36 Weeks

Pregnancy: 36 Weeks

Weight gain/loss: 35 lbs Oh Yeah!!!! Imagine carrying
an extra dumbbell of weight everywhere with you!





Maternity clothes: Still some maternity some regular. It is starting to get warmer and I have yet to try on the maternity shorts I bought in December. Fingers crossed they fit!
<----Here is what I wore on our date night. Maternity jeans from the GAP, tank from ZARA(bought here in Seoul) and Anne Klein Shrug top.


Stretchies: none that are visible to me.

Sleep: I am finally recovered from jet lag and sleep has been pretty good. I have noticed I am going to bed earlier and waking up earlier.

Feeling: Interesting.........one day I feel like Lincoln has dropped a lot!!!! Waddle.....Waddle : ) and I can breath again. Then the next day back to normal. I have noticed more menstrual type cramps and lower back pain the last few days.

Best moment(s) this week: Jon and I had a date night on Saturday! We wandered around the Apuyeong area stopping in at a few random stores one being a pet shop. We saw the cutest little guy! He was a mini-Lily. He wanted us to take him home, but for the 1,500,000w price tag. I don't think so!!!!

After a lot of walking we headed to Korean BBQ at one of our new favorite restaurants in Seoul. Don't know the name but it's delicious : ) here are some pics of our evening!




Some of the Korean escalators are made for a single person, so there for we have to wait in line.










Jon even tried MUSHROOMS FOR ME!!!! Grilled mushrooms in Seoul taste so amazing!















Me the grill master of the evening. This was a thin slice marinated Kalbi(beef) with some mushrooms. You can eat it straight off the grill or wrapped in lettuce with some yummy sauce!






Jon enjoying some of our Naengmyeon for "dessert" It is a chilled buckwheat noodle in a ginger broth usually has some korean pears and cucumbers. You can add mustard or spice if you want. It is soooooo yummy!!! and Jon has loved it ever since I introduced him to it : ) and now I get very little!



Food cravings: Now it is Korean BBQ after our fab date night! Jon also mentioned Lucy's Pie Shop in the Ichon-Dongbu area and now I am craving a piece of pie. I think I will take a walk there sometime today and get a slice for us to share for dessert(; ) Jon doesn't really like pie so I know I get 3/4 of then!)

Movement: I think he is going to jump out of my stomach soon!

Labor signs: While walking in Apuyeong I thought for sure he would be coming soon! I was having crazy lower back pain and feeling like he would fall out at any minute!

Belly button in or out: See pic :)

Things I miss: Snuggling with my husband on the couch : ), wearing cute high heels, having ankles, wearing my wedding ring ; (




What I am looking forward to: Nursery furniture comes today! I will do a nursery post once everything is set up!
And.........My friends Mary, Alyssa and Marina are throwing us a Baby Shower on Sunday! So excited to see everyone, have girl time! Can't wait to post pics next week!!! Here is the invite they sent out. It is so cute!





Next Appointment: April 15th(ironically Lincoln's Auntie Sarah's real day of birth in Seoul) : ) It would be a great day to have Lincoln! Interesting that I will be 37 weeks which is considered full term. Things are soooo different here. I thought my next appointment would have been at 36 weeks ?!?!?!?!

Milestones: Soon having a somewhat completed nursery!

Interesting Facts/Information: I have started drinking a 3rd Trimester tea by Earth Momma Angel Baby It is an interesting blend of tea, not something I am quite used to enjoying, but if it helps I will give it a try! I love drinking tea so I don't mind trying something new and then once Lincoln comes I will be switching up to the MilkMaids Tea. We also purchased the shampoo/body wash for Lincoln at the Coex Baby Fair. I will have to do a little review on it after his first bath!

Weekly wisdom: I have discovered the one and only part of my body that has gotten smaller during this whole process.....my bladder! Although, upon discovery it didn't really make me feel any better!

Making a decision to have a child--it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
-- Elizabeth Stone

33 Weeks

Pregnancy: 33 Weeks!!! 7 Weeks left!!!!

Weight gain/loss:: ) I think this is the point where I stop revealing the numbers : ) haha.....No I am not really sure until next week when I head to the Doc in IA.

Maternity clothes: I took a little trip to my favorite place to shop VON MAUR!!! Ah it was a great birthday present to myself. They do not carrying any maternity but with the trends now I did find a couple cute tops.

Stretchies: They have to be coming soon! My skin is stretched to the limit!

Sleep:Well, with the jet lag this week it has been hit or miss. Now if this was for my husband he is probably getting some much needed rest! All those extra pillows and "extra" wife gone! : )

Feeling:Really good! This week I did have some unusual swelling in my hands, feet and face, but it has seemed to go away a bit. Also, a little nausea and light headed on my birthday......boo! I think it was due to flying, maybe a little dehydration and just needing to keep my feet up.

Best moment(s) this week: The Coex Baby Fair!!!! We ordered Lincoln's crib, dresser/changer, high chair, bedding, bathtub, bottle sanitizer and a few little things. That was a GREAT feeling to have it done! Here are some pictures.....


My birthday and the best gift my husband could have ever given me!(well, besides Lincoln) Surprising my family was awesome! Seeing the look on their faces when I walked in the door was priceless! Lily was very excited to see me! : ) For anyone that doesn't know Lily is my dog, who is now living with my Grandma & Grandpa Van Wyk.

Movement:I had read that the movement was supposed to decrease soon, but not for me! He is moving all around! He was excited to kick a few new people this week......Kinze(Roo), Kylee(Cakers), Tick and Jordan(Brother). It was fun to have family feel him or see him moving around,

Food cravings: Desserts of course!!!! : ) Believe it or not Goldie's is literally a minute from Mom's house and I have not stopped yet! I am proud of myself! Since i have been back I have been eating a lot of Fish! Ah, love it! Bonefish was one of the first restaurant stops I had Haddock with feta, artichokes & basil! Yum!!! The waitress suggested their brownie with macadamia nuts sprinkled on top, raspberry sauce and ice cream for dessert and of course I had to have a birthday dessert! It is not hard to up sell to a pregnant woman! I am telling you pregnant or not that dessert was phenomenal!!!!!

Labor signs: still Braxton hicks! When I first got on the long flight from Tokyo to Chicago(11hrs) I had a few "contractions" minutes apart, but I drank water and calmed myself and I was fine!

Belly button in or out: OUT!!!

Things I miss: This week my husband! It is hard being away from him so long! I love being back with family, but it is funny how much I miss Seoul and my friends there. It truly is our home now! Pregnancy related I would say being around some of my favorite places and not being able to splurge on coffee, pastries, wine etc. Oh my daily consuming of Korean "clementines"! I eat at least 8 a day! Hey they are healthy!

What I am looking forward to: Seeing more friends, family, hanging out with my Mom, watching NEW MOON ; ), a pedicure, seeing Baby Aiden, Kelly's Baby Shower next Sunday, oh there are sooo many!!!!

Next Appointment: I am going to head to my old OB this week just to get checked out, but in Seoul it's Thursday, April 1st @ 1:55pm at that point I will be 35 weeks and start going every week! Wow!!!

Milestones: Packing my suitcase(1 that's right!) for my international trip for 2 weeks at under 20 lbs!!!!!! I was proud of myself! I would also have to say making it to Tokyo(2hrs), Chicago(11hrs), Iowa(1hr) without going into labor ; ) lol.......

Interesting Facts: Lincoln is the size of a honeydew melon! Seriously can not believe that he is that big and in my tummy!!!!

Weekly wisdom: turning sideways actually equals more width than facing forward! ! : ) I discovered this while visiting my Grandpa & Grandma Van Wyk. So many years of sliding between Grandpa(in his chair at the kitchen table) and the oven; so you can get to the bathroom is just not possible anymore! Picture a skinny cow commercial!

32 Weeks

Pregnancy: 32 Weeks!!! 8 Weeks left!!!!

Weight gain/loss: Yep, I gained more! :) Dr told me I was a little on the high side for weight gain and needed to exercise more! :) lol I am feeling pretty good with my approx. 11-12 kg weight gain. He said he would give me 3 kg. more.***Koreans tend to me obsessed with weight, so the weight comment came to no surprise!!!!***

Here is a little pregnancy progression to celebrate the weight gain!!(12wks, 22wks, 32wks)
Maternity clothes: Still a mix of regular and maternity clothes. Just found out that H&M has opened in Meyeong-dong(a trendy shopping area in Seoul) and they have maternity, nursing & baby/kids clothes!!! YAY!!!!

Stretchies: I'm lathering up 2 times a day with oil and lotion!! I still don't think I have got them, yet. Jon tells me I do not have any.

Sleep: I slept better this week!!! I am not sure what I did differently but I woke up 4 of 7 nights with NO back pain!!! YAY!!!

Feeling: I love being pregnant! I have been feeling really good! I can tell that the extra weight with my frame isn't the best, but I still enjoy it!!

Best moment(s) this week: We finally ordered custom dining chairs for our table that we have had since October. :)Then Monday we received our baker's cart for the kitchen and finally a box from my Mother-in-law that was stuck in customs(story below list)!!! It was massive & filled with GREAT surprises!!!!

1.Boppy Pillow
2.6 PJs(really cute!!)
3.little 3 mo. jean shorts & polo(so cute!!)
3.Packets of Ranch dressing mix & taco seasoning 16 total
4.6 pasta sides......Delicious! :)
5.2 bags of lindt truffles!!!!(don't tell the Doc!)
6.Medela BPump & accessories

(Men you may skip this section :))

Now ladies you obviously know what I am talking about when I say BPump right?!? Well, try explaining it to Korean customs! I called in because we had not received the package on time and the Korean lady explained she had some questions regarding the contents of the package. She needed to know what a "Bu-Rest-A Poomp"(best Konglish ever!) was before it could be released!

Konglish (Korean: 콩글리시) is the use of English words (or words derived from English words) in a Korean context. The words, having initially been taken from English language, are either actual English words in Korean context[1], or are made from a combination of Korean and English words. It is considered a sub language.[2] Common sentence structure or vocabulary mistakes made by Koreans has also been referred to as Konglish.[3][4][5] Words and phrases borrowed from English or other languages may be shortened if Koreans using them feel they are too long.[6]

Well, duh! I was like BABY, FEED BABY,you know MILK!! She still did not get it! It's not like it was a bomb! Was I just supposed to come out and say "Lady, it's to milk your girls!!" I went through thirty minutes of torture explaining bpump, bmilk storage bags, bmilk storage bottles, lanisoh bpads....... ah! Anyway, you get the point!

We also received a very special outfit from our Aunt Becky, Uncle Dave & Cody! It was a black & red Adidas soccer outfit with little soccer shoes!!! Jon's favorite soccer team is AC Milan so he was thrilled!

Movement: Still really active! I can feel exact body parts now! Elbows, feet, his little butt!

Food cravings: Right now I am craving a Goldie's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Twister(only made by my cuz Kylee, she's the best at them!!)For those of you that don't know what Goldie's is. It's a local ice cream shop where I grew up! Yummy!
So on a quest to find a replacement I found a recipe for egg less cookie dough. I made it today.......it is not the same! It will do for now and it is better for the baby. I thought Jon would be thrilled with cookie dough in the fridge. Well, I was wrong, it didn't fool him either. Now I just need to test it with my previous Hot Fudge Sundae concoction.
(also, a S&S Special from Sugar Shack.....Chocolate ice cream with Reese's peanut butter cups! DeLISH!)
**Maybe that Korean doc was right! :) NAH!!!!

Labor signs: Nope, just Braxton Hicks. Is that better Jon? :) He didn't understand what I meant by BHicks in a previous post.

Belly button in or out: Sometimes flat & sometimes REALLY popping out!

Things I miss: Family & Friends! WINE! I have been watching the caffeine....so I really miss my regular amounts of coffee!

What I am looking forward to: Heading to the Baby Expo this weekend! My 27th Birthday on St. Patty's Day(THE best day to have your birthday, Thanks Mom!)!!!!! And a VERY special present my husband gave me early! I will explain that next week!

Next Appointment: Thursday, April 1st @ 1:55pm for ANOTHER ultrasound and doc visit. They are crazy with the ultrasounds!!! I have had a completely healthy/normal pregnancy(thank goodness!) and I have already had ultrasounds at 9,13,23,29 weeks and now this one at 35 weeks. Crazy!

Milestones: 8 weeks left!!!

Interesting Facts: Not really an interesting fact, but here is what Lincoln most likely looks all crammed in my belly : )
Weekly wisdom: Hmmm.... Well, this has nothing & yet everything to do with pregnancy.....

I have always known that I have been extremely blessed with an amazing God, amazing family, amazing friends, but this week I once again was reminded of what a great person my husband truly is. He is a hard worker and committed to everything he does... God, school, work, family, friends, me and now adding in our son. He is always striving to not only keep a great balance between them all but to improve every relationship to the absolute fullest. I respect and love him so much for everything he does for our family! He is going to be an exceptional father. He will not always be perfect, but he will always be working to be better! To me that is more admirable than perfection!

31 Weeks

Pregnancy: 31 Weeks!!!

Weight gain/loss: I will find out at the Dr on Friday. I am guessing I have gained at least 2-3 more lbs.

Maternity clothes: I have become partial to wearing leggings & long tops. I am till wearing a mix of regular clothes(pic above is regular shirt YAY!) & maternity. You know, I really LOVE maternity clothes! I may wear them forever!

Stretchies: not that I can see(fingers crossed.......toes too!)

Sleep: Rough!!! Poor Jon! He has no room & it isn't getting any better! I think I add a new pillow every 2 weeks. We also had friends in town this past weekend. We had a great time, but I was/am exhausted!!!!

Feeling: Still feeling great! My back & top left abdominal muscles are starting to bother me, but overall I so feel lucky to have such a wonderful pregnancy!

pic above was taken around 2:30am at a night out with friends

Best moment this week: Jian, Jon's Best Friend/Best Man, got to meet the belly! and his girlfriend Carmen! I bought 3 really cute onesies at Lotte(Korean Macy's) & one of them possibly for Lincoln's coming home outfit!
Movement: He is one active little boy! Feet in the ribs is his new thing! I have noticed he responds differently to Jon's touch(excitement, lots of movement), than he does to mine(calming, soothing), it is so incredible!

Food cravings: Oh my! I have done really well on the cravings UNTIL NOW! I don't know if it is because I have actually found some snacks I recognize or what! I mean who craves sea weed, anchoives, and wild roots when you can have chocolate cake, ice cream, pickles(REAL ones!), etc.

Speaking of the ice cream, my Dad would be proud! I have been having a small bowl of vanilla ice cream, with nestles chocolate milk mix sprinkled on top & chocolate syrup for an evening snack/dessert! :) yum! Bring back memories Dad!


I also have a new love for Rotiboy buns! Yum! They are a sweet bread filled with milky sugar butter! The smell alone is worth the 2,500w each(approx $2). They are absolutely incredible!

Labor signs: Still the good ole' Bhicks. They are getting stronger, but nothing in a definitive pattern.

Belly button in or out: Depends on how I sit or how much I eat. :) I would say flat/out.

Things I miss: Bathtubs!!!(we only have showers), Ber's backrubs, family & friends, WINE!, and being able to dance!

What I am looking forward to: Baby Expo at Coex next week

Next Appointment: Friday, March 5th @ 3:45pm(12:45am CST)with Dr. Choi

Weekly wisdom: I have been stressing about Lincoln's nursery for a while now. It is so hard to find things in Seoul that are resonably priced & fit our needs. It has left me feeling like we are bringing this innocent little child home to nothing. He will have nothing!

Then I read this excerpt, from a book that my Mother & Father-in-law gave me. It couldn't have come at a better time.

"More crucial than the physical enviroment that surrounds your children is the emotional enviroment of your home. A stable, secure home life flows from a stable, secure marriage. The best way to prepare your nest, far more important than preparing a room, is to strengthen that love relationship."

Milestones: Single digits for weeks! 9 left!!!

Interesting Facts:
The boy's name Lincoln \l(i)-nco-ln, lin-coln\ is pronounced LINK-en. It is of Old English origin, and its meaning is "lake colony". The name of an early Roman settlement in England. Surname made famous by American President Abraham Lincoln. Football player Lincoln Kennedy.

Lincoln has 2 variant forms: Linc and Link.
Baby names that sound like Lincoln are Langly, Langley, Langlee and Langlea.
Interesting, but NO nicknames here, or my husband will have a fit! :)

30 Week Bump

Pregnancy: 30 Weeks (70 days left!!!!)

Gender: All Boy!!!!

Name: Lincoln (middle name still under discussion)

Weight Gain: I am sure at least 20 lbs! We don't have a scale in our apartment so I only get weighed every 4 weeks. So far no comments from the Dr on weight gain. They also measure me in KG which gets me a little confused(but I am okay with that!) ;)

Sleep: CRaZy DrEaMS and up to 3 pillows and a Boppy Cuddle getting much harder to fit Jon on the bed :)

Feeling: Great! Only complaint is back is starting to hurt on the right side and left abdominal pain due to stretched tummy muscles.

Health: Good, passed the Glucose test :) YAY!!!

Movement: LOTS! Rolls, punches, kicks, etc.

Belly: No stretch marks {yet}. Belly button slightly popping out. Linea Negra is very faint, but can be seen under my belly button.

Next Appointment: 31 weeks, March 5th with Dr. Choi @ Samsung Medical Center

Milestones: We had a 4D Growth US. Lincoln was 1,038grams(2.3lbs) Not baby related but exciting to me we FINALLY got a microwave!!!!!, a rolling baker's rack for storage and a water dispenser! :) Ah, moving up in Seoul!



Interesting Facts: Baby's now the size of a squash!( see pregnancy counter in right column)

As baby's skin smooths out, his brain just keeps getting more wrinkled. All those grooves and indentations increase surface area, meaning more room for that oh-so-essential brain tissue. He's also adding some brawn -- his grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger.