30 weeks

30, you sound so close to 40! 10 weeks to go! 

Much of my 30th week was spent on our babymoon in Guam. Truth be told, Guam wasn't our first choice of destination. We had dreamt of going to Thailand and the Philippines. But we'll leave those for future family vacation spots with baby. More to come on our babymoon... 

Thoughts on week 30: 

• Baby is the size of a large cabbage, measuring over 16 inches long!
• He has taste buds now and is starting to pack on the fat!
• Heartburn is a pain, quite literally. One word: tums. 
• Putting on/taking off pants or socks or shoes is quite a monumental task. 
• Belly seems to be growing at an exponential rate - but that means baby is too so I'm okay with that. 
• Baby must be getting bigger because sometimes, when he moves, I feel the sudden urge to pee. 
• Sinus pressure can cause tooth pain! 
• Swollen feet and legs = kankles
• I dread sneezing. It hurts my rib cage! 
• Walks in the park with friends can be a source of great entertainment. 

29 weeks

Hey there, 29. 

You weren't a fun one. I spent all of you in bed, sick and awfully congested with sinus pressure making my face feel like I was hit with a few bricks. Sleeping was hard - my bladder waking me up every two hours like clockwork. The constant need to pee has me looking around for bathrooms everywhere I go. It's a top priority. 

But despite it all, I've been thankful I can rest. I've been really thankful for a husband who takes care of me. He's made sure I was stuffed to the brim with clementines and my latest craving: 단호박죽 (what I would consider the sweeter, Korean version of butternut squash soup). I've been thankful for time to bask in books (finished 2 Roald Dahl books: Boy and George's Marvelous Medicine). 

A new do and bebe makes an appearance

Baby can dream! And how relevant that is because my days and nights have been filled with many dreams - both the awake kind and sleep kind. More on that on a future post, hopefully. 

I read research about how baby feels what mommy feels - baby feels my emotions. And lucky for me, I haven't had to try too hard to do the whole "happy thoughts" thing because I have a husband that constantly makes me laugh. I was once asked during our first wedding anniversary what the best part of that first year of marriage had been. And I remember replying that I laughed everyday for the past 365 days thanks to the husband. Pregnancy has changed me but it has also changed the husband - he's become sassier, funnier, goofier and I'm loving it. 

28 weeks

Hello third trimester!!! And 7th month of pregnancy! How are you here already? 

I know I've been pregnant for 7 months but sometimes I am still astonished at the very fact that I'm pregnant. I recently emailed my work family back in New Jersey, whom I miss dearly and I was sharing with them how this journey has been nothing short of amazing - a miracle, in every way. 

But if you don't mind my being raw and real, lately I've been finding myself falling into the tendency of griping about my body changing. I've gained weight and more than enough of it and though I know I should marvel at the miracle my body is performing, there are moments where I grieve what "was". My closet has become a battleground - finding things to wear (or just things that fit) is a daily struggle. But I will choose to show this belly off and find creative ways to dress myself. 

And just like I need to choose to embrace this ever-changing body of mine, I need to gently remind myself daily to choose joy, to embrace this season and to remain present. I'm lucky to be surrounded by people that help me do this. 

I loved my friend, The Belletrist's pregnancy weekly and monthly updates so I hope she doesn't mind my copying her format. 

At 7 months~

Baby's size: a large eggplant! Baby now has eyelashes! 
Pros: Feeling baby move all the time
Cons: Having to pee what feels like every two seconds. My first priority wherever I go now has been locating the bathroom. 
Feeling: the nesting kicking in. Washed, folded and put away baby's clothes, blankets, washcloths, sheets. Organized baby room (Just in need of the finishing touches: rug, ottoman, throw pillows) 
Craving: Vegan food! I went to my favorite place, Plant (featured here) twice this week! I've always been a fan of their "Tempeh Rainbow Wrap" but this week, I also discovered their best seller "Lentil Burrito Bowl". Scrumptious, to say the least. 
Outlook on the coming of baby: We're excited and extremely curious what he'll look like! 
Feelings about husband: I feel pretty lucky that I can do this pregnancy & parenting thing with him. 

27 weeks

Baby is the size of a head of cauliflower and is about 14.5 inches long! According to the baby apps, he is sleeping and waking at regular intervals.

I had heard about "nesting" but never did I think it would happen to me. First trimester was mostly spent curled over the toilet or lying horizontally, wishing and willing morning sickness to go away. So when second trimester rolled around, celebrations were due. Now that second trimester is winding down (!!!) my instincts must be kicking into high gear, screaming, "Baby's coming! Baby's coming!" 

I've been catching up on the tasks that had been piling up on my "To-do" list - scrapbooking, journaling, getting baby's room ready. With a dresser, chair, crib and bookshelf, this baby is neck and neck with mommy & daddy, combined! 

They say vivid dreams can be a symptom of pregnancy, and boy is that true! Ever since second trimester rolled around, there was a period of time where crazy, unbelievable dreams were a nightly occurrence. Luckily, that's slowed down a bit but the other day, I had a dream of giving birth to baby. Strangely enough, I had dreams like this BEFORE getting pregnant but this was the first time I dreamt of giving birth since getting pregnant. 

People, this dream, it was so real, so vivid I even woke up and described baby's face to the husband. The feeling that was most impressed on me was one of overwhelming love for this baby. Enamored at first sight! 

As I came to my senses and found myself browsing social media, I stumbled across a video a friend had posted. It was so timely after such a vivid dream of baby being born. And I was left a puddle of tears. It's a good one so enjoy. But let me warn you, it's a tearjerker.

Daring to Dream

I'm an ENFJ, he's an ENTJ. 
We both love people, we share a love for traveling/books/museums/sports. 
On the surface, we don't seem all that different but beneath it all, it's another story. 

I spent a lot of my time in New Jersey this summer on the couch, with HGTV playing for hours on end. I was only 15 weeks and the rough trip across the pond took a toll on my body. I let my body rest: "This is why I came home". As luck would have it, there was a "Fixer Upper" marathon so while my brother was at work during the day, my eyes would be glued to the screen, entranced by story after story of flipping houses into homes. I obviously already appreciated the work of Chip & Joanna Gaines (I especially love Joanna's testimony) but watching this interview has made me respect and love them more. 

My husband is a lot like Chip Gaines - no boundaries, sky's the limit, a big dreamer, a visionary, outside-of-the-box-kind-of-guy. Me, on the other hand, I'm a lot like Joanna - I like predictability, I don't like surprises, I like comfort, I'm a rule-follower, a perfectionist. 

I am seemingly more extroverted on the outside, but Y is really the extrovert. He can strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone. (I joke he can have a rich, meaningful conversation with a wall if he wanted to.) 

He is an architect, to the core. He questions everything, likes to shake things up and doesn't like to do things "the way it's always been done". He isn't easily phased by what others think or say. He's inquisitive, adventurous and "wild at heart", a go-getter, results-kinda-guy. 

They say, "Opposites attract," and in this regard, I am the complete opposite. I think and process a lot. I am a "feeler" to the core. I think, "Why change a good thing if it works?" I am a counselor by training, appreciating "the process"

Meeting Y and marrying him has been quite a journey and watching this video today is so timely as it's Y's 2nd work anniversary here in Korea. 

I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that if it weren't for Y, we wouldn't be on this adventure here in our motherland. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have started exploring creativity. I wouldn't have started my blog. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have traveled the world or dared to begin dreaming. 

Somewhere between birth and adulthood, I became cautious, timid to dream, afraid to be creative, fearful to think outside-of-the-box. I became more focused on what others thought or felt, more concerned with pleasing those around me.

As I reflect on the past two years here in Korea, the journey God has brought us on in this marriage and as we are about to embark on quite possibly the greatest adventure of all, parenthood, I am daring to dream. Dreams for this baby, dreams for our growing family, dreams for this nation.