Welcome Miles!

 

Miles Guerra Khoury is here!

Our baby boy is finally here with us! =) We are so happy and thankful that everything went smoothly and that we have been blessed with such a beautiful, healthy baby boy.

Miles is such a happy and sweet baby. We are enjoying every moment with him. We love being able to learn something new about him each day.. each hour.. each minute. He is such a precious baby. He came into the world with his eyes wide open - taking everything in! He didn't cry when he came out and he even took all of the shots/vaccines without a tear.. but the moment he got his first bath, the tears came out! =) hehe so adorable. He is so cute and sweet. He smiles a good amount and his facial expressions crack us up already.

The delivery went well. I started getting contractions very early Saturday.. I was starting to get strong contractions on Thursday night actually. On Saturday, I really felt different and I knew I would have him that day. My contractions got closer and closer and I tried to stay and wait it out at home for a good amount of time. I didn't want to drive to the hospital, just to find out that I'm not going to be admitted yet. =P We (Tim, my parents, and I) headed to the hospital at around 10:30am and after getting checked - I was there to stay! My feelings were scattered. I couldn't believe it. I was going to have a baby soon! Unbelievable! I was so excited that our baby was coming and I was also scared of how everything will be/feel.

My contractions hurt. My gosh, I really hate contractions. haha During pregnancy, I decided that during labor, I was going to go with the flow of things. If I needed pain medications, I wouldn't feel bad about taking them, if I didn't, then that is ok too. I just took it one step at a time.. one contraction at a time. Tim was a great partner throughout the whole thing! I was very impressed. He was there for me and guided me when I needed it. He helped me breathe through my contractions. My mom was also a great coach. I was very lucky to have them both at my side. The OB (not my usual OB) wanted to give me pitocin to speed things along.. I was actually not a fan of this but.. it was lasting fairly long, so I was half-ok and said yes.. But right before giving it to me, they did one last check and I ended up being fully dilated! So I didn't need the pitocin! I was relieved at that but then it also hit me.. I was fully dilated! I started to cry at this point. It was really happening. My baby is coming out so soon. I was finally going to meet him! And it was all too much for me, and I got emotional. I was so happy. I didn't even cry when I delivered and saw him.. but I cried when they told me I was 10 cm! hah go figure. =) By this point, I also realized that I ended up not needing an epidural to relieve the pain. Then, after 2 hours and 15 minutes of pushing... Miles was born at 9:55pm! =) Funny story.. the nurse that helped deliver Miles (she was so great!) made me a deal at 9:25pm .. she said "If you deliver this baby by 10, I will give you a cupcake!" So.. after I delivered Miles.. I look at the clock and said "I get a cupcake!" =) hehehe They all thought that was pretty funny. (Little do they know, I was very excited for that cupcake!!) =)

Last Minute Stuff

So.. waiting for this baby to arrive is pretty interesting. I'm semi-getting antsy and getting nervous about the labor & delivery and.. everything else in between! How painful will it be? How will I be after? I've never held a freshly born baby before.. will I drop him?? =P Will I cry? Will Tim cry? =) So many things are spinning in my mind as I wait for his arrival.

And also.. I've been getting so annoyed of my hair. It's been feeling so frumpy and huge lately..making me feel bigger in general. I didn't care for my haircut that I previously got.. so I really wanted something to freshen me up. Tim got a haircut a few days ago too. Cute story actually..a little segway. We've been video chatting with my niece Lily and nephew Ian a few times the past couple of weeks. We chatted with them 2 nights in row - one night with Tim's hair long and his beard fully grown and the next night was after he got a hair cut and fully shaven face. =) Lily and Ian were just shocked. heh They just got quiet when they saw Tim. It was so cute. Lily wouldn't look up at him too much..she was getting shy. And I asked her "Do you like Tito Tim with a beard or no beard?" and she quietly says "No beard" with a little hehe laugh. Sooooo cute and soo funny! =) Too precious. =)

Today.. I had a hair appointment. I looked up old pictures of myself for ideas. I went for shorter this time around. Definitely not a trim today. =) She took off so much hair! She had me look at the floor after and it was crazy. And then, she blow-dried it.. and thinned & layered it and she made me look at the floor again and sooo much hair was there still! I think I may have lost a pound of hair! haha But all in all, I'm glad I got it cut. I was a tad worried. Obviously, pregnancy made my face chubbier.. and I was a bit scared that a shorter cut would make it even fatter looking. =P But I'm glad I got it cut. I feel refreshed.. and ready for this baby! hehehe =)

10 Days

We're doing the waiting game now. I have 10 days til my due date.. so, this baby can be out & about anytime now. No major progress during my OB visits.. so my Doctor thinks I'll go over my due date. My ma thinks I'll have him earlier than my due date, even being all closed up still. hah So, we'll see. I can't believe it's April already. It's unbelievable. Tim and I are so curious on when his birth day will be.. hehe My ma thinks it'll be April 8th. hehe It'd be cute if it was either the 11th or 12th.. to match either my or Tim's birthday number. heh But really, whatever date is obviously ok with me. =)

My belly is so big. haha I don't really realize how big it is 'til I see pictures of me from the sideview. It's pretty funny to see, actually. I still go around and about just fine. I'm not too exhausted. Tim and I hung out this afternoon and did some errands - went to a couple of music stores to check out trombones & pianos for fun. We also got a few more things for the baby at Target. So, it's been a nice day. I'm definitely anticipating this baby boy so much now! I'm getting so excited =) 

Peoria Day Trip

We took my parents to Peoria on Saturday for a little day trip. First, we headed to a winery that Tim and I have heard about - Mackinaw Valley Vineyard. It was a nice little vineyard. Tim and my parents taste-tested a couple of wines and Tim ended up buying a bottle. Not too much to see during this time but it was nice to check out anyway. Tim wants to do the stomping in the Fall =)

After the vineyard, we drove out to Peoria. We just drove around for a bit.. drove through Grand View Drive. A nice neighborhood of big houses with a great view of the river. The drive made me sleepy. Our main to do in Peoria was to watch our friend Herb perform with his band at Bradley University. Before heading to that show, we decided to get some dinner. Tim and I looked up a few places to check out and we found a restaurant called Khoury's Cuisine. hehe We had to try it. =) We parked in its parking lot and noticed that nobody was in there.. a bit hesitant, we still wanted to try it and walked in. The choices looked good - Middle Eastern/Greek food. We ordered some gyros & fries. And once we sat down, people started coming in. In a few minutes, the whole place was packed. We were genuinely surprised how packed it got. The food was good and we were glad we decided to try it out.

After dinner, we headed over to Dingeldine Music Hall at Bradley University for the concert. I guess Herb's band were a part of the Bollywood celebration/talent show. Herb's band the Surf Riders performed at the very end. It was a pretty late night - filled with lots of Indian music and dance performances. My little baby has been to so many concerts while in my tummy =) ... and a variety of types too!! I wonder if he'll appreciate music like his Mama and Papa.. We had a good time at the show and got to hang out with our friend Pam and her sister in the audience. Tim and I are definitely getting a lot of "fun time" in before our little baby comes into the world.

Here is a little video clip of the Surf Riders at the concert. Many people danced on stage and below. People really enjoyed the music.

Pregnancy Learnings

I will be 37 weeks prego tomorrow.. just a few more weeks left in my first pregnancy. It made me think of the time that has gone by and the experiences I've had throughout the months.

As with all new things, you learn a bunch after all is said and done. And I know I will learn and experience a bit more in the next few weeks as well.. and then a whole another set of knowledge when the baby arrives.

Anyway.. I decided to write about what I've learned in the past 37 weeks. For anyone who is going through their first pregnancy, here is my perspective from my own experience.
(pictured is me and my hubby.. I'm 24 weeks preggy at that point)



Things people think about regarding pregnant women, pregnancy in general and any advice I may have regarding the specific topics.

Morning sickness: I didn't really experience any to provide any kind of advice for people who do. I puked twice during my pregnancy and I blamed it on greasy food (aka Chinese buffet restaurant food, not good). I think I would have puked pregnant or not. So, I guess my advice would be - stay away from greasy food (if possible and to be honest, I didn't stay away that much) =P


Cravings: I craved grapes, apples, Indian food, and Mexican food. So fruits and spicy food. My heat tolerance definitely went up during my pregnancy. Luckily, I didn't really experience any heartburn.. even with all of the spicy foods I ate. I didn't overhaul on the food intake, which is always a good advice.

Weight gain: Ug. Yeah, it happens. No way to avoid it. =) Stay in the healthy range is the only advice, I guess. You want to gain weight.. it means your baby is gaining. But let's stick to the healthy range, women.


Advice/Comments/Pregnant Remarks: So, I've read many things about women complaining about comments they get while pregnant. It's one of those things that you just have to let it pass. Can't take them to heart toooo easily (though, you will at times). And you can never assume that nice comments will come from a certain set of people and annoying ones from a different set. Honestly, you will be surprised. It's a bit annoying when family can give you pretty straightforward comments that you don't feel like hearing but it's also very refreshing when a random stranger says the sweetest things. And then, it can flip flop and switch in 2 seconds. It's just one of those things you learn to be flexible with and take it with a grain of salt. Just trust your instincts, is my advice. You know yourself and what is best for you and your baby. Trust that.

Maternity Clothes/Gadgets/Stuff: Borrow stuff! I'm lucky to have an older sister that saved her maternity clothes. She passed them on to me and I've had them on my weekly rotation ever since. My advice - don't buy too much maternity stuff. I found it actually pretty easy to pack for trips during my pregnancy 'cause I had 2 pairs of jeans, 5 shirts, and couple of leggings that I wear on rotation. And a maternity dress. That's it. I accessorized a bit more with jewely just to make those baby bump picture opps a bit different from the weeks before. Super easy to pack. But if you can afford to buy a bunch of maternity clothes (which tend to be pricey) .. well, shoot.. don't listen to my advice! Do what you want. Shoes - stick with flats. Towards the end .. my back did start hurting a bit more. So.. to walk around my hardwood floor loft, I got a pair of Crocs. They became my household slippers and I definitely recommend this idea. Croc or any high quality sandal that provides good arch support. It does make a difference.. especially if you don't have carpet around your home.

Stretch Mark Lotion: Use it. You may get stretch marks, you may be lucky enough not to. But my advice, might as well use those lotions. I unfortunately got a bunch of stretch marks even with using the lotion.. but I think if I hadn't, it'd be worse. So.. yeah. Just use it. If anything, it'll help when your belly itches as it grows.

Maternity Body Pillow: I forgot to mention this when I originally wrote this post. But I definitely want to add it in. It's such a big deal to start sleeping on your side (preferably your left side) while you're pregnant. And it's good to get used to it early on too if you're not usually a side sleeper. Then I also started noticing my back was starting to get achy...even with pillow support all around me. I decided it was time to get a body pillow. I chose this contoured body pillow that got the nickname "The Nest". I absolutely love it and I recommend it to anyone, pregnant or not. It provides a great back support while cuddling on your side. It made me sleep much more comfortably than any makeshift body pillow. Yes, it's a bit large and takes up a lot of space in the bed - but it's worth it. Tim loves it too, and tries to steal it for himself whenever possible! =) This is the one I bought. "The Nest" I love it.


Belly Band or.. I think it's called Bella Band: I bought one early on in my pregnancy. I don't recommend it. I barely used it and when I did, it felt uncomfy. I say, just get maternity jeans. Borrow or buy. The band feels like it's gonna slip down or up over your tummy .. the maternity jeans feel more comfortable.


Prenatal Vitamins: I know of people who get a little sicky when they took them. Fortunately, I felt fine taking them. Some go for the pricey kind. I stuck with the Walgreen's kind. My advice - take your prenatal vitamins. Whatever you feel like taking.


Exercise: It's definitely recommended to keep yourself moving .. unless your doctor tells you to go on bed rest, if so..GO ON BED REST. I have the steepest stairs to our loft, so I considered that my daily workout. I do prenatal yoga.. I noticed that that is helping me more at this point of my pregnancy than earlier. I think the stretching and whatnot is really helping the different aches I'm now experiencing with a baby kicking my ribs constantly and a growing belly hurting my back.


Emotions: Be prepared. hah You will have plenty of weird emotional outbursts or cry sessions or whatever. Emotions will just spill from you during pregnancy. If it doesn't, you're one of a small set of people. With all of the changes and hormones going on in your body, you're bound to get emotional on different occasions or for different reasons. Sometimes, legitimately emotional stuff and sometimes, completely random things that will leave your husband completely blank and speechless. Cest la vie.


"What does it feel like?": I got this question a few times. What does it feel like to be pregnant.. to have a baby in there.. Not that this is really an advice given section, I will still provide my input. Pregnancy feels, as cliche as this may sound, amazing. Something about the thought of life growing inside of you is ridiculously amazing. It's magic. This human being in you.. a mixture of you and another human being (hopefully one you love and one that loves you back). It's indescribable. The physical feeling of it all..  funky. heh In the beginning, you have moments where you don't "feel" pregnant, so it was funky to think you were. But as your body grows, and the baby starts moving around - it feels funky, but in a different way. I love feeling my baby move around (and he moves around a lot!). It'll make you smile or crack up when your baby moves. It's just a great way to interact with your baby.. with music or rubbing your belly.. and if he moves during it, you feel a neat connection with him. =) So, yeah, I love the physical feeling of being pregnant. The aches and pains are annoying, but feeling that kick or seeing your belly bump shift around when he moves is so worth it.


My biggest advice for a first time prego lady. Enjoy it. Don't stress too much and if you do, don't stress about stressing too much. heh This will be the only time you will be pregnant with this baby. Embrace it. Eat well, move around, and try to remain positive. No need to let the other annoyances of life affect you too much right now. This is your moment with your baby.

Our Baby Shower

We had our baby shower this past Saturday. It was a great turnout and I think everyone had a nice time - and ate well. =) I had such a good time seeing everyone. Everything looked so lovely. Earlier in the week and the day of, it was pretty busy busy but it all turned out nicely. Tim and I liked the combination of food at the party. Both of our mothers made a couple of different dishes - Arabic and Filipino dishes. My mother made Pansit (Filipino noodles with chicken & veggies) and Lumpia (small fried egg rolls with meat & veggies). Tim's mother made stuffed grape leaves and Kousa (rice & meat stuffed squash). All were so good. I made mac & cheese. hehe The desserts were also a combo of Filipino(cassava cake), Arabic(baklava), and American(cakes & cupcakes). heh It all looked cute. We had a ton of different desserts to choose from. Great eye candy. hehe The food was eaten up pretty quickly because they were all so delicious. I made the giveaway favors for the party. I made some chocolate covered pretzels and some rice krispy treats - all were packaged in little treat bags. =) I was happy with 'em.


Tim and I are getting more excited about our baby. The shower definitely set the reality of things. We have a month left until our due date. We are so grateful to everyone who attended and helped out for the shower. It was really nice to see so many people. We are so thankful for all of the gifts and sweet wishes.


We had such a nice time hanging out with my family too. My sister and family arrived on Thursday and my brothers & cousin came Friday. It was a lot of fun playing with my niece Lily and nephew Ian. They crack me up. =) So so cute. The apartment is so quiet without those 2 now. The kids at the shower were all precious too. I loved seeing them play together so nicely. So precious.


It was a great weekend.

Hiccups & Family

My baby has been having a lot of hiccups lately. heh Feels funky =) He's still moving around nicely in there.. not as major of movements as before, but I still feel him squirm around. My upper ribs on the right side is hurting again.. probably due to his kicking feet - trying to find room.

My parents have been with us since Sunday.. just been doing random errands with them and preparing for the shower this weekend. Been busy busy. My sister and her family will come in tonight. My brothers and cousin will drive in tomorrow. Tim's family will arrive on Saturday before the shower. I'm excited to see everyone and to have our shower.

Ok, time to do more stuff today. Need to be productive today! (And then rest!!) =)

Dance Party in Utero

I got this musical toy from one of my friends from work. It was on our registry actually.. I'm a fan of it. It's cute and fun. The other night, Tim and I played it against my tummy and our baby moved like crazy! hehe He was having a ball in there! hah! Having his own dance party! This was a lot of fun for all of us.. and it lasted for awhile. =) I wonder if he'll like the toy when he's out and about. (Most likely..)


My parents are in town now. They got in last night and we've been hanging out during the day today.


I can't wait for Thursday when the rest of my family gets in. I guess my niece Lily asked her dad this morning when she woke up "Is it Thursday yet?" She's excited to get here. hehe

Special Delivery!

We got a package yesterday from my friend Candace from Utah. Candace and her sister make awesome quilts. (I have very creative friends in Utah!) =) I got one for my birthday a few years ago, we got a large one for our wedding, and now, a baby quilt for our Little Babu. =) I use the one from my birthday almost daily. I love it. This baby quilt is a happy green one - very vibrant. And it has a bunch of cute jungle animals all over it. I'm sure our baby will love hanging out on it. Tim even mentioned that it's pretty big...  big enough that he might use it. So, thank you so much Candace for this special gift!

Getting Ready for Baby..

Tuesday night, Tim and I put the crib together. Confusion and delay with the delivery and assembly just got us more money back..  and in the end, it wasn't that bad to put the crib together. Went pretty smoothly. I had already washed everything for the crib on Saturday, so I was pretty excited to put everything together Tuesday night. I placed the wall hanging decor today to "complete" the look. Everything looks so cute to me. =) I'm in love with it. The first morning we woke up to the crib was interesting. heh It's weird to see a crib! =)


Our place is nice and clean.. getting ready for my parents to get here. And for our shower next weekend. I'm excited to see my family fly/drive in. I'm excited to see everyone who can make it to the shower. And slowly but surely, my hospital bag is getting stuff in it. I have some more stuff on my To Do list but I'm feeling good. It's already March.. wow! This pregnancy went by so quickly.