22 week ultrasound

Here is Katie at 22 weeks! Thao is doing really good, she is eating better and gaining weight. Her belly looks really big now too! But she says that the baby hasn't been moving inside a lot the past few weeks, and I think I know why... When Thao was sleeping one afternoon, suddenly I heard her scream very loud! So I ran to see what was wrong, and she was sitting up holding her belly and looking very scared! Her skin had goosebumps all over... When she calmed down, she said that she felt someone suddenly touch her belly very strongly, but when she opened her eyes nobody was there! She wanted to scold me and ask me why I would startle her and wake her up like that, but it wasn't me! Maybe it was a ghost??? Eventually I convinced her that it was Katie kicking inside... Ohhhhh sorry Katie! Your mommy scared you so much and now you don't want to kick anymore!

Well, today we went for the important 22 week ultrasound. Yes, we do like going to ultrasounds here in Vietnam! This was yet another doctor, that everyone says is the best in Hanoi. But everyone also says this doctor is always scolding his patients and everyone is afraid of him... They say the doctor is gay and hates women... Thao said maybe his girlfriend broke up with him or cheated on him or something. I said his girlfriend probably got pregnant from another guy, so now he hates all pregnant women... Anyways, this time I couldn't even go inside the office, I had to wait at a cafe next door. Actually we had to call a week in advance to book a day, then come at 3pm when the office opened, then wait to take a number, then come back at 6pm. The place was filled with pregnant women, the busiest doctor I have seen.

So the lady that went in before Thao told a terrible story of the doctor scolding her... The doctor asked why she didn't go pee first, and the lady said "oh I did already..." And the doctor said something like "Why do you try to lie to me? I can see a lot of pee inside. You want to get a good picture to check the baby, right? So why can't you read the sign outside and do something so simple like go pee first? You can't do anything simple like that, your husband probably can't stand you..." And then of course the lady's cellphone rang in her pocket... "What?! The sign said to turn off your cellphone before coming in here..." and on he went......

So now it was Thao's turn.... She went in and decided that she wouldn't say anything and just try to do whatever the doctor said quickly, so he wouldn't get upset.... So the doctor started the ultrasound and pressed her belly hard all around. But something was wrong... He said "I can't hear the baby's heart... Wait outside for a few minutes..." OMG!! Thao slowly went outside and tried to talk to some ladies waiting there and tried not to think about it... But of course she was sooo scared and started to cry so much! Then she was called back in, and the doctor did the ultrasound again and said everything was normal. Thao asked, "really? you're sure it's normal??" and he said "it LOOKS like it's normal." So it was just something wrong with the machine...

At least we got a really good ultrasound picture. Katie looks like her mom!

Due Date: Feb 24, 2010
Gestational Age: 22 weeks 1 day (since LMP)
Weight: 532g
Mommy's weight: 55kg (+1 kg)






Cute belly, must have a really cute Katie inside!

Thao writes:
Hey sis Ling, i saw ur comment there. Thank you very much to see you always come and write me something to support Katie. Do u see the baby pic is very clear? U know what, lot of girls there have same baby age just like Katie 22weeks but everyone said that my baby looks clearest... and they say my belly looks very nice coz belly skin is still nice, smooth and no lines runing on it... I saw some girl's belly there very blue and look ugly...hihiii... Ok, but now just dont really want the baby look so much like me, the baby look likes she has big ugly nose just like me... How does the pic look? She look like me or Kyle? Hehehe... i want my baby will have granmom Linda hair, has her eyes too...and of course western skin beautiful skin like her auntie Muriah, beautiful like ur daughters. I want the baby really look mixed western and vnese ... Anyway i love the pic now there no matter what how she look. Im watching that pic all the time since i got it and feel its real like my Katie going to be born tomorrow. At morning i wake up and as long as i remember Katie pic make me smile and want to see her pic fast. I bet from now every morning i wake up i will just smile just like everyday first thinking in my mind of a new day has come is think of my KATIE. Feel life so great now when i can see the baby so real like that and one day soon i can see her on my hand and kiss her with the first kiss. Ayss, think about that make my eyes already wet... Be the mom is great job right? it can change everything... U know most of ppl i know here say that im changing very much that im being nice and calm and nice now... not like when i was younger that i just like a wild mountain horse..hehehe... Yes, coz im being the greatest MOM.

5 month ultrasound

We went to the good doctor again, and I was happy to be able to go inside with Thao to see Katie moving and hear the heartbeat. This time we only got a black and white ultrasound (2D), because Thao said that in another 2 weeks we would go to a different doctor for a more thorough check in 4D ultrasound.

Everything is still fine, actually she is 1 week ahead of schedule!

Due Date: Feb 28, 2010
Gestational Age: 20 weeks 1 day (since LMP)
Weight: 394g (over 2x the size in one month!)
Heartrate: 155 bpm
Mommy's weight: 54kg (+2.5 kg)

Now Thao's turn to type :)

Wowowoww..... I waited for so long and now today when i lay down to rest after lunch i see the baby kicking once very strong... So happy, cant say anything, she must be a very active and naughty girl. Actually i see the baby started to move inside my tummy since last week. It is the first time so i dont have any experience but read alot on baby website so i know how the baby moves, yes its something like the plastic balloon breaking or like the fish is moving the tail... something like that.

Last time 4 weeks ago when i went to ultrsound the doctor said the baby is a bit small coz i couldnt eat much, but this time the docter said that "Oh, the baby is bigger than normal baby in this age. Aha, westen baby that is why" that made me so so happy.

One thing still make me worry.... i dont know if i should go for needle.... that some kind of sick the baby easy to get virus through the cord inside belly... i dont know what is that kind of sick.....In here most pregnant moms go to do that but from what i read some moms have troubles after do needle, like the baby died inside.... But already one Vietnamese friend from US warned us not to get that needle, because 2 of his cousins lost their babies after that... OMG, that really scared me... I ask Kyle to check with sister Muriah if in western they have to do that...

Im starting searching what to shoping for baby... Too many things have to buy but i dont know what is good for the baby. And i dont know yet in end of Feb still hot or cold. Some time its still very cold, sometime its still very hot so i think i should still buy both kind of clothes for my Katie, warm clothes and summer clothes...

Oh, the baby next door now always comes here and ask me to take care of her when the grandmom is busy. Her name is Bong. Her mom is working outside all day early morning till very later at night. Seems she has bf out side. The baby is nice but its summer here and hot so most of the baby not always wear diaper at home (just when they go out side), so bad thats why she pee all the time on my floor when she is here... once she pee on the couch too. Humm, im so tired to clean up pee like that. Of course i hope i can learn some experience from taking care of this baby sometime but i need now is learn from new baby born, not really want to learn from BONG (10months aready), hehee....

999 years Ha Noi

10/10/2009 marked 999 years of Hanoi being the capital of Vietnam! To celebrate we went to the city center and saw lots of nice flowers.




Of course, before long there was sooooo many people there! Every time we say that it is too crowded and we won't go next time, but we still always go because it's fun :)




The lights in the center of the lake. Thao says that in the morning of 10/10, people saw the giant turtle come up, a sign of peace.... I guess it is like the Loch Ness monster ;)




The street vendors are making flowers from colored dough.




I don't know how a big pregnant Thao could walk around in this crowd! But actually I was the one always left behind!




They had a live show, but probably only the people at home watching it on tv could see it!




We can only imagine the party they will have next year, to mark the 1000 year anniversary! It really puts things in perspective, when you think that Canada is only 142 years old!




We left early before the really bad traffic jam could start... When we got home, we saw the end of the show on tv. They had lots of singing and fireworks!

Mid autumn - children's festival

This is the day in the lunar calendar when the moon is full and looks the nicest. In Vietnam they celebrate by wearing masks and having balloons and toys for children. It's kinda like halloween but twice a year!

Unfortunately we forgot to bring out camera, so here are some pics we stole from a news site! ;)





































Another tradition on this day is to eat a special fish cake. Actually it doesn't have fish inside, but it is a sweet cake in the shape of a fish...