Yes! The nursery is complete! We have assembled the dresser and the glider and we are ready for take off! :) We just need to add some finishing touches such as more artwork and a mirror on the wall. It is by far my most favorite room in the house! Here are some pics of the finished product and Mike goofing around with the Baby Bjorn! Can he be more excited?
The view from the doorway
The dresser and glider
Added some shelves to the closet
The proud father-to-be!
Hotter than Brad Pitt!
Our 31 week U/S was this morning and we are glad to say that the baby is doing great! He/she is measuring 1 week ahead but the doctor did not change my due date (darn!) Here are a few pictures of the little munchkin...can you see the pudgy little cheeks? So cute!
Our crib finally arrived earlier this week! Mike quickly rushed home on Tuesday to assemble it and it is beautiful! Definitely worth every penny :) We also have our glider shipping to us at this very moment so hopefully we will have it early next week. The dresser is also on its way. Wow, crazy how things are finally coming together. The nursery actually looks like a nursery. Mike and I frequently peek in the room, still unable to imagine that in two short months, a little baby will (hopefully) be napping in the room.
I would like this post to serve as a Public Service Announcement. Over the past few weeks, I have encountered several unfortunate incidents of people looking at me wide-eyed and saying "Wow, it looks like you are about to pop!" It has taken all my strength and patience not to take a running leap at them and tackle them with my "about to pop" belly. I know I look like I have swallowed a beach ball and I am waddling like a duck just to support this massive tumor I am carrying, but please people have the courtesy to keep your comments to yourself! It is hard enough to have a body that is out of control with the crazy hormones to boot that I don't really need to hear any snide comments about how I look! I really have enjoyed my pregnancy mind you but enough is enough! If you ever see a pregnant woman, the NICEST thing they will ever hear is "Wow, you look really small for how far along you are!" or "From the back you don't even look pregnant at all!" Take it from me, it will save you from an enraged hormonally crazed woman charging at you at high speeds, ready to suffocate you! Nuff said.
"Now weighing about 3 pounds (1,400 grams) and measuring about 10.8 inches (27 cm) from crown to rump, your baby continues to gain weight and layers of fat. This fat makes the baby look less wrinkly and will help provide warmth after birth.
In preparation for respiration after birth, your baby will mimic breathing movements by repeatedly moving the diaphragm. Your baby can even get the hiccups, which you may feel as rhythmic twitches in your uterus. "
It's week 30 for me! Can you believe the baby is all squished up in my tummy like that? I have only ten more weeks to go! We're still waiting for the crib which will hopefully get in sometime this week. I've found myself sitting in the nursery and looking around. It's crazy to think that in two short months, we will have a baby occupying the room. Noodles (our dog) continually sniffs around the room as if to say "I know something's up, what are you guys not telling me?" Mike is in Seattle this week so I am trying to occupy myself with random house chores. It's a bit hot in Denver, a sweltering 95 degrees as we speak, so I've cranked up the A/C and turned on all the fans. Our energy bill may be quite high this summer, but Mike thinks it's worth every penny. He does not want to have a cranky pregnant wife roaming about!
As posted yesterday, Melissa graduated from high school this week and Mike was able to attend the graduation. Even though it was barely for 24 hours (left Wednesday and returned Thursday), he had a blast with his sisters. Here's a few pics!
Crazy kids
Mike and Melissa
The graduate
Don't ask
It was a relaxing Memorial Day weekend at the McLeans. We started it off by eating at our favorite BBQ restaurant, Jabos. On Saturday, Mike tackled his favorite task of mowing the lawn. Unfortunately, we have some brown spots which made Mike a little sad. He has always been so proud of our green grass but for some reason this season, we have some mysterious browning on some large areas of the lawn. Nevertheless, the green areas are REALLY GREEN. Later that evening, we had our friend John over for some Filipino food. Since I have been out of work for the last couple of months, I have been able to hone my skills in cooking. I am now proud to say I can cook a pretty decent meal of Adobo and Nilaga! It was off to Costco on Sunday to do our monthly shopping there. On Monday, we enjoyed the beautiful 70 degree weather in Boulder. We love to go Boulder because of its quaint little shops and just for the laid-back environment. We took Noodles with us but because of the larger dogs walking the streets, he was confined in his pet-carrier backpack. It has a mesh screening that allows him to survey his surroundings. He may not have been able to walk but he sure got a lot of oohs-ahh's from the people who saw him. Like Mike says, he's a chick magnet.
Mike and I would like to congratulate Melissa (Mike's little sis) for graduating from Chandler High School! Four down, two more to go! As many of you know, Mike has five sisters--Marianna, Meghan, Melissa, Monica, and Melinda! Melissa is now the fourth McLean to graduate from C-town. The McLean siblings have been infamous for their amazing musical talents especially in the percussion arena. Mike started the trend nine years ago when he put on the blue and whites (marching band uniform). (I still found him sizzling-hot). The girls have followed in his footsteps and has always exceeded our expectations. We wish Melissa all the luck with her new life out of high school. It's a great adventure and we are excited to see what she makes of it!
I'm such a lucky girl! Two showers within a week! After spending the week with my 'rents in Arizona, we drove to L.A where my Auntie Abet was holding a baby shower for me. What a day! The sun was shining, the birds were chirping---unlike the gloomy and rainy days earlier that week. My aunt's backyard was beautifully decorated and judging by the amount of favors and prizes she gave out, my aunt went above and beyond my expectations. I am so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends and I want to sincerely thank everyone for the their presence and their generosity that day. As it gets closer and closer till Baby McLean makes his/her arrival, the more confident I am that this child will have a great future. With the type of family I have, it is undoubtedly going to be showered with love everyday of his/her life. Now I have the daunting task of organizing all the clothes, toys, blankets, etc in the nursery. Wish me luck!
Last weekend, my mom and my best friend Angeline threw me a baby shower in sunny (and very hot) Arizona. What could have been more appropriate for Mother's Day? It was a wonderful shower surrounded by family and friends. I want to sincerely thank everyone for being there and sharing such a special occasion with me and Mike. I want to thank my Dad for the incredible array of appetizers (his specialty). Thank you Auntie Abet for helping out and for the awesome cake that I have been eating nonstop since then! But I want to especially thank Mom and Angeline for the giving me such a wonderful day!
Sigh, so it's been almost a week since our home computer decided to crash on us. Meaning--I am now without computer and internet for the 10 hours Mike is at work and I am sitting staring at the walls at home. Thank goodness Mike has a handy little laptop that I can use when he gets home! He literally sets it up first thing as soon as he walks through the door! Oh well, just a couple of more weeks till we either get a brand new computer or the Data Doctors can rebuild the broken one :(
As far as pregnancy news is concerned, I am definitely much bigger! I won't indulge my weight gain so far but let's just say we will have a big baby by the time this is over! I am scheduled for my 1 hour glucose test in three weeks which will determine if I run any risk for gestational diabetes. After that appointment, the doctor will be seeing me every two weeks. How time flies! I am almost finished with my sixth month (I am at 26 weeks) which means I am entering the third trimester! Mike and I took the hospital tour on Tuesday and we were very impressed with the facility. The hospital is literally two miles from the house, meaning we could be there within minutes for any scares or emergencies! The rooms are all private and quite spacious. They even have cable t.v and internet (you know just in case I want to check my email between contractions!) I've also been reading a lot of baby books regarding developing healthy sleeping habits. This will definitely be a learning experience for me and Mike. More so for myself because Mike does have five little sisters that trained him quite well. Better prepared than not!
Yes, we are one of those couples who celebrate their "dating" anniversary. Call us cheesy or losers but we like to remember the day that we started to officially go out! It was April 27, 1997, the night of our junior prom, when Mike casually asked me "So, you wanna go out?". And I, the ever shy and modest girl said "Sure!" (In reality, I was really quietly squealing with joy inside). I can't believe that we are now in Denver, Colorado eagerly anticipating the arrival of our first child!
It's been a couple of weeks since I've been back in good ol' Denver and I thought I'd post a few pictures and thoughts about my recent trip to the Philippines. As most of you know, I spent about a total of 10 years of my childhood there. My Dad worked as an expat that required him to work in the Philippines and Korea two to four years at a time. I left the Philippines when I was eight years old, lived in Korea for four years, and then moved back to the Philippines for another 2 years. By the age of 14, we permanently moved to the United States. My childhood in the Philippines is marked with wonderful memories. There were picnics in the park, rollerskating in Camp John Hay, bicyling through Burnham, playing with my cousins, eating ice cream in Session Road...and these are only a few of the many memories that reinforces that the Philippines is my true home. I was very anxious to return after a 12 year absence. I was excited to see the changes but more excited to see what had not. After a torturous 30+ hour trip, we were finally in Baguio City, the city where I was born. It is about 6 hours from Manila, a beautiful city nestled in the highlands of the Philippines, surrounded by pine trees and sunflowers. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines" because of its mild weather. It is much cooler than the hot and humid Manila or the lowland provinces. Although the city is now overrun by houses literally built on top of each other, there are still some beautiful views of the mountains and the rice terraces that inhabit them. I was in shock by the amount of people that walk the streets and the number of cars on the roads (which by the way lacks any form of traffic signals or laws). Riding in a car required lots of prayers and gasps as we narrowly avoided oncoming cars left and right. I was able to visit many familiar places such as the churches I once attended, the grottoes that I once visited, the parks, the restaurants, and many other landmarks. Being pregnant, I did not hesitate to each every morsel of food that I had not tasted in years! That included many of the fruits such as star apples and chiccos or the vegetables---ararusit, zayote, cigarillas (sp?), and many others. I also enjoyed the roasted corn, siopao, and halo-halo. Nevertheless, Mike was VERY jealous. Aside from the food and the places I visited, I was also able to spend some time with my family. I am the only "girl" cousin who resides in the States so it was very important for me to spend time with my girl cousins in the Philippines. I grew up with them and always considered them my best friends. It was nice to reconnect and I already miss them terribly. The trip only reinforced my love for my country and the traditions that I hope to pass on to my children. Family, faith, and community are such integral parts of the Pilipino culture. I hope Mike will be able to join me on my next trip to the Philippines, no doubt he will enjoy it!
I'm very amused by the unsupervised cows strolling the street!
At the local market.
Yummy veggies!
Local delicacies- fish and ararusit!
As Mike has previously posted, he has been busily working on the nursery while I was away. Yes, he spent many anights (particulary last weekend) till 2 or 3 in the morning taping, priming, stapling, caulking, and painting. It was well worth the effort because it turned out beautiful! Since our little baby will be a surprise, we chose gender neutral colors like greens and yellows as the primary colors of the nursery. Mike also did a great job matching the colors of the bedding to the paint. I am so proud of him! He also managed to buy a few miscellaneous items such as diapers, wipes, and a cute little Microsoft teeshirt to accent the room! He bought the stroller even though my mom had already had dibs on that purchase. Needless to say we are counting down the days until we see our little one and put the room into use!
Wow, Mike and I are jetsetters. Him blogging from Seattle and me in L.A. Nothing beats home though which I have been immensely missing since being gone for one month. Don't get me wrong, it's been an incredible experience going back home to the Philippines (a trip of which I will go into greater detail when I get back to Denver) but I miss the normal routine of life. Waking up in the morning to let Noodles out, fixing my bagel and coffee before heading out to work...(not missing work too much so we can skip that)...going home, watching Jeopardy, playing with Noodles, and especially hanging out with Mike. It may seem mundane to most people but I do miss it a lot. Check back with me in a couple of weeks to see if I still feel the same! As for my babe-in-the-oven update, the little one has definitely been very active. Just like my nightowl of a husband Mike, the baby likes to kick away at night while sleeping the day away. I'm definitely much much bigger than when I left, thanks to the delicious food the Philippines offered to me! No regrets though, just a few rounds in the elliptical machine and some aerobics should get me back on track (or so I hope!). Alright, bedtime for myself and the baby!
I'm just about to hop on a plane and return to home sweet home. I've been in Seattle since Monday, attending a kickoff for a new Microsoft product. It's been quite beautiful out here. I think Seattle keeps trying to trick me because every time I fly to Redmond it's clear and sunny!
It has been a very intense week, so I'm glad to get back to Denver. The team putting on the product launch was nice enough to take everyone to a Seattle Mariners game on Tuesday night. "We" played the Angels and really whooped their you-know-what. Our seats were in the Microsoft suite which helped shelter us from the cold breeze.
Poor Noodles has been all alone this week since Genevieve is still gone. She landed in LA on Tuesday and will fly into Denver Sunday night. It will be great to see her again.....but this also means I have a lot of work Friday night and Saturday to finish off the nursery. Pics to come!
As Genevieve mentioned in her most recent post, she has traveled to the Philippines to visit her relatives. She has been gone about two weeks now, and won't be back until April 9th. Life here is totally different. Noodles and I are confused because the dishes are dirty, there are no clean clothes, and we are out of food for some reason. OK, I kid, I kid. We're managing, but it's evident there has been a disturbance in the force.
I've been occupying myself by working a lot, doing things around the house, and hanging out with friends. Oh yeah, I've also played a couple of video games here and there. :)
My main project this month is getting the nursery in order. I want to have it painted before Genevieve returns. We still have 4 1/2 months until the baby arrives, but I want to get everything completed as early as possible. I suppose I'm just weird like that. I ordered the crib (yay!) and it is set to arrive no later than June 18th. We decided on the Charleston by Munire in a natural wood. The natural wood should make it easier to match additional furniture pieces.
These are all the updates for now! Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Additional note: There was volcanic activity in the Philippines last week and some people have asked if this occured anywhere near Genevieve. Luckily, the answer is "no". She and her family are spending most of their time in Baguio, about 5 hours away from Manila.
I am off to visit my home country of the Philippines. Not the easiest trip to make when you are almost five months pregnant but it will be worth it! I am leaving Colorado, Sunday March 12th and will not be back till April 9th! That's right, Mike will be all my himself for almost one whole month! What's a guy to do!? He has promised me that he will start on the nursery (painting at least) and he will surely indulge himself with all the XBOX 360 that his heart desires. He will also be solely responsible for taking care of Noodles. I wouldn't be surprised if Noodles had green hair and a mohawk by the time I get back. Mike has promised Noodles that they will have a grand ol' time partying! Ha! Although I am excited to take this trip, I am dreading spending the nights away from my two favorite guys. We've never been this far apart ever! I warned Mike that by the time I get back, I will be needing a crane to airlift me through the roof of the house because I will undoubtedly enjoy every bit of Pilipino food the country has to offer. I am also really curious how the country has progressed (or so we hope) in the last 12 years I have been away. It is hard for me to imagine what is like right now. Expect to see a full-fledged report about my trip when I get back! We have also scheduled the "Big U/S" for April 13th. Although we will not be finding out the sex of the baby, it will be exciting to see all of the fingers, toes, and more precise features of the baby this time. So, I am signing off. Mike will keep you updated on my trip, the nursery, and all the shenanigans he gets himself into while I am away!
I read an article on 9news.com yesterday about a Boulder elementary school being the first in our nation to implement skateboarding as a P.E. activity. How cool is that! According to the article, practicing activities which focus on hand-eye coordination also help in the classroom because it stimulates both hemispheres of the brain. I hope they're right!
You can read the entire article here: http://tinyurl.com/gsyqy
