happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! We had a little party at Caleb's (my bro-in-law) It was fun! I ate too much chocolate. So I'm done for a while.This year, I dressed up as a Cave woman. Thanks to Robin for the costume. I borrowed it from her because we decided not to spend money for Halloween costume. Isaac did not dress up this year. He had to work till 8pm. It kinda sucked! But he still showed up at the party! It was pretty fun!

Why I love fall...

This is what see outside my living room window. Our beautiful bright red tree! It only turns red during fall.

Here's a better picture.

Update

I signed up for "Baby Care Basics Class" today. It's a 3-hour-class and is free of charge. Baby Care Basics will prepare us for survival of the first 1-2 weeks at home with our new baby. This class provides basic parenting skills, including: bathing, diapering, dressing, comforting, feeding and safety issues for the newborn. It probably sounds unnecessary to some, but it'll be a great help for Isaac and I. Plus we get to meet first time parents in the class. They also asked me if I wanted to sign-up for Breastfeeding class. I am thinking about it, but I guess it's not necessary for me, I can read about it or ask my mom.

I get more and more excited each day. This little man is so special and loved. We make sure that I eat right and take my prenatal vitamins everyday. It's hard to sleep through the night now. Last night, I tossed and turned like a hundred times. I started to get a little frustrated, but then I realized, it's all worth it. For every discomfort, leg cramps, back pain and etc, I just think of how lucky I am to be experiencing all these. I have said these many times before, and I'm going to say this again. I LOVE BEING PREGNANT! I know there will be more changes to come. Probably, stretchmarks in the near future :-) But I will always be thankful for this blessing.

We're so ready!

Isaac knows how to hold a newborn baby. He's a natural!

My friend had her baby boy 5 days ago. We visited them today. We held the baby and it was indeed exciting! As I was holding and watching the baby, it made my heart melt. I felt joy in my heart. I can't wait for the time when I hold our very own baby.

Charlie's Halloween Costume

We got him a tarantula Halloween costume today. It's super cute. He wanted to chew his costume while we're putting it on. He did not like it at first, but eventually forgot he was wearing it. We enjoyed taking some pictures. He's very calmed in these pictures as you can see, but he wasn't. We totally had to entertain him and divert his attention from the costume for these shots.

Charlie's obsession with peanut butter

It's been a while since I blogged about our cute puppy, Charlie. He's doing great! He's a healthy puppy! He's almost 8 months old now, and the most loyal and loving puppy in the world.
Lately, he has an obsession with peanut butter. Whenever he smells it, he goes crazy. So we trained him to stand up like a human so he can have some peanut butter. And boy, he'll do it!!! He's so funny! here's a short video... ENJOY!

A beautiful Poem

A simple poem caught my attention today. It made me think about our future. Our new addition will change our lives forever. We're grateful for this wonderful opportunity to be Alex's parents and to raise him in this world. We prayed for this child. Heavenly Father truly hears and answers our sincere prayer. Our bundle of joy is coming very soon.

Here's the poem...


A Baby Changes ThingsA baby changes things;
They’ll never be the same;
Your life is filled with wonder,
Since your little miracle came.There’s lots of things to do now,
But with the new tasks you face,
Your family gains more love,
And bonds time will never erase.
By Karl and Joanna Fuchs

Don't ever forget to pray

This is the song that I always sing for Alex before I go to bed. It's written by President Gordon B. Hinckley. I taught this song to my Nephew, Tyler when he was almost 2, with sign language . He still remembers the the song until now. He's turning 5 soon. And now, I'm teaching this song to my son. It's a beautiful primary song.Click the the picture to see the lyrics.

I love good deals!

We were looking for a big mirror in the store for our nursery room. The size that we want costs $75 and up for a brand new! Crazy huh? I even tried looking for a used one on craigslist. It's still cost 30 and up for a big mirror, and we still have to pick it up. Our baby's room is small, so a big mirror will make it bigger. Finally, I decided to go to the thrift store as my last resort. I didn't find anything at all except this cute little picture frame. It's 90% discount... I used my coins to pay for this. So cute! On my way home, I found a garage sale sign and followed the address. I guess it's my lucky day. I found the perfect big mirror! It's a solid heavy wood frame, and in excellent condition! The price is also perfect!!! Guess how much? It's $2.00! That's right! I painted it to match the room. I am blogging about this because I don't ever get awesome deals all the time.

here's my 2 dollar mirror!It kinda looks small in this picture, but it's a pretty good size.

Isaac+Sarah= Alex

Based on my latest ultrasound, my estimated due date is now January 30, 2010, instead of February 2. I still hope he'll decide to come out a week or two early.I can't wait to see his cute little face! I have 13-15 weeks left. It's getting really close. Alex is such a joy to us. His little kicks would make me giggle like a little girl! It's pretty funny! I can feel a strong bond between me and my son. I can already tell that he's a music lover.I play the piano for him everyday, and he loves it! He kicks when I stop.I guess he's saying, "Mommy, play some more please". He loves listening to my students playing the piano too. Sometimes I find it hard to teach and not giggle, because I feel a little nudge inside me.

In the morning, Alex is like an alarm clock. He would wake me up by stretching and kicking. He's telling me that it's time to eat :-) It is so precious to me that we eat the same food. We are one, and he's mine! After breakfast, he would move a lot. It is his way of saying, "thanks Mom and Dad! I love the food!"
I would like to say thank you to my husband for fixing breakfast every single morning with a cheerful heart and smile on his face! . Isaac, you are a very loving Dad and a husband. We are so blessed to have you.

I am also excited to see my newest Nephew, Darren. He is also scheduled to make his appearance in January. He's probably going to be few days older than Alex, or few days younger. We'll see who decides to come out first.I know they're going to be best of friends. I can't wait to see them play together next year.

Nursery in Progress Week 2

BEFORE

Isaac and I repainted the room. Isaac did most of it , but I helped:-) He picked 3 colors. Dark blue, beige and light blue, to add style.

We also added a white molding..again, it's Isaac's idea. I think it's absolutely beautiful! It's a whole day project but we enjoyed repainting his room. Isaac is a good painter!

Here's the result! We love it! Alex is one lucky baby boy!

more veiw

I bought wood letters and painted it. So I guess I can't change his name anymore.

AFTER

Next week, we're gonna put his book shelf and start putting his nursery decor! We are gonna put a mirror too and Isaac's Canvas painting. It'll be super awesome!!!

I'm 6 Months Along today

I had a doctor's appointment this morning and an ultrasound. All is well. I gained a total of 8lbs so far. Not bad at all! The baby is normal and healthy. He's a mover! We enjoyed watching him for 15-20 minutes.He was kicking and stretching a lot! We also saw him yawn this time. It was so cute. We didn't even know it's possible for a baby to yawn inside his mommy's womb. It was a wonderful experience. Isaac's so happy to see his son. It was my last ultrasound, we're gonna miss his cute face for a while.We both decided not to get a 4D ultrasound anymore in the future. It costs $125, because it's not covered by our insurance. We'll buy him clothes and lots of diapers instead. I think it's wiser to do that. We'll see his cute face in person in a few months anyway.

Here's our baby's profile. He got his Dad's nose :-)

At 24 weeks

SUPER SATURDAY!!!

I attended the Relief Society Super Saturday activity this afternoon. I signed up for only one craft class among 5 or 6 classes. And here's the Christmas decoration that I made. It took me 2 hours to finish this project. I still have to work on the bow. But I'm pretty proud of myself for not giving up! I was impatient :-)

Today is really a SUPER SATURDAY for me! First, it is SUPER freezing outside.I had to wear a jacket and scarf when I left the house. Second, I turned on our heater and it made my home SUPER stinky . It was OFF for several months, it started to smell when I turned it ON, and it was driving me insane. It went away after an hour. Thanks goodness!!! Third, we finalized our baby boy's name. It's a SUPER big decision, but it's final... His name is now, ALEX THOMAS SCHAEFER. Thomas is Isaac's middle name. It is also our living Prophet's name. I love it more!

So anyway, since it's a Saturday, I better get off the computer and start my Saturday routine. I have to do some laundry first, and then get me a cup of hot chocolate drink and a good book. Have a great weekend!

Stork Parking

One of the many reasons why I love being pregnant is, I get to park my car in a special and rock star parking spot. Only its called stork parking. That's my car and I'm proud to be an Expectant Mother! How cool is that! You gotta enjoy this kind of privilege because it'll expire once the baby is born.

braso de mercedes

This is my most favorite cake. They call it "Cream-filled log cake" here in the states, but in the Philippines, we call it braso de mercedes. Who could have thought that the one and only cake that I've been craving for, is available in Kansas City! So we bought the cake last Monday. It was gone before 24 hours. Who ate all the log cake? I would love to say Isaac, since he's the man, and he should be the one eating more. But the truth is, I ate most of it. He had only 2 slices and I ate the rest. Not all at once... but I ate 'em all with a thankful heart! Is the cake fattening? Yes it is! Will I buy another one? Yes! When will my love affair with food ever ends?

Nursery in Progress

It took us almost an hour to assemble the crib yesterday, but it was fun! We picked a black crib because it'll match anything. We got him a cute bedding set to match his light blue wall. His room already got a huge closet where we can put his shoes,clothes, toys and even extra space for books. So I don't think he needs a big dresser. We're still looking for a small dresser. Anyway, we have hundreds of ideas right now, but nothing is final yet. For now, that's all I can show you. There will be progressions in the next few weeks. His nursery room is our main project right now.

23 weeks

Alex is more than 11 inches. He's a wild child specially after breakfast. He's like a karate kid! Whenever Isaac talks to him in the morning, he responds him with kicks! Not one, not two, but lots of kicks. I giggle every time. Isaac talks to him like a grown man. It's so special and I enjoy that moment.

My new favorite toy

I've never heard about this gadget before until today. Isaac bought me this prenatal heart listener so we can hear our baby's heartbeat everyday! It's so cool that we get to listen to his heartbeat, kicks and hiccups through this little gadget. It took me a while to find his heartbeat when I first used this. He was moving around a lot, but I heard his kicks many times. Oh the joy of Motherhood!!!

My lovely baby bump :-)

I love rubbing my belly while sitting. It's more like a hobby now, just in case he kicks! He makes me smile every time he uses his karate skills. I love this baby so much.

My belly actually looks way bigger when I'm sitting down after a big meal.haha! I took a picture of myself using my phone and I was a little surprise to see my belly . I guess I ate a little too much since last night. I love the fact that I look 100% pregnant now. Isaac thinks I'm the cutest pregnant lady in world !!! Sorry Halle Berry and Jessica Alba! ;-)

Autumn Wreath

I went to the dollar store after work today to buy a super cheap autumn wreath for our door entrance. I found this wreath and I think it's nice. Isaac might think its "gramma-ish" . I like it anyways! I love fall! The leaves are starting to turn red and gold. It's pretty amazing! It's also getting cool outside. No more short sleeves for me from now on. The great news is, I'm not getting bad allergies anymore this year. I am finally getting immuned!

God Bless the Philippines

I'm very sad for those in calamity stricken areas in the Philippines from the recent Typhoon Katsana/Ondoy, which happened last September 26, 2009. Many families lost their homes and loved ones. My heart's crying for them. I cannot imagine the pain and sorrow that they're going through right now. But our Heavenly Father has a purpose. In every trial and adversity, there's always a lesson to learn. Life is indeed too short, and we have to be prepared in all times. We can lose all our priced possession in a blink of an eye, but in the end, what matters most is our family and our faith in God.

Despite of this tragedy, I've seen good results...that's the lighter side.There's unity and love among Filipinos regardless their status in life or religion.I am truly humbled.I hope we all can learn from their experiences.

For every rain, there is always a rainbow...