Baby Ng #3 - Gender Reveal!

On Friday, we had our mid-point ultrasound. This ultrasound gives the doctor a chance to view the little babe to ensure that all the important organs/systems/parts are present and growing properly. There is also the added bonus of being able to tell if your baby is a boy or girl. While many people like to be surprised at the birth, I am a party-pooper and like to know beforehand. (Baby #3 is also our first "winter" baby, so we have some shopping to do. I wanted to know if we should be shopping for pink or blue!)

I'm now just shy of 21 weeks pregnant. I'm feeling good - dealing with the occasional sleep issues and pretty miserable seasonal allergies, but otherwise, I can't complain. The baby has begun moving around more, so I'm feeling little pokes and kicks throughout the day, which I love! (In fact, Carey felt the baby for the first time on Friday night!) I'm still feeling well enough to go to the gym a few times a week, so I try to do that whenever I can. I do notice my energy levels are depleted by the end of the day, but I think that's more due to Abby and Zach than to this baby!

20 weeks, 3 days pregnant.

Back to our ultrasound: it began well. Baby Ng was moving around, but the ultrasound technician was able to gather all the required measurements. He then told us that Baby Ng is a...

The chalk board in our kitchen, sharing our great news!

That's right - we are going to have another lovely lady in our family! Carey and I were thrilled, and Abby was over the moon! She had been hoping for a baby sister, so there was lots of dancing and cheering when we shared the good news with her. (Zachy was dancing and cheering, too, but I don't think he really knew why...)

Adorable profile of our adorable girl!

We did have some worrisome news, so we're scheduled for a few more tests. While the doctors suggested these tests as a precaution, not because something is definitively wrong, Carey and I are freaking out a little bit... Prayers for the health and well-being of our little girl would be greatly appreciated! (Obviously, we hope to have good news to share once the tests are completed and the results are received, but we are trying to prepare ourselves for best and worst care scenarios...)

I had a bit of fun with Abby's sidewalk chalk...

So here she is again - our sweet little girl!

Profile, arms, legs - perfect in every way!

We praise God for the gift of this little lady, and we trust in Him to watch over her and give our family the strength and courage to face whatever the future holds for us!

Abigail's Birth Story

Now that I have a bit more time (since Abby occassionally gets in some good sleep time during the day), I thought it was time to share the story of Abigail's arrival. Please note: this post contains details of my labor, so it's not for the squeamish!

As was detailed in my post of September 11th, Dr. Siegel told Carey and I to head to the hospital around 9:00 pm to begin the induction of my labor. Bart was nice enough to drive us to the hospital, and we were checked in and in my delivery suite by 9:45 pm. After changing into one of the incredibly fashionable hospital nightgowns, I was visited by the on-call doctor, who explained what was going to happen. The first part of my induction would begin around 10:00 pm, with the insertion of Cervidil into my vagina. The Cervidil would soften my cervix and prepare it for delivery. The doctor said that it could lead to some cramping, but that would really be the only side effect. Lucky for me, there was no cramping, and I managed to get in a few hours of sleep that night. I woke up around 6:00 am on Friday and was feeling fine. The doctor came back around 7:45 am and removed the Cervidil. I was still at about 4 centimeters dilated. So, at that time he also broke my water and told the nurse to start me on Pitocin, which would bring on my contractions.


My Pitocin drip was started around 9:00 am, and I began feeling some discomfort shortly thereafter. I asked the nurse if she thought these were contractions (how the heck would I know what a contraction felt like???), and she said it was probably just cramping from the Cervidil. Over the next hour and a half, the supposed "cramps" got worse and closer together, so I asked Carey to locate the nurse to discuss some pain relief options. Well, when the nurse returned to the room to check my cervix, I was 9 centimeters dilated and having regular contractions. The measures taken by the hospital staff had worked very quickly!!

It was also at this point that we had a little scare from Abby. I had spent the entire morning on my back, so I asked the nurse if there was a different position that I could use that might lessen the pain. She said that I could roll over onto my left side. At that point, the external fetal monitor (which was strapped to my stomach) lost Abigail's heartbeat. I think that my heart stopped at that point. The nurse called the doctor in, and an internal fetal monitor was attached to Abigail's scalp. Her heartbeat was picked up right away, and the nurse assured us that Abby was fine. In all likelihood, when I rolled over onto my side, either the external fetal monitor or Abigail probably shifted, so the monitor lost Abby's heartbeat. Abby showed no signs of distress either before or after the incident, so it seems that everything was okay.

It was about another 30 minutes before the anesthesiologist was able to come to my room, so finally, at around 11:00 am, I received an epidural. (By that time, I was in extreme pain and was probably close to breaking the bed rails during my contractions...) Because I was so far along, the anesthesiologist did not hook my epidural up to a drip; he simply gave me the initial shot and left the tubing in my spine, just in case I should need additional medication. The hospital staff thought, because I had progressed so quickly, that Abigail might be joining us before lunch. But, as Abigail had taught me throughout my pregnancy, nothing goes as planned... The epidural not only dulled the pain of my contractions, it slowed them down slightly and put me to sleep. I slept until around 12:15 pm.
When I woke up, my nurse said that I should let her know if I felt any pressure, because that would signify that it was time for me to start pushing. Well, I told Lynn (my nurse) that I was feeling pressure. She said that it was probably too soon, but she checked my cervix anyway. Well, I was completely dilated and the baby's head was very low. So, we began pushing at around 12:30 pm.

The process of pushing was very hard, and it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. To motivate me, Lynn moved a mirror to the foot of my bed so I could see Abigail's head when I was pushing. It was very frustrating to see her head appear, just for it to return to the birth canal when I took a break between pushes. I pushed for a little over an hour and made very little progress. It was at this time that my epidural wore off, and I was experiencing quite a bit of pain. The anesthesiologist was called back and administered another dose of pain medication. The nurse called the doctor back in my room, so I became a little concerned. She then explained to me that the doctor was going to check Abby's position. Even though she was head down, Lynn wasn't sure if Abby was facing up (face toward the sky) like she should be. Dr. Wagner, who delivered Abby, came in and rotated her slightly. This was around 1:35 pm.

After Dr. Wagner repositioned Abby, the process moved very quickly. He had just left the room when Lynn called him back in. When I saw him donning his scrubs, I knew that Abby's arrival was imminent! A few more good pushes, and Abigail's entire head was out, quickly followed by her shoulders and then the rest of her cute little self at 1:58 pm. The moment when the nurses put her on my chest was probably the most amazing moment of my life. To finally be able to hold the little person who had been growing inside of me for the past 9 months was overwhelming. I just kept touching her and saying "Oh my God!" I completely understand why people say that babies are miracles. At that point, I truly felt like God had sent down one of his little angels and blessed me with her care. Amazing.


By this point, the second dose of my epidural had pretty much worn off. So, as Dr. Wagner helped to deliver my placenta, I felt every push and poke. It was at this time that the doctor told me that, while they had planned to perform an episiotomy to ease Abby's birth, she came too quickly after he repositioned her. He wasn't able to perform the episiotomy before I tore. So, he had to repair the tear, which was pretty painful, considering that my pain medication had worn off. (I felt like such a wimp. I'd just delivered a baby, and yet I kept saying "ouch" when Dr. Wagner was stitching me up...) So, stitched up and incredibly tired, I was able to see Abigail one more time before she was taken to the nursery, accompanied by Carey. (At one point, after Abby was born and while Dr. Wagner was stitching me up, Carey came over to my bed to make sure I was okay. I practically bit his head off. "I'll be fine! Stay with Abigail to make sure she's okay!!" Luckily for me, Carey is an understanding, wonderful husband, so he gave me a kiss and went back over to watch the nurses check on Abigail. I don't think he's holding that outburst against me...)


In the hallway between the Labor & Delivery wing and the Nursery is a button that all new fathers are invited to push. It plays Brahms lullaby throughout the hospital, signalling the birth of a new baby. I had just been stitched up and cleaned up, and as I drifted off to sleep, I heard the lullaby playing, signalling the birth of my beautiful baby girl. I'm pretty sure I had a smile on my face. :-)


At around 3:30 pm, I was moved to the Maternity wing, where I'd stay for the next two days. Originally, I was put into a double room, which I had to share the first night with a woman who'd had a C-Section. (They moved her in around1:00 am on Saturday, and from the conversations Carey had with her husband, she had a very difficult delivery. She'd tried pushing for 6 hours, but the baby's head never dropped, so her doctor performed a C-Section. It made me feel very lucky that Abigail's delivery was so smooth.) On Saturday morning, a single room opened up, so I was moved into my own room, which was great.

The doctors checked in on Abigail on Saturday and Sunday morning, and although she had lost some weight (3 ounces the first day and 5 ounces the second day) and did have some jaundice, they gave us the go ahead to go home. Hooray! So, Carey and I brought our little miracle home.

The past six weeks have been an amazing roller coaster. Carey and I have laughed and cried, but mostly, we have been thankful for the blessing that God has granted us. Each day, Abigail does something new or has a new experience that we can share together. Being a mother has been the hardest thing I've ever done, and I know that so many challenges await me as Abby continues to grow up. But I can't imagine my life without my little munchkin. :-)

ABIGAIL IS ON THE WAY!!

Well, we had a check-up with Dr. Siegel this morning, and the news was surprising, to say the least. Because my due date has come and gone (yesterday, September 10th), the doctor wanted to perform a non-stress test, to make sure that Abby was doing okay in her little watery home. They hooked me up to two sensors and gave me a button to push whenever she moved. Her heartbeat was strong, and she must like Dr. Siegel's voice, because as soon as he came into the room, she started moving. A lot. The doctor said that the stress-test results looked fine; Abby still seems quite content in there.

After that portion of the test, he performed an ultrasound to see how much amniotic fluid is present in my uterus. After performing a few measurements, he said that my fluid levels are slightly lower than he would like. He checked my cervix, and I am 100% effaced and 4 centimeters dilated, so he said he would like to induce me today. Well, as you can imagine, Carey and I were stunned. I didn't know what to say, and didn't really say much until we got out to the car. Then I broke down. My first and foremost concern is doing what is best for Abigail. But, the idea of inducing her today was a shock to me and I lost it. Luckily for me, Carey was calm and went back inside to speak with the doctor. Dr. Siegel agreed that, since Abby is doing fine according to the stress test, we can wait to begin the induction. (The doctor literally wanted us to go straight to the hospital from his office this morning...) Obviously, had it been an emergency, I would have run out to the car to get to the hospital faster. But, as long as the doctor said that it is not an emergency, that Abby is doing just fine in there for the time being, I am very relieved that we'll be able to wait a bit.

So, Carey and I are heading to the hospital tonight. The doctor would like us there by 9:00 pm, so I figure that by the time we get checked in and I get hooked up to Pitocin (or whatever they decide to use to induce my labor), it will be around 10:00 pm. Dr. Siegel said that he has never seen a first-time labor happen that quickly, so I'm hoping that our little Abigail will be in our arms on September 12th!!

It was very difficult to hear the doctor say that he wanted to induce us, as I was expecting labor to begin on it's own. Yet, as He has done many times before, God has shown us that His plan is not necessarily my/our plan. I feel very lucky to have Dr. Siegel as my OB/GYN, and I know that he is doing all that he can to ensure that our little girl is delivered safely. Low amniotic fluid is not something to be taken lightly, as it can signal that the placenta is starting to break down, so I'm glad that we had the tests done this morning. And, I just keep thinking that by this time tomorrow, I will hopefully be holding my little girl!!

Please keep Abby and I (and Carey, too!) in your thoughts and prayers. I hope that labor and delivery go as smoothly as possible and that our Abigail comes into this world as a healthy, happy little girl. I'll probably be off the blog for a few days, but I'll try to post pictures as soon as I can. Wish me luck!!!!! :-)

Just a bit tired...

Not much to report on the Abigail front. She's still my little fidget, but she must be getting crowded in there, because she is moving around a bit less. My ankles are still swollen and I'm still getting heartburn regularly, but other than that, I'd say I'm doing pretty good. My energy does tend to fizzle toward the end of the day, but considering that I'm carrying around another person (and an extra 35 pounds), I suppose that's to be expected. Plus, even though I am tired at the end of the day, I'm still sleeping well. (Thank God for my maternity pillow!!)

Carey and I have our 38 week check-up on Monday. I think Dr. Siegel is still on vacation, so we'll be seeing one of his associates. She'll be doing all the regular stuff (blood pressure, measuring my uterus, external palpation, etc.), as well as an internal exam. They'll be checking to see if my cervix has started to efface (thin out). This isn't an accurate prediction of when my labor will actually begin, but it at least gives the doctor (and us!) a clue that Abigail may soon be on the move. In some women, especially first time mothers, effacement can take days or even weeks, so even if it has started for me, that doesn't necessarily mean that Abby's arrival is imminent... But, it would mean that the process has begun, which would be wonderful news! Either way, we just want to hear that Abigail's heartbeat is nice and strong and that she is doing well; that is most important to us. :-)

So, I'll try to check in this weekend (if our computer issues have been resolved). Otherwise, I'll update everyone on Tuesday when I get in to work. Have a great weekend!!

New Poll!

Check out the right side of the blog (below Abby's picture) for our new poll: "When will Abby arrive?" Be sure to vote; Carey and I can't wait to see what our friends and family think! :-) (Of course, the one person who can't vote is Abigail, and she probably knows best!)

A wonderful weekend and 35 weeks!!

Carey and I had a great weekend, thanks in large part to our wonderful family and friends!!

I had the day off from work on Friday and managed to get the house cleaned up and some more boxes sorted. (Carey was a huge help when he got home on Friday night!) On Saturday, Carey's family was coming out for what I thought was a birthday celebration for our niece Gabriella, our nephew Luke, and Mama Ng. Well, we got to Bart and Melissa's house to find a surprise baby shower! (Surprise for me, not for Carey. He's getting very good at keeping secrets from me...) There were lots of cameras there, so I promise to get a slide show up in the next day or two. (I still owe everyone a slide show from my "Bergen" baby shower, too!) We had a great time, and I felt very blessed to have so many friends and family members who were able to make the trip out to Long Island and celebrate Abigail with us! (Many others who could not make it also took the time to send in their well-wishes, so I felt doubly blessed!)

Sunday was a "chill out" day for us. We did some shopping after church and had a relaxing lunch together. It was such a beautiful day, that we took a nice (not too long) walk to enjoy the sunshine, and Bart and Melissa invited us over for a barbecue. (They just got a new puppy. Hannah is 10 weeks old and soooo cute!!) We also did our first load of Abby laundry on Sunday!! (Her clothes are so tiny and adorable. It took us one load to wash her entire 0-3 months wardrobe!) This week I'm planning to tackle her bedding, towels, burp cloths, blankets, etc.Yesterday, we had our 35 week check-up with Dr. Siegel. He said that everything looks good. I gained another 3.5 pounds. (Before, I couldn't gain a pound no matter what I did. Now, I'm gaining almost two pounds a week!!!!) But, this is good, since Abby is now spending most of her time putting on weight. Her heartbeat was strong, her position was good, and my uterus is growing right on schedule. Plus, Dr. Siegel was very happy with the results of our third trimester ultrasound. It looks like September 10th is still our target date! I was also swabbed for Group B strep, so I will hopefully have those test results no later than our next appointment (August 15th). After the doctor's office, we went to lunch and to the movies. (The third Mummy movie: good if you like action sequences and special effects, not so good if you are looking for a decent plot line...) I think this might be our last trip to the movies before Abby arrives. She was quite fidgety throughout the whole thing, so I'm thinking that she might not like the noise...

Anyway, it was a wonderful weekend, filled with family, friends, and a good report from the doctor. Plus, I think I finally shook my cold! Tonight, Carey and I have our breastfeeding class at Huntington Hospital. I know that breastfeeding is going to be a challenge, so I'm looking forward to the advice and guidance that we'll receive at class tonight. I'm also hoping that class will help me better mentally prepare for the experience!

A bit sore at 34 weeks...

My little girl is beginning to make her mommy uncomfortable. But, as I can imagine that she's probably starting to get a bit cramped in there, I can't begrudge her making me feel the same way!

I've noticed that I'm just a bit sore all over. Getting up out of chairs is becoming more difficult. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who is always willing to give me a hand. Or two, in most cases. :-) My maternity pillow is still a big help in the sleep department, so I'm still sleeping fairly well. (Last night wasn't a great night for sleep, but I think that's because my nose was running all night due to my cold.) My speed of motion seems to decrease in direct proportion to the growth of my belly. :-)

But, like I said, it's all going to be worth it. I can't wait to meet my baby girl and hold her in my arms. I can't wait to see Carey hold her for the first time, and I can't wait to see what she looks like. I can't wait to nurse her and rock her to sleep and read to her and see her first smile. I know that motherhood will be a HUGE challenge, but I am slowly realizing that I am ready for it (or as ready as I'll ever be) and that our little Abigail will make even the biggest challenges worth it!

4 pounds, 14 ounces!

We had our ultrasound last night. Unfortunately, none of the pictures turned out very well, which was disappointing since we could see everything so clearly on the monitor. So, no pictures of Abigail for the blog (I couldn't get a decent scan of any of them), but we do have some interesting tidbits of information:

• Abby now weighs 4 pounds, 14 ounces. (Average weight at this stage is 4 pounds, 8 ounces, so our baby girl is a bit above average, probably because of her big, but cute, Ng head.)
  
• Her head is pointing down, her back is along my right side, her butt is at the top of my uterus, and her legs and feet are along my left side.
• Her heartbeat was strong.
• And, she was so cute!! :-)

So, Carey and I left the office very happy. The nurse said that Dr. Siegel should have the results by the end of this week, so he'll have ample time to review them before our next appointment on August 4th. The one thing that the ultrasound couldn't show us was if Abigail is going to have her daddy's crazy hair! Although, in all honestly, I was born with quite a head of crazy hair myself, so the likelihood that Abby will be wearing lots of hats early in life is very high! :-)

33 weeks (and 30 pounds?!?!)

We're at 33 weeks! We had an appointment with Dr. Siegel yesterday, and he said that everything looked great. My blood pressure was "perfect," my uterus is growing and is within the size range it should be at this point, and Abby's heartbeat was nice and strong. (As soon as I laid back on the table so he could check her out, she started moving. My little fidget!) And, amazingly enough, when I was weighed, I am up to 182! I have now gained 30 pounds since my pregnancy began, which is great! I was a bit worried that I might have gained too much, because "ideal" pregnancy weight gain is 25 to 30 pounds and I still have 7 weeks left! But, Dr. Siegel said that since I'm tall and because I'd lost a few pounds my first trimester, it would be fine if I gained more than 30. I know that I shouldn't get hung-up on what I read in my pregnancy books, but sometimes it's hard not too think "Is this normal? Is this okay?" So, it's always nice when the doctor can calm some of my first-time pregnancy concerns. :-)

Tonight, after work, Carey and I are heading back to the doctor's office for our third trimester ultrasound. (For the past few days, I've been telling Abby to make sure that she combs her hair for her pictures on Tuesday. But, if she's anything like her daddy, she's going to have crazy hair that she won't be able to do anything with anyway!) We'll be seeing Dr. Siegel again in two weeks. By that time, he'll have had a chance to look at the ultrasound pictures and, after looking at Abby's size and development, determine if September 10th is still our target date. I can't wait!!

32 Weeks!!

Oh my goodness! We are at 32 weeks! I honestly remember, when we first found out that we were pregnant, thinking that 40 weeks is such a long time. Now that we're at 32 weeks, part of me is wondering where all the time has gone! Less than two months, and Abigail will be arriving!!

Things are still going well. I've noticed that I tend to tire out more quickly than I used to. (That second trimester stretch is great; no nausea and energy to burn!) I'm also getting my heartburn back with more regularity. (Thankfully, that had taken a reprieve of a few weeks...) But, Abby is an active little girl, and it never fails to put a smile on my face when I see my belly moving and feel her punching/kicking/poking/headbutting me. :-) I feel like she already has her own personality, and I really can't wait to meet her in September! (Yes, I keep saying September. Carey and I have made it clear to little Miss Abigail that her mommy and daddy need these next two months to finish preparing our house (and ourselves!) for her arrival. Hopefully she'll be a good girl and listen. If she takes after her daddy, she'll just chill out in there and come out whenever she feels like it. But, if she takes after her mommy, we might be meeting our impatient little girl well before we planned. Only time will tell, I suppose!)

No picture of the baby belly today. (Carey is going to MLB Fan Fest, which is part of the craziness accompanying the All Star Game, in town at Yankee Stadium. So, of course, he took the camera on the off-chance that he meets up with one of his favorite Yanks, past or present.) I'll hopefully have a picture of my growing self for you tomorrow. In the meantime, here's this week's update from WebMD:

Your baby measures about 18.9 inches long from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds. She fills almost all the space in your uterus now. A layer of fat is forming underneath her thin, wrinkly skin. Baby's practicing opening her eyes and breathing. Most internal systems are well developed, but the lungs may still be immature.

So, little Abigail is growing! I can't wait for our ultrasound next week to see how she looks. (I also want to hear the doctor say that she looks good; that's always very reassuring.) In the meantime, I hope that everyone had a great weekend and have a happy Monday!!

A wonderful vacation and 31 weeks!!

There's so much to tell from this past week that I'm going to have to break it up over the next few days. Otherwise, this post will just go on and on and on and on... (You get the idea.)

Carey and I had a great time on our trip upstate last week. It was so nice to see my mom, Kate, grammy, and the rest of my family. I really do miss them, so it was terrific to spend some time with them. :-) My super-sneaky family even surprised me with a baby shower! (More about that in a later post. I have a bunch of pictures, and I'm going to try and collect some additional pictures from the other folks who were at the party so I can put together a slide show.) I was COMPLETELY surprised and had a great time. (My family thought of the perfect cover: the party was actually held on Kate's birthday, so I didn't even give it a second thought as to why the family was getting together.) My little grammy was so cute: she said that it might not be the best idea to surprise a woman who is 7 months pregnant! Abby was fine though. (I think she was placated by potato chips and yummy cake from Wegmans!)

Speaking of Abby, we hit 31 weeks yesterday! Hooray! Abigail's new nickname is "my little fidget" because she very rarely stays still for any amount of time. If I'm sitting for even a few minutes, she starts moving and grooving in there, until I get up and start walking around again. We had an appointment with Dr. Siegel yesterday, and he said that everything looks good. (To quote him: "You look great." As a pregnant woman with a huge stomach, swollen ankles, and misbehaving skin, I could have kissed him!) He felt around for the baby and said that he could feel her head below my navel. (Funny enough, that's where I'm feeling all my "kicks." Apparently, they're actually headbutts!) He said my weight was okay; I only gained a pound, though. :-( Dr. Siegel actually said that because I'm so tall, it would be okay for me to gain more than the recommended 25 pounds. If only I could put on the 25 pounds, I'd be happy! We have our next appointment on Monday, July 21st (two weeks, instead of four!), and we have another ultrasound on Tuesday, July 22nd. Dr. Siegel says that they usually do at least one ultrasound in the third trimester, just to check on the baby's growth. I'm so excited to see how little Abigail looks now! (It's been almost two months since our last pictures...)

Well, there's lots more to tell, but I'll save that for some later posts. Needless to say, Carey and I had a great time! (It was very hard to come into work today...)

Week 29!

Well, the belly has gotten bigger since week 25, which was my last picture. Here is this week's Abby belly:(Don't really know what's up with my hair in that picture. The camera flash must have made some sort of funky shadow behind my head. My hair did not look that weird this morning!!)

Abby is still moving around in there, although the kicks and punches tend to be fewer in number and harder in strength! My ankles are still swollen (thanks a lot, stupid humidity), but overall, I'm holding up pretty well. I've found that Tums is a HUGE help when Abigail decides that she'd like mommy to get a little heartburn, and I luckily don't have to take them too often anymore.

Our other big news from the weekend: we bought living room furniture! Now our house looks even more like a home! After doing a bit of shopping around, we managed to get a great deal on this set from IKEA. Best part: the covers are machine washable. (If Abby is anything like her daddy, machine washable furniture covers will be a huge help!) The covers are still a bit wrinkled from being boxed up, but the wrinkles should fall out over the next few days (according to the package...) So, here are some pictures of our new living room!

Our new couch! (Complete with Carey's bum prints! I made him move so I could take the picture!)Our new chair!The living room! Don't mind the mess on the dining room table... :-{

We're looking for some sort of window treatment for the big window, and then we have to decide what we're going to hang on the walls. (Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be replaced with Abby pictures soon!!) After each little (or big) step, Carey and I love to sit back and see how our home is evolving to reflect our personality. It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun!!

Active Abigail!

My little kick boxer is at it again. She was quite the little jumping bean yesterday, moving around and kicking up a storm most of the day. According to WebMD,

Week 28: Your baby is moving often now and weighs about 2 1/2 pounds. Some of the kicks and jabs may be forceful enough to hurt or take your breath away.

Luckily, Abby hasn't been hurting me, but she is definitely reminding me that she is in there. (As if I could ever forget!!) It's especially funny when I'm sitting at work and my stomach starts moving; I always wonder if anyone else notices that my belly has a mind of its own now!

THIRD TRIMESTER!!!

We're at 28 weeks, which means that we have now entered our third, and final, trimester!! The finish line approaches! (And no, that is not my belly. I've been looking for the camera cable all weekend, but I think I've narrowed it down to two boxes. Hopefully, I'll have a picture of my baby belly for you tomorrow!)

Abigail is moving around quite a bit now, and those hiccups still hit her at least once a day. (And they're still cute!) I am starting to feel my pregnancy a bit more. My feet and ankles are pretty swollen, and my rib cage is constantly aching. (It's not so bad when I'm standing up, but my job involves a lot of sitting at my desk in front of a computer, so standing up all day isn't really an option. Plus, standing up too much causes my ankles to swell even more. Ugh.) Bending over is becoming more of a problem, so I think my days of wearing shoes that require shoelaces to be tied are numbered...

But, I'm still loving being pregnant and knowing that a beautiful little girl is growing inside me. Her little movements always bring a smile to my face, so a few minor discomforts are nothing. Plus, Carey and I have quite a bit to look forward to this summer, including a visit with mom, Kate, and the family at the end of this month, my ten-year high school reunion next month, and a possible trip to Pittsburgh in August to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Carey's fraternity. So, just enough stuff to keep us busy while we wait for our little miracle!

Hiccups?

I'm learning so much about Abigail this week! I just received my weekly pregnancy newsletter from BabyCenter.com, and it mentions that Abby might get hiccups!

Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle!

Well, this morning, at my desk, I felt what might have been a case of Abby hiccups! It did kinda tickle, and it only lasted a minute or so, but it was more regular than some of her other movements. I'm probably biased, since I am her mommy, but even Abby's hiccups are cute! :-)

Week 27 off to a hot start...

The heat is on in New York! It was a VERY hot weekend, so not much happened on the house front. Luckily, Friday was a nice day, so after our doctor's appointment (more on that below), I was able to get some more painting done. We're now completely done with the office, leaving us with just a few touch ups in Abby's room, our bedroom, the bathroom and the kitchen. Slowly but surely, it is looking more like a house (and less like a warehouse)!

My doctor's appointment on Friday was okay. Unfortunately, my former doctor's office in Hoboken did not fax over my records, like they said they did. So, my new doctor, Dr. Siegel, was "flying blind" and not really able to do much. My blood pressure and weight were both good (3.5 pounds since my last doctor's appointment on May 27th!!), and my uterus is growing like it should be. Dr. Siegel also liked hearing that Abby is an active little girl, kicking her mommy a lot and tap dancing on her kidneys... :-P My next appointment with Dr. Siegel is at the beginning of July. After that, I'll start seeing him every two weeks, instead of my current 'once a month' schedule. I guess that means we're nearing the finish line!

Yesterday, after trying to do a bit around the house, it just got too hot to do anything. So, Carey and I took up Bart and Melissa on their invitation to stop by to enjoy their pool and some sandwiches in the backyard. Despite the fact that the water was pretty cold, Gabriella and Sofia were little fishies, spending a good part of the day in the pool and running through the sprinkler. Sofia even managed to convince Uncle Carey to take her for a ride in the pool. (A big deal because, as you may or may not know, Carey can't really swim. Luckily, the pool isn't too deep, so Carey and Sofia had a good time splashing around together.) I even got into the pool for a little while, but just long enough to cool down. Then, I fell asleep on the hammock for the rest of the afternoon. :-)

I hope everyone is dealing with the heat. It looks like NYC is going to be hazy, hot, and humid through tomorrow, with a storm coming in on Tuesday night to break the heat. Wherever you are, stay cool!

Abby's Middle Name

We finally decided on a middle name for Abigail. (We had some ideas when we first found out that we were pregnant, but nothing was definite...) We have decided that Abby's middle name will be Elizabeth. Abigail Elizabeth Ng. I like the way that sounds. :-)

Not much else new to report. Carey is being kept EXTREMELY busy at work, and I have enough to do at work, too. The house is coming along, slowly but surely, and our little kick boxer is still kick boxing. We have an appointment with my new OB/GYN tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have some good news to report. (I feel like I've done nothing but eat all week, so hopefully I'll have added another pound or two since my last appointment with Dr. Brescia in Hoboken...)

We're New Yorkers again! (and Week 26)

It was a VERY busy weekend, but Carey and I are now officially New Yorkers again! Thanks to our great friends and family (especially Alison, Dave, Carrie, Craig, Melissa, and Bart), we had the smoothest move I could have imagined. (And believe me, a low stress move was just what this pregnant woman needed!) The remainder of our belongings left Hoboken shortly after 1:00 on Saturday afternoon, and we arrived at our new home around 2:30. Everything was unloaded into the downstairs, so now begins the process of sorting through all of the items that are downstairs and in our garage and putting everything away. The required rooms (bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen) are usable, if not quite done, so it's a matter of tweaking those rooms and really getting down to business in the rest of the house. Our 'To Do' list keeps getting longer and we spend hours cleaning, sorting, storing, etc., but at the end of the day, it's a great feeling to know that it's our house!! :-)

Also, a huge THANK YOU to Mom and Dad Ng, Anne and Jon, and Bart and Melissa. After seeing the condition of the oven/stove top that came with the house, they chipped in and bought us a new oven as a house-warming present! It arrived on Saturday and it looks amazing. (Funny how changing one appliance made such a HUGE difference in the look of the room...)

And finally, I don't want to neglect Abby. (As if I could ever forget about my little kick boxer...) Today we hit week 26. (No picture though. I have the camera, but the camera cable remains hidden away in one of the myriad boxes downstairs.) According to WebMD, Abigail "measures about 9.2 inches from crown to rump and weighs almost 2 pounds now." She's still giving me heartburn (which I have as I write this), and I'm noticing some pain in my lower rib cage. (WebMD says that's normal though. My little sweetheart is causing all my internal organs to shift around, so some discomfort should be expected.) But, other than that, her little pokes (and not-so-little kicks) are reassuring and she's been great in allowing me to work on the house during the day with no problems. (So long as I eat and drink a lot and get a good night's sleep, I don't think Abby much cares what I'm doing!)

Week 25 (as of Monday)

Here's this week's picture. As you can tell from the attire, it was a beautiful weekend in Hoboken. The belly seems bigger this week, at least to me. :-) Abigail is moving around quite a bit these days; the only times that she seems to be still are when I'm up and about; maybe because my movements lull her to sleep. During the week, when I'm at my desk at work, she is a little kick-boxer!

Stop by the blog tomorrow. I hope to have another montage of house photos up, including a sneak peek at Abby's nursery!! (Anne and Jon surprised us on Sunday by setting it up for us, so aside from a few small additions, it's almost ready to go!)

It was a great weekend!

Good morning, all, and happy Wednesday!! Carey and I had an extremely busy, but wonderful, weekend! It was a painting party at the new Ng house, and we had a good appointment with the doctor yesterday.

I think we may have accidentally packed the camera cable, so I can't upload any pictures today. But, I can tell you that the hardwood floors turned out GREAT! It really looks like a completely different house. Plus, we were so lucky to have help from the entire Ng family this weekend. Anne and Jon came out from Philly, and mom and dad watched the four grandchildren, while Anne, Jon, Bart, Melissa, Carey, and I worked on the house. We've got most of the house ready to go, with the exception of a few touch ups here and there. The kitchen still needs some cleaning, but it's painted and our new stove is set to be delivered on Saturday, so I should be up and running soon! Carey and I have a few more things to pack, but we'll be moving the last of the boxes and our bed to the house this Saturday!!

We also had our monthly check-up with the doctor yesterday. We hit 25 weeks on Monday, and things seem to be going well with Abigail. She had a strong heartbeat of 149 beats per minute, is moving/kicking with more regularity, and my uterus is 25 centimeters. (The doctor said that the measurement of my uterus should be equal to the number of week along I am, give or take 1 or 2 centimeters. Well, 25 centimeters at 25 weeks is great!) The doctor said my weight gain was okay (only 2 pounds, when it should have been around 5), but he said he wasn't too worried since everything else seems to be going so well. The funniest part of the visit (or most insulting, depending on how you look at it) was when the doctor checked my hands and feet for swelling. He said my hands looked fine, and my feet weren't too swollen. Well, my feet weren't swollen at all; that's what they normally look like! (I can't help it if I have naturally pudgy toes...) If he thinks they're swollen now, wait until he sees them this summer! But, the doctor redeemed himself when he said I looked "great" and that I should keep doing what I'm doing. :-)

Carey also gave me a wonderful surprise yesterday. After our doctor's appointment, we had lunch at our favorite pizza place, and then Carey took me to the spa around the corner from our apartment, where he had made me an appointment for a prenatal massage. It was amazing! I'd never had a massage before, and Amanda was great. Before we even got started, she explained exactly what she was going to do, made sure that I was comfortable, and talked me through the process as we went. With all the painting and moving that we've been doing, it felt so nice when she worked on my back and shoulders. I'm so lucky to have such a thoughtful, kind-hearted husband! I love you, Carey!!