I just brushed it off and said whatever, and they went to the waiting room. I felt so bad. After a while, I just kinda let myself get some rest. Or tried. Mark was already knocked out on the pull out bed, but I was lying on my hospital bed dying in pain. I started feeling a little more pain & I finally asked for some pain medication. It pretty much numbed me & I was able to get an hour of sleep in. After the medication wore off, it was already morning. I was still in a lot of pain, and Lia came back to the room (and informed me that Jsun had to go drop Michelle off). I felt so bad that they had been waiting so long :( It was already 7am, and I was barely 3 cm dilated (I came in being 2cm dilated). So I waited..and waited...by 8am, I begged for an epidural. It was already getting way too painful for me. Thankfully my first nurse Krystle came back (they have their 12 hour shifts). She was a really nice nurse. She helped me out a lot. My anesthesiologist was extremely nice too. He explained the procedure to me. It really didn't hurt much at all. I had to sit bending over (my nurse was pretty much hugging me from the front) and the anesthesiologist explained that I might feel a slight burn. I did, and it wasn't so bad afterall. After that, all my pain disappeared because I was completely numb from belly to toe. I had to lie down pretty straight though. That's what killed me. Then I started shaking uncontrollably, and I didn't know if something was really wrong with me or not. The nurse and anesthesiologist told me that it's normal to experience shaking after receiving the epidural. It looked as if I was freezing cold, but I was seriously shaking so much it was so annoying. I couldn't stop! Nay & Shehan actually came too, I was so surprised! I was really happy with everyone's support. I really don't think I complained ENOUGH about how hungry I was. The last time I ate was 3pm the day before, I only had a crunchwrap from Taco Bell so I was famished. Jeanillie also came by sometime after Shehan and Nay left. Thanks for the Hello Kitty cupcakes GF!! :D By 3pm, I was barely like 4cm dilated, and I was started to feel pretty frustrated as to why nothing was really happening. My upper back started to hurt really bad due to my position laying down. My nurse told me not to lay on my side or sit up too much. It was really killing me. It got to the point where I really wanted to cry. I felt a lot of pressure below, and I was given a button to press every time I felt that I needed more epidural. And I was pressing the button every half hour because I swear I was in sooooooo much pain! GOSH! And when it ran out, my anesthesiologist came right back to refill it (THANK GOD). Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I had a catheter inserted so I never knew when I peed lol. It bugged me only because I couldn't get out of my bed; I was pretty much like a vegetable.

I don't remember exactly what time my OBGYN (Dr. Mendoza) had come in to check me out, but she broke my water! She used this long yellow stick thing--it was very intimidating. I knew what to expect because Ashley warned me about it the night before hahaha. Good thing I had my epidural though because I didn't feel a thing. But I was like wow, yeah, well my baby should be coming anytime soon now. Two hours later, my doctor called me and told me that after 24 hours, I hadn't been progressing as much as she expected me to, and that she would have to perform a C-section. I dreaded having a C-section before any of this happened, but at the moment I cared less because I just seriously needed this all to be over with. Dr. Mendoza told me she'd arrive within 30-45 minutes since she was delivering at Torrance Memorial. So the nurses were getting me prepped up for the surgery. Mark was given these disposable scrubs to wear in the O.R. No one else was allowed inside :( Mark's aunt Nancy, Tom, and my mom came...Mark S came...David came...Ashley came back with some yummy cupcakes from Torrance Bakery :D Everyone started coming! I was getting super nervous because I didn't know what to expect. I never really researched and studied C-sections because I was expecting to deliver vaginally so I was super nervous. My upper back was really killing me to the point where I started tearing up, ready to cry and scream. I started shaking, like EXTREME shaking. Krystal, my nurse, kept telling me that it’s totally normal. Dr. Mendoza came a little bit later than I expected, and she checked how much I was dilating (for herself). The nurse earlier told me I was 6cm, but my doctor said I was only 4-5. She seemed really pissed at my nurse. I was dying in my hospital bed trying to find a comfortable position. I felt really lame having everyone see me in so much pain. I couldn't stop complaining how much it hurt. More nurses began to surround me, and they got my bed ready to roll out to the operation room. Mark packed up all our stuff and left it with our friends to watch over in the waiting room (THANKS YOU GUYS!).

By 7:25pm, I was transferred to the operation room and moved onto a different bed. I felt so helpless. I couldn't even move! My anesthesiologist came in, and I couldn't stop complaining to him about my upper back pain. They threw on another blood pressure monitor, and it wouldn't even read because I was shaking so much. I was practically crying in pain, and the anesthesiologist reassured me that the pain would go away once he gave me more meds through the IV. That stuff definitely worked. Within a minute, my back and neck pain was gone, and they placed the blue cover in front of my face (so I wouldn't be able to see the surgery going on). They placed the nasal cannula in my nose for oxygen. I kept breathing..in...out...in...out. I kept thinking to myself "Don't worry, this will all be over soon." Mark came in and had the video camera ready in hand. He also kept reassuring me that everything was going to be okay because I couldn't stop freaking out. I was injected with how many different pain medications, and I was still shaking uncontrollably.

The surgery began. I was completely numb, but I could definitely feel the pressure and tugs. I could tell when they started cutting. It really made me nervous. Can you guys just imagine?! Gosh, I hated the fact that I was completely conscious! The pressure was so bad that I actually started crying, and I really did feel like I was experiencing pain. My anesthesiologist kept telling me how great I'm doing; he would warn me when the pressure would be getting worse. I even squeezed his hand so hard because it WAS that bad. The last thing he said was, "Now you're about to feel a lot of pressure to get the baby out..." and once it happened, I swear I was screaming. Either I screamed in my head or outloud (I can't even remember, but I remember the pain), and the next thing I know, I heard my baby's first cry :) I couldn't stop crying. I was so happy to hear him. It finally kicked in. That I had a baby! He's real! It's really happening! My anesthesiologist suggested that Mark go and record the baby getting cleaned up, and all I could hear was Dylan crying and crying. I didn't get to see him yet so I just lay on my operation table crying and desperate to see my baby. After he got cleaned up, they brought him to me, and placed him on top of my chest. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life. My baby is here...we made this miracle. I was so happy :) He stopped crying once I held him, and I kept telling him, "Hi Dylan; it's mommy...Mommy's here.." Definitely a moment I could never ever forget. He just layed on my chest with his eyes closed. So peaceful. My anesthesiologist took the video camera and recorded us :) "Happy Birthday!" he said. Sigh. Finally, my family was complete.

Afterwards, they had to take baby Dylan to the nursery, and Mark went with them. I stayed in the OR getting all cleaned up and stapled up (I didn't know I had staples 'til way later). I was then taken to the recovery room where I was by myself along with my registered nurse Mary (who I seriously loved). She was the one who had to monitor me for 6 hours straight. First, she took my blood pressure. My blood pressure was extremely low, you wouldn't even believe. I think it was 72 over something, at its lowest, so they got really concerned. They had to call Dr. Mendoza and even my anesthesiologist to ask what kinds of meds to give me through the IV to try & stabilize my blood pressure. So there I was, right after surgery, extremely drowsy, exhausted, with a blood pressure monitor going off every 5 minutes. I was still shaking uncontrollably because of all those meds & my body was seriously traumatized after all that's been happening to me. Everytime Mark came in to check up on me, he asked me if I was cold, but I told him that I wasn't; that I had no control over all the shaking. I felt ridiculous. The nurse also had to check my bleeding every half hour or so. That REALLY hurt after the numbing started to wear off. She had to press hard on my belly to squeeze the blood out, and I was in PAIN! The next thing I know, my blood pressure shot up too high, and they were worrying again. Oh man. I didn't know what was going on with my body, and I was getting scared. My nurse Mary told me that I couldn't have visitors inside (besides Mark) because anything could raise my blood pressure higher than it already was, and I totally understood. She said it was fine if they came in real quick to say a "Hi, congratulations, bye", but nothing more. I was in no condition to be seeing people anyway. I felt so bad that everyone had to wait :( But I was glad they all got to see baby Dylan by the window of the nursery. Lina, Janelle, Andrew, Kate..they all came in to greet me before they left. Thanks you guys :)

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Midnight. I was really in my own little world..I was so tired. I hadn't eaten in over 24 hours..I didn't even get to drink any water 'til after 1am. Before that, Mary gave me ice chips; nothing ever tasted so GOOD lol. Sigh, but I kept telling Mark that all I wanted was to see Dylan. He kept coming back and forth to check up on me since he had to keep everyone else company in the waiting room at the same time. Finally by 2am, my blood pressure was normalized and I was able to transfer to my postpartum room. Everyone had left besides my sister & her boyfriend Neil, so they came to my room to see us & the baby. I didn't want any pictures of myself since I looked like crap & felt like crap. I was seriously in the worst condition ever. The nurse and nurse assistant had to set up everything on and around me. I was really nervous since I didn't know what to expect. I had to wear this type of humungous pad thing to control my bleeding. They put these massagers on my legs because of the swelling, and I had to wear them all night (it was itchy). They also placed a belly band around my stomach. It was so weird feeling my belly. There was no more bump! Just flabby, stretchy skin. So nasty lol. I was still connected to my IV so they were able to give me pain meds through it. They also had the check my vital signs every couple of hours, and check my bleeding as well (that pouncing on my belly was NOT COOL) I was so exhausted, but when Dylan came in, he had to be fed right away.

I tried to breastfeed Dylan, but he was having a very hard time latching. I didn't know breastfeeding could be so hard! He was crying & crying because he was so frustrated that he wasn't getting his milk. Like I said before, I discovered my colostrum as early as 12 weeks pregnant, so I had lots of milk coming. Dylan still wasn't getting enough. I tried and tried. He would only latch on for a couple seconds then let go. Sigh. It was tiring trying for an hour or so. Mark's mom came and visited after she got off work at 3am, and I was seriously so POOPED. I didn't even get to sleep! It was really nice though, Mark & I with our new baby. I could definitely see it in Mark's face how Dylan's existence has changed everything for him. He's happy! He loves his son. He loved holding him and just staring at him the whole night. He even got learned to swaddle him & change his diapers since I couldn't even get up. He even said himself, "Dylan is like having a 2nd chance in life." :) I was in too much pain, and it really aggravated me because I wanted to be able to get up and hold Dylan and change him and help out with whatever I could--but I wasn't physically capable of doing so. So Mark took on the job.

Okay, I just wanted to write about me calling my dad. My dad & stepmom were actually out of town that weekend because it's our annual family union/fiesta every Memorial Weekend, and they planned to go months before so I don't blame them. So I called my dad right when we got to the postpartum room because I had no reception in the recovery room. He sounded sleepy, and he was telling me how he was actually at a rest area on his way to San Diego (it was like almost 3am i swear), and I told him that I just had the baby & I was explaining all the complications I was experiencing. He didn't sound interested or enthusiastic whatsoever..and I was wondering what was wrong with him. After we hung up, I was like wtf? lol. I didn't know what was going on. Usually my dad would be super concerned about what I'd be going through, especially if I'm in pain after going through a surgery and what not.

By around noon, my mom & Mark's mom came to visit again. Later on, our family friend Kathy and Mark's aunt Nancy came to visit as well. They brought us some pretty flowers :) I don't know how I did it but I stayed awake through the entire night...I think Mark got an hour in. It was hard to sleep since Dylan was feeling hungry most of the night. The latching on was very hard, and I still didn't know what to do. I asked every single nurse and lactation specialist (no joke, EVERY!) to assist me in trying to feed Dylan properly, but he just wasn't getting it :( So I ended up having to split breast milk and formula in order for him to get enough nutrients that he needed until I could get my hands on a pump.

They finally took those massagers off me. I hated those things anyway, but supposedly they were supposed to help me since I got super swollen after the surgery. I looked at my hands and I was like WHOA! Yeah, definitely swollen. My hands, face, legs, and feet. It was disgusting. It was way worse than how it was when I was pregnant. I was too embarrassed to take any pictures with anyone lol. I tried to keep my feet elevated. The CNA on that shift came in and told me that the RN wanted to get me to start walking. I was like WTF? WALKING?! ALREADY?! But yeah. It was the most painful thing trying to get in and out of bed. It hurt like a bitch. I was walking around with my IV like an old person. But surprisingly it actually felt good to get out of bed. I just felt like a zombie because I hadn't slept so I was kinda woozy. You would think that after a surgery like that, you'd knock out right? Ha, not me. There were just too many things going on around me! It was impossible to get rest. They ended up taking my catheter out as well so I had to force myself out of bed if I needed to use the restroom. I started trying to get out of bed more often since I hated lying on the hospital bed for hours.

Sadly for me, I was on a liquid diet for my first day after surgery. I ate jello in the morning, and I don't remember what else I ate that day. Just a bunch of hospital food. I wasn't even craving all the food that I was craving the day before while in labor. The surgery definitely killed my appetite. Later that night, Janelle (thanks for the Albertacos & Jordan outfit cholo!), Don, Lina (thank you for the onesies!), and Nick John came and visited us :) Thanks you guys.

Monday, May 25, 2009

It was about 1am when Mark & I were having the hardest time trying to soothe Dylan's crying. He just wouldn't stop, and it sounded like the torture cry. I was exhausted so I was half asleep hearing the baby cry while Mark was at his bassinet trying to savor his every need. Dylan still wouldn't stop, and I suggested to Mark that maybe we should just send him to the nursery where they can look after him while we get a little rest (by this time, we hadn't slept for 2 days straight). I snoozed off for 5 minutes, and when I woke up, Mark walked in with our nurse who offered to take Dylan to the nursery. We were very thankful since Dylan needed something to fill his stomach, and we definitely needed a couple hours of rest.

By 6am, Dylan was brought back to us. I woke up right away and so did Mark--he missed his boy :) I felt so rejuvenated even after only 4-5 hours of sleep. We spent time with the baby, and after a while he fell asleep so we took that time to get some more rest 'til about noon. Ashley & Mark Gil came back to visit & so did TN. Thanks TN for all the candy ;) Later on around 4pm, Mark's dad's side of the family came to visit.

I actually got to take a shower! They have showers there, but it was for women only. In the labor rooms, they have showers. I felt bad for Mark because he had to go back home every day to shower. The showers were pretty legit though; hot water! Yeyuh.

So my dad ended up calling and said, "CONGRATS ANAK! Your Ate Kathy (my cousin) told me that you had the baby!" I was like, "WHAT? I TOLD YOU I HAD THE BABY! I CALLED YOU REMEMBER?" And he said he wasn't comprehending me so late that night..that he was completely out of it & thought that I was just being "moved" to a new room in the hospital, not that I had the baby yet or anything. Then my cousin tells me that my stepmom wanted it to be a surprise so that's why my dad didn't know about it either. Interesting family I have lol.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

In the morning, we heard a knock on our door. It was Mark Gil letting us know that our friend Ashley (his wife) was in labor too! I was so shocked because Ashley & Mark were just visiting us the day before & now she was in labor! I knew she was gonna give birth the same week as me. She had a beautiful baby girl (Ava) that afternoon. I was so happy for them!!! I was pretty bummed because I couldn't go visit them since I could barely walk :( But it was nice to share the experience with someone. Ashley's been such a big help since the beginning of my pregnancy! And here we are, having our babies the same week. How awesome :)

ENGORGEMENT. If you guys never heard of it, it's the worst thing that can happen to your breasts, I swear!!! Omg, I woke up that morning wondering why my boobs hurt so bad; they were HARD LIKE ROCKS. No joke! I never read about engorgement so I went on my laptop to find out, and I totally understood afterwards. About 3-5 days after you deliver, the actual MILK MILK comes in, and it's pretty much builds up if you don't nurse frequently. For me, it was horrible since I was having a very hard time breastfeeding Dylan so I had to ask the nurses about what I could do. They actual let be use one of the hospital breast pumps to let some milk out. It hurt soooo bad. It was ridiculous. But at least I was able to feed Dylan some breast milk through the bottles. But really, engorgement, the worst. The good side of it?! My boobs have definitely grown. I went from a 34B (small, I know) to a 38C; BEST BELIEVE IT! WOOHOO!

Technically we were allowed to go home, but we were told that Dylan was experiencing high bilirubin levels (jaundice) so he needed to be treated under the blue UV light. The nurse asked me if I wanted him to be sent to the nursery or if I wanted to keep him in the room. You would think that after getting no rest, I'd have him sent to the nursery, but I didn't. I wanted to be there for him and take care of him so I did. We were allowed to have him out of the light for 30 mins max for feeding, and the nurse was afraid that I wouldn't listen. But I took the best care of him. Poor guy had to wear those bili goggles that made him look like he was suntanning lol. And he cried and cried, but I got the routine of feeding him every two hours so he was fine. He was pretty funny under that light; he would wave his arms and legs around like he was dancing; I'm pretty sure he was asleep the entire time, he was just active. I stayed by him all day while Mark slept on my hospital bed (since his pull out bed was uncomfortable). Aj came to visit that night, and so did Cindy, Will, & Cody :) After they left, baby Dylan had to go right back under the blue light. Poor guy.

I was getting worried because I didn't know whether he'd be allowed to go home with us the next day or not.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

We waited the entire day to see the results of Dylan's bili levels. By 5pm, we were given the OKAY to go home! WOOHOO! I was so happy; we were at the hospital for so long that I felt like we practically lived there. We packed up all our stuff, and Mark had to come back and forth from the room to the car since we had a bunch of stuff. It turned out that Ashley & Mark were also leaving at the same time. So ironic! I really wanted to be see them, but our volunteer for the wheelchair never came & we had to tell one of the RNs that we'd been waiting forever. Kindly, she got the wheelchair herself & took us down. It had been gloomy outside for the past couple of days. It sorta kills your mood when the weather is like that, well for me. But Dylan finally got to ride in his car seat for the first time! :D Finally, we were home.

My engorgement was really bad. The pain was so unbearable so I told Mark that we needed to go to Target ASAP & get that breast pump. I was riding that Smart Cart at Target since it hurt to walk, and everyone was staring -_- But I got myself some Motrin for the pain, and I got my breast pump. As soon as I get home, Don & Aj came over to visit, and once they left, I got right on that breast pump to get that milk out.











Thursday, May 28, 2009

It was Dylan's due date :) So happy he came sooner though! <3>

39 weeks.

I have to say that this entire week has been interesting. There's been a bunch of drama & negativity going on at home, but I'm getting over that. In addition, my pregnancy discomforts increase every single day, so I couldn't help feeling completely stressed & distraught these past couple of days. But today definitely changes everything.

I saw my OBGYN @ 1pm today. First she checked me so see how much I've dilated. I'm 1-2cm (she said almost 2cm) dilated!!! That's good progress. He's also very low now, and I definitely feel that. So after that, I was telling her about the symptoms I've been having this past week. First of all, my mucus plug came out last week so I've definitely been feeling a lot more pressure "down there." Then my feet & hands have gotten really swollen (soooooooo swollen!), and I told her that they even hurt. She was like, "Really..." Then I explained to her that I've also been getting headaches this week, but they go away during the day..they only come in the morning and before I go to bed. It's been really difficult to sleep; I can no longer TRY to sleep on my right side because it just hurts, and both my leg and arm on my right side go numb (not to mention my nerve being pinched on my right leg so it's just always cramped). Along with that, I've dramatically gained a lot of weight (for the past 3 weeks) out of no where, and none of my eating habits have changed since I was first pregnant, so that was shocking too. I mean, I knew the baby's been putting on more weight now that he's getting bigger, but I've gained A LOT A LOT. She told me what I was afraid I'd hear: that I'm experiencing symptoms of preeclampsia.

You can read about preeclampsia here.

My blood pressure was high today, and it's never been high throughout my pregnancy :( I've been reading about preeclampsia all week before I even saw my doctor. I told her that when I first realized my symptoms, I really wanted to call her to see if something was really wrong with me or not, but I felt like I didn't wanna waste her time because I felt like I was overreacting. Turns out I really wasn't! I was really worried about the pain I've been been experiencing, but I'm glad that I saw my doctor sooner than later. She said, "There's really no other cure for it besides to deliver...so we're going to have to call the hospital to see their availability." She had me place a urine sample to check for protein (preeclampsia is hypertension during pregnancy associated with protein in the urine). I also had to get some blood drawn to check for other things. Lastly, she called Little Company of Mary & I have my induction appointment set at 6pm tomorrow. That means my baby boy is coming in the next couple days! I have my finger on Saturday :) So by tomorrow afternoon, I'll have every single thing that I need all prepared in my bags so we'll be ready to be admitted to the hospital. I told Mark, "Aw, you won't be able to experience the REAL way people experience labor..like by freaking out at home & rushing to the hospital! We actually have an APPOINTMENT." lol. I'm just really hoping everything will turn out just as it should tomorrow night, and that I have a safe delivery whenever he decides to finally pop out. I know the waiting and all the pain is seriously gonna test my patience, but it will all be worth it :) I'm prepared. BRING IT ON BABY BOY!

Aw man, I'm really gonna miss being pregnant. I've been wanting to film a video before I deliver. We'll see if I have the time or energy to do so. I wanted to show you my yucky feet and hands, but it's really embarrassing lol. But really, it's been such a crazy roller coaster, these past 9 months (although I wasn't aware of the first 2). I'm gonna miss feeling his kicks. I'm gonna miss taking pictures of my belly every week. I'm gonna miss feeling so excited to see the ultrasounds & hearing his heartbeat. Just remembering how excited I was planning the baby showers & picking out the invitations...also picking out what crib I wanted, the bedding, setting up our room. Oh man, how time flies. Sigh. But now that all this pain has kicked in, I'm relieved this will all be over soon. It's been such an experience :) I'm really grateful to have had the support of my family, Mark's family, and all our good friends throughout this entire time and ongoing for the future. Dylan is my biggest blessing, and I'm glad to have been able to share every happy and sad moment of my pregnancy through my blogs with you guys.

Please pray for us & wish us lots of luck! We are so excited, but at the same time I'm very scared & nervous. I can't wait to introduce Dylan to the world; I will keep you all posted (Facebook & Twitter statuses will definitely be updated hahaha). Well technically my doctor says I'm on bed rest so I have to get myself to the shower & back to resting asap. Goodnight!!

Being a mom.

When Dylan is here, I, for one, know that I will never, ever abandon him. He's my son, he'll always be a part of me. Whenever he'll be in need, I will always be there for him. When he's sick, when he first walks, when he first starts school, when he has his first basketball game, when he first dates a girl, when he goes to prom, when he graduates high school, when he goes to college, when he's successful. He'll always have mine & Mark's support. He will realize that he can always count on me because I could never give up on my kid. Being a parent means being responsible, and I could never fail that role.

Basically, I would never allow him to live life without a mother; he'll never go through what I had to go through.

38 weeks, 1 day.

I'm so freaking bored. Like I said, I'm just completely fixated on when the heck this baby is gonna pop out.

Today I woke up and my right hand was completely numb. It happened yesterday morning, but once I lifted my arm up, the blood shot back down & it went away. But this morning, I lifted up my arm again, and it wasn't going away whatsoever. I started freaking out and complaining to Mark how I felt no sensation whatsoever in my hand! He just said, "It's normal. Just keep your arm up & move your fingers a little bit. Let the blood flow." And I was trying & trying & waiting..nothing was happening. I was seriously freaking out. I thought something was really wrong with me. After 5 minutes of having my arm up, the numbness started wearing off. What the heck dude. My hands got really swollen yesterday, and now they look like gloves when you blow air in the them. It's horrifying. And it's painful. Sigh. I can't wait for all this swelling to go away.

This afternoon I needed to stop by the bank, and as Mark & I were leaving, I attempted to put my Rainbow sandals on (I've been wearing them lately even though they pinch my foot so hard that it cuts off my blood flow & leaves my foot feeling painful even when I'm not wearing them). I tried on every pair of shoe/sandals & I can't fit any of them :( ANYYYYYYYY! It was really frustrating. I had no choice but wear my Rainbows halfway; I looked ridiculous. I wish I took a picture; the top of my feet are so fat it just pops out when I wear the sandals lol. It's so gross, ugh, and extremely painful. I wanted to go look for a pair of sandals somewhere, but I'm really paranoid abouy being away from home so I didn't even bother. I'll try tomorrow, maybe. I need something comfortable for the hospital.

As for contractions, I haven't been feeling much of them lately. They were a lot worse a few months ago. When I sit for too long, I tend to feel a lot of pain, but not lately. I haven't had back pain in a while (that's a GREAT thing). But being the desperate, anxious person that I am, I just can't WAIT until I feel those painful contractions coming along. Or I'm just sitting here waiting for my water to just break. I'm so impatient -_-

Anyways, I finally ordered my new camera! :D I bought the Canon EOS Rebel XS DSLR as I planned. I can't wait to receive it in the mail. I'd be lucky to get it before Dylan arrives, but I really don't mind if it doesn't since I still have my other camera which I plan to use to take lots of videos. I can't wait to play with it. My next goal is to get the EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens because it's really good for portraits. I'm glad I finally got to order it especially since my mother has been driving me all kinds of insane this month. Really, really insane. Like everyone says (even random people we meet), I talk and appear like I'm the mother and she's the daughter.

Finally...it's over...somewhat.

Today was Mark's big day. I feel so relieved; I mean there's still a huge amount of pressure on my shoulders, but not as much as I felt a week ago. I'm very thankful; I know someone is up there watching over us. I just feel so grateful especially because Dylan will be here any day now. I'm very pleased with what the results. Thanks again to everyone who have supported us & gave us tons of hope for a better future. We appreciate it everything.

So on Monday, Mark's car almost died on the street during the day. He realized that the battery light indicator was on, and I was thinking his battery was dying. He was planning to stop by the bank real quick then he realized that his car was dying on him. He calls me to go pick him up at the shop he usually takes his car to, and we find out later that it was his alternator. There goes almost $500. So Mark decides I wanna go to Palm Springs and play black jack. So he & AJ went to Palm Springs to gamble at the Spotlight 29 Casino, and on their way home (around 3am), Mark was driving over 100 mph until they reached around the Downey area (which is 20 miles away from home) & realized that something was wrong with his tire. They exited & stopped at a gas station to realize that the rear left tire was flat. Awesome. He was driving 100mph on a flat freaking tire. So he tells me (and this is now at 5am) that he was driving home going 25-30mph on the side streets. He got home after 5am, and about after half an hour, his tire POPPED. Like EXPLODED. I was too exhausted to even care what was going on at the moment. I woke up around 11am and took a look at it outside. That tire was dunzo. Pieces were all over the ground and even on top of the rest of the cars. Ridiculous. Then today, AAA came and towed his car away, and Mark had an extra tire (not a spare, but a real extra) to replace it with, only to find out that they couldn't replace it because his rim had cracked. Freaking WONDERFUL. So now my mom wants to buy Mark a new rim; Mark and his mom are trying to find a used rim, but my mom wants Mark to get a new one. "I don't like used," she says. So she's buying Mark a new rim, and now I'm forced to wait for my camera. "End of the month," my mom says.

I hate playing this whole waiting game...before this week I didn't even think about "when am I going into labor?" but now I'm clearly obsessing over it. I already put all my bags & everything else I need in my car. Mark only got 3 hours of sleep last night so I didn't force him to install the car seat today. But seriously, all I can concentrate on now is, Will he be here tomorrow? Am I going to feel the pain soon? Am I going to feel the pain out of no where? Will my water break or not? Yeah. I'm getting impatient now. I'm just so desperate to meet my baby boy.

Changes.

Wow, my body's been going through a lot these past couple of days.

Saturday was Ashley's baby shower :) The 4th baby shower I've been to so far this year lol. It was fun playing games; too bad Mark & I sucked real bad at it. And the food was BOMB!!! We ended up going home a little early since I have a hard time sitting for long + he planned to play some bball at the park. Congratulations to Ashley on their upcoming baby girl (2nd baby)! She's due a week & a half later than me, but she's already ahead of the game (symptoms-wise). And we're having our babies at the same hospital (AND we have the same OBGYN lol). GOOD LUCK ASHLEY! Keep your head up; I know the pain is irresistible but you've done it before, you can do it again! :D Later that night, Jeanillie & Joe decided to stop by & we all went for a Sonic's run. Good stuff. I love me some of that lemon berry slushie. We took home 3 :P We always do. But it was good spending time with our fave couple haha. I had to bear through painful contractions on our way there and on the way back home, it was ridiculous. But I survived. Food always makes me feel better :D

Sunday was Mother's Day. I hope all you mommas got what you deserve! Hope your baby daddies treated you extra special :) We were planning to go out to eat with my mom (Mark's mom had to work), but we ended up staying home (because I was too lazy to get ready) & my mom cooked some delicious rib-eye steak with her special mashed potatoes, gravy, and brussel sprouts. It was DEEEELISH! So that was how we celebrated :) Stuffing ourselves with food.

Yesterday I woke up with a charley horse cramp. THOSE REALLY SUCK. I was screaming so loud in pain that Mark thought I was actually in labor. He woke up & was like "WHAT HAPPENED?!?!?! WHAT'S WRONG?!?!?" I was yelling, "MY LEG BABE MY LEG AHHHH!!!" But thank God he was able to help me stretch it out right away because I'm usually chicken to do it; I usually just lie there in pain. But this time it went away right away. But my entire leg has been cramped up/sore ever since & still hasn't gone away. I had a really hard time sleeping last night because of my stupid leg. My weekly appointment was scheduled for this Thursday, but the receptionist called me yesterday afternoon asking if I could come in at 3:30pm because the doctor had something come up for Thursday. So Mark took me to see her. My uterus measured at 39 cm!! 6 days before that I was 36 cm!! It's crazy how fast he's growing now. He's been moving often during the past 24 hours. He's ready to get out of here & meet all the people who have been awaiting his arrival :) His heartbeat was perfect and strong, and my doctor asked if I was experiencing any extreme contractions. I told her that I really don't get that many; it's very irregular & not too often. She then said, "Hopefully you start feeling more symptoms and contractions this week!" AHHHHH! I'm freaking out. It's getting so much closer...2 weeks 'til my due date! Then last night, ironically, my mucus plug came out! I was like ew...., but I knew that this was a good sign! Meaning I'm starting to dilate so that he'll be coming any day / week now. So I gotta let my doctor know about that at my next appointment next Tuesday.

I'm so excited. I don't trust going out anywhere, really, but if I have to step out for something real quick, I will. I don't wanna drive though so Mark's staying home most of the time to be there for me. There is this one cupcakery in Long Beach that I would probably leave the house for...just because I have been craving cupcakes/ice cream cupcakes for a couple of days now. There's one here close by my house called BabyCakes, but for some reason I don't trust it. Oh well. But it's really bugging me that I can't satisfy my sweet tooth. I don't trust myself driving anymore. I already have my bags packed & I plan on leaving them in my car from now on (anything can happen). And lastly, we have to install the car seat. We were supposed to do it today, but Mark was lazy haha. Tomorrow it is.

Speaking of tomorrow, it's Mark's big D-Day. He spoke to his lawyer today, and we heard better news than I ever expected (really). It seriously made my day; I feel so relieved..and happy! I mean, things the whole situation still changed our life drastically & not in the greatest way at all, but things could've gone worse (and I was expecting the worst). But after all the times I've felt so stressed & depressed over the whole situation, the support & prayers that everyone has offered for us really have helped! And I'm FOREVER grateful & thankful to everyone. Really. But I'll confirm all this tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure it'll go the way the lawyer explained today. Sigh..things are going to come together they way they should, I KNOW IT. Mark deserves it. Dylan deserves it.

Btw, we're probably (and most likely) changing Dylan's middle name since I've always been contemplating on "Mackenzie." I keep telling Mark that I will most likely change it, and he doesn't really mind now. It's still going to start with an "M" though. DMAC will not change! :P At least his initials will still spell it out (coincidentally). We'll let you guys know soon..or maybe when he's finally born :)

Alright well g'night people. I'm pretty exhausted & I'm contemplating on what to eat for dessert...

37 weeks.

I am swelling up.

My feet are killing me. I hate looking at them. They're so fat and ugly. Yesterday, I drove my mom around because she had some errands to run; then later on that night I tried to put my sandals back on (to go outside and throw the trash out) and they won't FIT! I was like what the... GAH! I woke up today, and I had to go to the bank/post office real quick, and it turns out my other sandals won't fit either. sigh. And earlier this week, I wore my boots to the mall & my feet were suffocating in them. Crazy how fast my feet swell up. In a matter of a few hours. When I went to see my OBGYN on Tuesday, she walked in and said, "Oh my gosh, you're swelling up!" Now I feel ridiculously humungo.

This past week have brought on a lot of changes. It's getting harder to sleep. I tend to sleep on my left side more because I want to avoid my right, but it's so hard sleeping on one side throughout the entire night. My legs are cramping up, especially my right (which kinda never goes away actually) so it bothers me a lot when I try to sleep. Dylan still moves in my belly but not as much as he used to. He's getting too big. The Braxton Hicks contractions hit me hard, and I definitely feel more pressure in my pelvic area. Last Sunday when I went pee, I noticed this mucus-like stuff (gross, I know..it looked like snot), and I told my doctor about it on Tuesday. She said it's my mucus plug shedding little by little. I still can't believe how much closer it's getting to Dylan's birthday. I have everything I need now, I think. I got his crib mattress delivered two days ago & I set up the crib bedding again since I got everything back from my parents last Sunday (we had lunch in Westwood at Shamshiri; we LOVEEEEEE Persian food & I told them I was craving it). We also have the swing now & our other carseat. I'm just gonna wait a lil while to get my breastpump, possibly a couple weeks after I get Dylan used to it so I know for sure that we'll need it.

I took a breastfeeding class on Tuesday night. Mark went with me. We ended up being the only people there, haha, so it felt like a private class. We learned a lot--a lot of it I already knew about since I read/researched online, but I know Mark didn't know most of it so it was good for him to be around. We watched a video, and learned all the do's and don't's. It lasted an hour & a half long, wasn't so bad. We got to play with fake babies in our arms, and I was having a hard time holding mine because my belly's so huge. The only part that was bugging me was 1) I wasn't at the Jimmy Kimmel Live recording with Lia, Michelle, & JP (Zachary Quinto aka Sylar was on & I love him) and 2) Sitting for an hour and a half is really complicated for me. (It hurts under my belly so I try to stand or walk around for a lil bit). Anyways, glad we got that over with.

Tomorrow my mother & I have to shop for Mother's Day presents. Not for us, but for Mark's mom and aunt (who we consider Mark's 2nd mom). I hope I can survive walking around the mall; I've been feeling extremely exhausted this week. And then after we find them something, maybe we can shop for ourselves (: I've been buying tops that I find extremely cute so I can wear them AFTER Dylan's out lol. I never know if they'll be back in store or not, so might as well right? Gosh, trying things on in the fitting room is really devastating. I can't wait to breastfeed & shed off all these pounds. I wanna be back where I was before I found out I was preggo, and lose MORE!

Oh, I finally bought myself a curling iron. It's the Hot Tools Tourmaline 1" curling iron (in black/purple) IT'S AMAZING!!! I never could curl my hair correctly because all the curling irons that I've used in the past wouldn't work well with my super thick hair. This thing does wonders. I was inspired by my cousin Kimmie who did my hair for my baby shower in Palmdale, except she used my flat iron. I tried doing it her way, but it wouldn't work for me so I said, F it, I'll just get a curling iron. Fun stuff. Keeps me busy.

Well, time for some dinner then end my night with some reading (I'm on Breaking Dawn now). G'night!

I'm always indecisive..

My mom promised me a new camera for my birthday, but she said I wouldn't be able to get one 'til May. Well, it's May now! Since I know that once Dylan pops out of my body, I'm going to end up taking 30298570298375976 pictures of him. At first, I didn't want to get D-SLR camera because they're heavy & Mark's current digital camera is bulky that it makes my purses weigh a ton. I was planning on getting a regular point & shoot compact camera. But then I thought it over, and I would love to have tons of cute pictures of the baby, and I'll be traveling around with a stroller anyway; I won't be forced to carry things. I read reviews on the Canon EOS Rebel XS-- read about the different features, and I looked online at example pictures. They come out prettyyyy nice. It seems like the perfect camera for beginners; lots of owners seem very pleased & satisfied. And lastly, it's kinda in the price range that I'd tolerate. I don't see the point in spending so much more for a more professional camera when I'm not a pro. So I think I'm going to get my hands on one of these before our baby arrives. I'll just have to stick with our current camera for videos.

And one of these days, I'm going to own this bag. Once you buy a L.A.M.B. bag, you just never stop. Since 2003! (:



K, enough of what crap I wanna buy for myself. I have to decide on which mattress to purchase for Dylan's crib. G'night!


PS: I really hate Medi-Cal. They NEVER cover my prescriptions. UGH.

36 weeks.

I'm 9 months pregnant today.
:)

Any week now people...any week.

Things I've been doing to occupy my time:
-Shopping with mother. I now have 2 new purses. (Marc Jacobs & L.A.M.B.) I love love love 'em. Then we bought more stuff for baby. Baby Dylan is spoiled.
-Twilight series. I'm still on Eclipse because I've been out every day & when I get back home, I'm pooped so I nap. But I love reading. I'm in no rush to finish because I won't have anything else to do!
-Learning how to play "Bella's Lullaby" on the piano. Not the fake version that's posted all over the YouTube, but the actual soundtrack/movie version. Too bad I can't record it for you guys; my piano only has a certain amount of keys, and I need the higher keys to make it sound like the actual song. UGH..maybe when I go to my dad's one day.
-Netflix movies.
-Eating.
-Sleeping a lot.
-Still driving my mother around for errands. I don't know how I do it...I really don't trust myself driving anymore with this belly.

Things I found myself extremely addicted to over the past 2 weeks:
-Caffeine free Coke
-Chocolate (especially Toblerone & Hershey's Almond/Toffee Nuggets) SO GOOD. Don't worry, I don't go all crazy eating as much to overdose myself on caffeine.
-Pancakes
-Milk

I'll do a video on what I packed in my hospital bag (so far). I'll do it when when I don't look like crap. BTW, do you guys have an OOVOO account? It's a video chatting application. That stuff is so cool. Add me if you have one: caleealdaya

K, I think I'm gonna snack on some chocolate & continue reading Eclipse. G'night everyone. I'll keep you all updated (:

1 month away...

'til my due date! May 28 is coming up so soon. Oh man, I really can't believe it. Our baby Dylan is going to be here any week now, and we're so anxious to meet the little guy. I SERIOUSLY CAN'T WAIT! But I'm definitely going to miss being the pregnant, moody girl that I am...the kicks, hearing his heartbeat, the impatience, seeing him on ultrasounds, taking pictures of my growing belly, the pain (well, maybe I won't miss that..)...now it's on to motherhood! Bring it on (:

I could care less about everything else now. I know that eventually my family's life will come together as it should be. Even though it's been so much stress on all of us, I really can't see a reason to stay angry when my baby will be born soon. I love my boyfriend, I love our son. There's so much to think/worry about, but I'm not gonna mope around. It's going to be tough especially this first year, but I know Dylan is our motivation! He is, he is.

I saw my OBGYN today. Mark actually came with me this time (: We heard his heartbeat..perfect, as always. And I just told my doctor about all the new pain I've been experiencing this week. I also told her about the pressure that I've been feeling in my pelvis, and she said the baby's preparing himself now. He's starting to drop. AHHH! I really can't believe it. I'm about 90% finished with packing our bags. I'm planning to do a video on that soon.

Well, I'm tired. I've been keeping myself occupied by preparing all the baby stuff, and when I'm not online doing absolutely nothing but Facebook & Twitter, I'm reading the Twilight series (I'm on Eclipse, book 3 at the moment). I LOVE IT. Read it, if you haven't. You may think it's just a pathetic trend that girls take on, who fall in love with a stupid vampire, but really, I don't even enjoy the book because of that. It's just a good story! Okay, goodnight everyone.

35 weeks.

Yay! About 5 weeks left! Who knows, may be even less (just not TOO early, I'm hoping...I want my baby to be as healthy as can be!) And I finally did a video...took forever, I know, but it's cuz I've been too tired / lazy / in PAIN! I actually recorded this earlier tonight..or "yesterday" (since it's like 1:30am). I know I'm talking about everything I usually discuss in my blogs in the past, but them other YouTubers are so curious so I wanted to fill 'em in. So enjoy...I'll probably write more later.

April 20.

Do you ever have one of those days where you feel like the world is against you? That's how I feel, every single day of my 3rd trimester ):

Today was the 2nd time Mark had to go back. It's been postponed (for those who are wondering), but according to what "they" are saying, it seems official that they're gonna try & take him away from his family--from me and Dylan--in any way possible. Longer than what I expected too ): It could be shorter, but to me, thinking about being without my boyfriend for any period of time (especially once our son is here) is the most heartbreaking, painful feeling. For the past couple weeks, I haven't done anything but stay home, rest, keep my baby safe & run favors for my mom. I haven't been in the mood for anything; I find it hard to keep a smile on my face. As for Mark, he goes out and plays basketball everyday to keep his mind off of what's ahead since school's over for now. My mom is planning to go back to the Philippines this August. I don't rely on anyone else's help (help as in emotional support) because no one seems to prove to me that I should. My family is honestly the one thing that matters to me. I want Dylan to have his dad around during his first year. What am I going to do...

34 weeks.

8 & a half months! Getting closer and closer...about 6 more weeks left 'til my baby is here!

So every week I read about my "pregnancy week", and it scares me how these things are fairly accurate. It's like reading your horoscope every week, but this stuff is actually 99% true most of the time.

From parentsconnect.com:

"You are exhausted from hauling your bod around all day, so why can't you sleep at night? Is it because your bladder keeps crying out to be emptied every 30 minutes? Is it because you haven't been able to find a comfortable sleeping position since week 27? Is it because your mind can't stop making lists of things to do or replaying that shocking video you saw in your birthing classes? Yes, yes, and yes. It might comfort you to know you're not alone. Seventy-five percent of women in their third trimester have trouble sleeping.

This week, your baby measures about 17¾ inches, as almost as long as an American Girl Doll (!) and weighs almost 5 pounds, as heavy as a bag of sugar, minus the cup you put in your decaf this morning."

Big baby! (:

Uncomfortable sleeping positions: Very true
Constantly peeing: Very true (at least 3 times in the middle of the night now that I'm not sick)
Can't stop making lists of things to do: True (I'm very, very bored)


THEN from the Little Company of Mary website:

"Month 8: You may feel contractions more strongly this month and your breasts may leak colostrum, a yellowish fluid that precedes milk production. There may be an increase in constipation. Backaches may be more bothersome as the growing baby puts more stress on your body. Leg cramps, swelling of the ankles and feet, lower abdominal achiness, hemorrhoids and varicose veins continue. You may exhibit signs of clumsiness, since your center of gravity as changed. Your uterus now takes up a large part of your abdomen, and is now around 4 inches above your navel."

This one was way too accurate for me.

Contractions: True (Braxton Hicks; very uncomfortable)
Colostrum: True (since Week 12; I still remember)
Constipation: So true (It's HORRIBLE; every single day)
Backaches: Very true (My upper body is getting harder to support with this big belly)
Leg cramps: True
Swelling of ankles and feet: So true (I have a hard time standing or walking for more like 10 minutes)
Lower abdominal achiness: True (Dylan's just getting so big; it hurts)
Clumsiness: True (always have been clumsy)

Pregnancy is just wonderful.

My 3rd trimester has been really difficult to deal with; physically and emotionally. I'm heavy, I'm tired, I'm aching, I'm in pain, I'm moody, I'm stressed. (Thank God Mark's mom's bf gives me those back massages every week). But I'm fighting it! I expected it to be this hard (the physical part) so I've been really patient with all the discomforts. Everything listed up there is pretty much everything I'm experiencing (on a daily basis). It's hard, but it's all worth it! I can't wait to hold Dylan in my arms for the first time. Mark's getting more excited now that it's getting closer to the due date. I know I usually do a video every month, but I just haven't had the time nor the energy. I've been keeping myself busy since my mom's here now, and I've been driving her around every day getting certain errands done such as getting a new SS card, renewing her drivers license (thank GOD because I'm getting really tired driving & it's getting harder for me), and getting a new passport. She's been a big help around here; she's been cooking for us & helping me with cleaning and laundry. It's the perfect time too because things are just getting hard for me, physically. I can't bend much or move around much so cleaning is harder. But I do what I can; I've been walking more often than I usually do so I'm not just being a bum all day. I feel bad for my mom because she doesn't have a TV downstairs in the den & she doesn't feel comfortable doing certain things when Mark's mom & aunt are home (like watching TV in the living room or cooking in the kitchen). She'll usually stay with me all day in my room while Mark's gone, but when Mark gets back, she goes back downstairs & does whatever like write letters or play cards by herself. I feel bad. I want to get her a TV & put it in there so at least she has something to watch; it's so quiet & lonely down there. Idk. At least I know that once Dylan's here, she'll be highly entertained.

Well, I'm going to use the rest of the night to continue reading Twilight. I actually started reading-reading it 2 nights ago, and I'm over half way done (I only read at night). When the movie first came out, I told Mark that I'd wait for it to come out on DVD to watch it (since I have Netflix). When I saw the movie 2 weeks ago, it made me more curious to read the book because I heard the book was way better than the movie. WHICH IT IS. I love the book way better and wish the movie went more according to it. And no, I'm not obsessed with Rob Pattinson! lol. The Edward in the book is so much more interesting than Edward in the movie. Anyways, I've gotten way into the book that I ended up ordering the Twilight Saga. It gives me something to do before my baby boy is here (: Our good friend Don went to Seattle over the weekend, and I knew he was going, but I never expected that he'd end up in Forks, Washington. He sent us a text saying, "Happy Easter! And greetings from Forks, for all you Twilighters." And I was like wtf? And he came over 2 nights ago and brought us souvenirs (bracelets & a shot glass) from over there. He was telling me about where they went (his sister & cousin are huge fans), like to La Push over at the beach, the Cullens' house, the Swan house, Forks High School, the Bella Italia restaurant, and I forgot where else. And there was an actual sign that said "Vampire Population: 8.5" or that's what Don said. But it got me and Mark saying WHAAAAAAT, and now I want to go especially once Dylan's here just to see what it's like. Forks is making money off tourists because of those books! I'm so curious now. I heard the beach is really beautiful.

G'night all.

Peg Perego Skate

Dylan officially has a new stroller & car seat! Mark & I drove to Newport Beach this afternoon to get our hands on this good deal. The stroller is in the 'Black Bubbles' print & is in mint condition; it came with the Peg Perego Viaggio SIP 30/30 infant car seat & base (in orange) & the sellers gave us extras such as a rain cover, car mirrors, bag holder, and car seat adapters for the stroller. She had a really amazing deal on the stroller & car seat that I couldn't turn it down. I don't care if it's used just as long as I know they're in perfect condition & they've never been damaged or involved in a car accident (which I trust since the seller 'told' me). They have such a beautiful home in Newport; sheesh, makes me wanna hustle even harder. And seeing that beautiful maroon Range Rover in their driveway--AHHH! lol. That's the car I've always wanted. But whatever, back about the stroller. It's in really awesome condition & I love all the features about it. I researched on it before so I know most of what it can do, and I've even watched YouTube videos on how to put it together & what buttons are for what, etc. Mark was pretty amazed (since he never listens to me when I tried to show him the features online). Once we brought it back home, we tried to show Mark's mom & the rest of the family how the stroller works & what not. We were confused the entire time trying to figure out what button releases so & so...we were going a little crazy, and the instructions manual wasn't much help because it's all in pictures & in Italian. But we finally figured things out. Later on during the day, I decided to take pictures & I got a hang of what to do with it so I got it now. It seemed pretty complicated when we were watching the sellers show us what to do, but it all made sense to me once I tried it out myself.

I absolutely love the features of this stroller. When I first "drove" it at USA Baby, I was in awe. It runs so smoothly! It can change from bassinet to stroller seat just by releasing a couple straps. There's no need to take it out & change it with another like the Bugaboo Frog would. I love the 3 different ways of reclining (up, half-way back, flat), and the different height adjustments (either lower or closer up to me). It's perfect because we could even use it as a high chair at restaurants because Dylan will be sitting at the right height. The bassinet/seat can also be placed facing forward to back towards me. The handles are also adjustable, and if Mark is pushing the stroller, he can make the handles longer so it works with his height (and shorter for me, of course). When Dylan's a newborn, we'll be using the car seat for a while, and I love how that works. We just take out the bassinet part, put in the car seat adapters to the stroller & click the car seat in. Amazing! The bar in front of the seat is also removeable so we can easily put Dylan in the seat or take him out. There's also a lot of room underneath for any bags that I want to place there; there's a little netted basket to hold it all together. And one thing I didn't even know was that there was an air pump for the tires located underneath the stroller. So handy. Only downside: pretty heavy (even the car seat). Mark was like, "Wow! It's so light!" And I said, "Oh no Babe, if only you knew. This stroller is actually considered heavier than others." But seriously, I love this darn stroller! Everyone in the house loves it too. Baby Dylan is one lucky baby (: So many many thanks to Mark's momma for getting it for us (well, technically for Dylan). I can't wait to use this stroller to go on walks at the park or beach (or mall) with my lil man :D

I know there are a bunch of pictures, but I wanted to keep memories! "The day we bought Dylan's first stroller!" (:

The bassinet/seat. The handle opens and is removeable as well.

Can be easily folded & stored.

Car seat handle made longer for tall people like Mark.

Handle bar lowered.

Car seat low.

Car seat high.

Bassinet facing me.

Stroller seat facing me (lowered).

Stroller seat facing me (higher).

Stroller seat facing forward (up).

Half-way up.

Flattened.

Footmuff.

The Peg Perego Skate (: