New Baby Site

Chris and I have started a new blog/website for all things baby. From photos of the baby and me, to products we've researched and liked. So from now on I'll keep my entries more about my experiences and feelings and leave the rest to the other site. So check out how it is nowadays with the Dooley's!

Let's get movin'

I think it was on February 8th that I first felt a new sensation in my lower abdomin. It wasn't pain, not gas, just a tiny little rumbling felt from the inside. I started to pay more attention throughout the day, suspecting that the tiny baby finally has enough strength to kick hard enough for me to feel.

My belly now feels bigger than ever. For the first time someone I didn't share the pregnancy news asked me "So how far along are you?" instead of just assuming I just had a big lunch.

My congestion and allergies has gotten worse too, even though all the books say that will happen. They don't tell you that you better hold your belly tight when you sneeze or it'll feel like it's going to pop. It really doesn't help when I sneeze at least 4,5 times in a row. And starting to get bloody noses from the constant nose blowing. I purchased a second humidifier with warm mist (The first one with cool mist felt more like a cold fan, I needed the visual of mist actually coming out to believe it's working). It seems to be helping, at least the bloody nose seems to have stopped.

As the days went by, the baby's movement seemed more obvious. I was able to hold Chris's hand to the belly and wait for the next kick. It's funny to imagine how the baby is trying to get comfortable inside.

Maybe next time we'll actually be able to see the movement from the surface of the skin! That'll be wild.

16-Weeks Ultrasound...The Movie

After waiting 4 weeks for our latest doctor's appointment, and one trip to Target to pick up a VHS tape (which I found out you can't just buy one, we now have four 6-hour-long video tapes and no VCR to play them on) We present...drum roll please.....the 16-Week Ultrasound movie. (please turn off your cell phone, thank you!)


BABY DOOLEY 16-Week Ultrasound (Edit) from Chris Dooley on Vimeo.

How amazing was that! I can't believe it's grown so much...well, then again I've put on about 10 lbs.

The last 4 weeks has been good. The nausea went away shortly after 12 weeks. My energy level is pretty much back to normal so I feel like I can be more productive again. The only craving I had for red meat (cooked well-done) has subsided. And my mind is working clear enough to tackle some of our bills and taxes that have been somewhat neglected over the past few months due to my "baby brain".

The only thing that hasn't changed is the number of times I need to go to the bathroom. It seems the extra room the baby needs is exactly where my bladder is. I get up as often as 4 times in the middle of the night. And to help with getting more comfortable at night. I bought a body pillow with an ultra-suede cover to hug when I go to sleep. The latest challenge is to only sleep on my side because sleeping on the back isn't good for the blood circulation to the baby. So I'm pretty much sleeping in a pillow fort.

Chris and I have also been diligent with our morning walks up to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, even when it's 35 degrees out and foggy. We've found that we function so much better throughout the day on days when we do get out of bed when the sun is barely up. The hot drinks and a warmed up butter croissant are great motivators.

We're scheduled in a few weeks for the "BIG" ultrasound at another facility. It'll be a more powerful machine that will check all the organs and blood flow for the baby. We hope you'll come back for the sequal.

Museum and photoshoot...a fun weekend!

On Thursday I picked up my new glasses from the optometrist. So glad that I'm able to see clearly again and not have to wear the eye patch anymore. The doctor said the eye is healing nicely and just one more appointment next week to check it out then he can prescribe contacts. Chris really likes the new frames, so maybe I will wear glasses more often and avoid another eye infection.



On Saturday, Janurary 19th, Chris and I went to Little Tokyo's Geffen Contemporary museum to check out the Murakami Exhibit.





I have seen his work before in books, but don't know much about hime...and definitely didn't expect the scale of the work we saw. There was more than 90 works in various media—painting, sculpture, installation, and film. He has a few character designs that I really enjoyed, including Inochi, a strange robot shown in a few videos with a funny song that's hard to get out of my head.



There was also the flowers with the big smiley faces that was super cute.



Afterwards we went to a japanese restaurant...it had a C rating...but there were a lot of people in there eating, so we didn't let that stop us. It was a nice meal, much better than a C.

On Sunday, I had to go to a Disney photoshoot for the movie High School Musicals 3. The tv show has gotten so popular, the stars of the show have become big stars in a short amount of time. I couldn't resist and brought along a few RubyLove tees for the talent. I waited until the shoot was over, and it was a very successful shoot, then gave them the tees before they left. Hopefully they'll be photographed wearing them at some point and I can use that to promote RubyLove.

ARRR!!!

So last saturday I had an optometrist appointment because I've been having blurry vision in my right eye. It turns out I have an infection and some irritation and swelling that was causing the vision change. Since it was minor and can heal on its own, the doctor wanted me to stay off my contacts and only wear my glasses. The problem was, my prescription for my glasses actually makes me see worse than the contacts. As the result of that, I was feeling nauseous and getting headaches.

I felt aweful on Sunday while watching tv, but since I had morning sickness before I wasn't sure if it was that or the vision. It wasn't until I got to work on Monday morning, when I realized I wasn't able to work. I couldn't see the monitor clearly or read anything up close. It was very frustrating and I had no choice but to go home.

I left work on a mission to buy an eye patch. You'd think it'd be an easy thing to find...but I went to CVS, Walgreens, and Ralphs, and none of them carry it. Chris went to the Walgreens near him and had no luck either.



Finally I found it at Rite Aid, and tried it out at home with a contact lens in the "good eye". After a few hours of straining the left eye. I just gave up and closed both eyes. I called work to let them know I won't be in for the week so the eye can heal. And I have another optometrist appointment on Saturday that I hope to get a new prescription and permission to wear my contacts again.

So for the last few days I've been resting with my eye patch, cleaning the house, taking walks, and doing yoga. I squeezed in a dentist appointment, a hair cut, and deep conditioned my hair.

I am looking forward to going back to work. My coworker Ann emailed me and told me the pieces I designed for the movie Step Up 2 at the Burbank Airport was a big hit at a meeting with the Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios! Also how much they miss me at work. My friend Steve said they don't know when to take lunch anymore since I was always the one who gathers the group to have lunch at 12:30. That's because I just love to eat and I'm always hungry! : )





As uncomfortable as it was to not be able to do the normal stuff, I was happy to be off the tv and computer for a while. The relaxation was also good for the baby.

11 Weeks and 6 Days

After coming back from San Diego, we had our last doctor visit of the year on December 27th. This appointment was for a test called the Nuchal Fold Scan, which measures the tissue behind the baby's neck that helps to assess the risk of Down syndrome. It's basically an ultrasound, which we enjoy seeing a new image of the baby. And this time, we got to see the baby move...and not just a little bit. The now 5cm long baby has legs that kicks and arms that stretches. It wouldn't stay still for quite a while for the nurse to take the measurement. The heart rate is now 176 beats/minute. We were told the rate peaks at about 9 weeks. So it is normal that it's gone down. We now can see a cute profile with a little nose.

The morning sickness seems to have gotten better, and my energy level is increasing. However my eye sight has started to bother me, which we read can happen during the pregnancy. I've also been more emotional, crying over a touching episode of Oprah where she visited South Africa for the first time and gave tens of thousands of children gifts of school supplies, clothes, shoes, and toys. It was a project called ChristmasKindness. I watched the show thinking that someday I'll be teaching the baby about giving to others.

Our next appointment is in about 4 weeks. We hope to find out the sex of the baby. Little fingers crossed!

Telling Chris's Mom

The train ride to San Diego was very easy. We moved along the ocean and arrived there a little over 2 hours. Chris's mom picked us up from the train station and took us across the bridge to Hotel Del Coronado. We stayed there last year also and really enjoyed our stay. They have decorated the hotel with holiday decorations, trees, and have an outdoor ice skating rink, which helps it to feel more like Christmas in the California 70 degree weather.

After checking and getting to our room, we suggested we give mom her gifts before we go to food. She had just moved into a new apartment and needed some new photos from us. So we framed a picure of Chris with mom's dog Alexa, and one of our wedding photos. Then the moment came to give her the picture with us and the ultrasound. I don't think I was ready for her reaction. Needless to say she was overwhelmed with joy. And that's when we gave her part two of that gift, we had gift wrapped some kleenex tissues knowing she'd need them after she saw the photos.

We had a nice lunch together and Chris and I went back to the room to rest. Since we both stayed up late the night before, we both took a really long nap. I had packed a few snacks for the trip and would wake up every few hours to eat something. Since there was nothing good on tv either, we took advantage of our time away and allowed ourselves to catch up on our sleep.

On Sunday morning we had brunch at the downstairs restaurant. Our only goal for the day was to walk along the beach, read by the pool, and get some ice cream from the Moo Time Creamery. We did well that day.

For dinner, we made reservations at 1500 Ocean, an upscale at the hotel. I think that's what we love about the Hotel Del, you can spend your whole vacation there and never have to get in your car! As soon as our waiter came we realized he also served us last year when we're there. We reminded him that and even gave him the update that we're expecting! later Mark, our waiter referred to himself as a new uncle.

Our meal was great and filling...I did cut up the rest of my steak and packed myself a little snack for later. The rest of the night was watching another showing of the movie "40 Year old virgin" and "Elf" which were playing all day on USA.

The next day Chris's mom picked us up from the hotel. We then checked into a Marriott closer to her apartment for Christmas eve. We spent the afternoon shopping and relaxing. Then we got to see her new apartment for the first time fully furnished. It's a really cute and fun apartment and she really enjoys living there and making friends with her neighbors. Two of them even dropped by to say hi to us.



Chris's mom prepared a nice Christmas dinner, and we spent the rest of the evening getting our Christmas gifts and watching A Christmas Story...which was also doing a marathon. We caught the rest of the movie back at our hotel, and saw more of Elf and 40-Year-Old Virgin. I think we must have watched pieces of those 3 movies 5 or 6 times in those few days.

We had a wonderful time in San Diego, but we were also ready to head back home.