25-28 Weeks
Week 25-28: Monday April 30th, 2018
We went to Hawaii on week 26-27 for my 29th birthday and our babymoon! We flew to Honolulu for the first 5 days, then Kauai for 4 more days! Waikiki (Honolulu) was great! On our first day we mostly relaxed and had some yummy ramen that night. Cliffton's two best friends Matt and King Han also flew down and we all had lots of fun! We got rained out our first night and found shelter in a nearby bar on the Waikiki beach strip. Next day we went hiking on Diamond Head Trail and surprisingly I was able to do it! We then went to a yummy hole-in-the-wall place called Ahi Assassins. I wish I could have had the ahi tuna, but I guess we will just have to go again next time when I'm not pregnant. The cooked tuna was delicious all the same! Then, Matt and King Han then went on to another more difficult trail with higher elevation, and Cliffton and I went to do some sight seeing. That night we went to the Cheif's Luau and watched some hula dancers and fire throwers while eating some delicious pork and Hawaiian foods. The next day after that was my birthday! We spent that day on a road trip and went around the island. We stopped by a coffee farm, pineapple farm, and then stopped at a few beaches, one of them being a huge surfer spot. We watched some really skilled surfers for a bit. That night we went to a delicious dinner, just me and Cliffton at a restaurant called MW. I had some delicious scallops and then we had a wonderful creme brulee sorbet for dessert! The next day we went to Pearl Harbor and did more touristy things. The day after that we flew to Kauai! The flight was only 20 minutes! Kauai was beautiful, much more remote and lush with forests and mountains. Unfortunately, Kauai was hit by a storm the week before so we couldn't do much hiking on the north shore (which is known to be so beautiful), but we went everywhere else. Cliffton and Matt hiked in Waimea Canyon while King Han and I did some safer sight seeing and a small hiking trail. The day after that we did more driving around the island and checked out the Queen's Bath (bad idea for me since it was super muddy and slippery). Not sure why but even despite the challenges I was still determined to hike down to see it! I was able to see it from a distance, but the terrain got a little too rocky and it worried Cliffton so we hiked out a different way than we came in. We were definitely trespassing on private property but we didn't think they would mind since I was a struggling pregnant lady with no shoes (lol Matt grabbed my shoes for me b/c they got stuck in the mud). The days were filled with more relaxation on the beach, and our on last day we had a scrumptious dinner at Keoki's Paradise. The dessert pie was my favorite. I was so sad to leave and say goodbye to everyone I actually cried as I saw King Han rolling away with his luggage at the airport. I'm so grateful we were able to go on this trip to enjoy ourselves, and spend some time together before little Marin comes! We also decided on her full name while in Honolulu which I think is so special. We will always remember our time there because of it.
Marin's Size: Papaya (or Bunny) 1.4-2.2lbs , 13-15" (crown to heel)
Weight Gained: 20 lbs! A little scary, but I'm trying to be at peace with it and not worry too much about the number. Just doing my best to be as nutritious and active as possible (which isn't easy since I'm always out of breath these days).
Pregnancy Symptoms: The tummy is large and causing physical pressure on my other organs. Having trouble breathing occasionally especially after eating, and the nausea has returned. Not as extreme as first trimester, but definitely putting a damper on my appetite. I can't eat large meals anymore because there is literally no space in there. If I force myself to eat the usual amount I can feel it coming out of my throat...gross I know. Week 28 I was able to go to Korean BBQ and eat, but I had trouble sleeping that night because I couldn't breathe. :( Sad times.
Food Cravings: Baby Marin still loves spicy foods and juicy fruits like apples and oranges.
Food Aversions: Not much puts me off.
Mood: Feeling pretty relaxed especially after our Hawaii trip! It was so relaxing. Yesterday, I felt an unusual wave of anxiety. I was really overwhelmed because of all the things we still need to do for baby. We just bought a carseat last night...which is literally the only "big" purchase we've completed for her. I was dreaming about the Nuna Pipa carseat, but unfortunately it doesn't fit with the stroller we were planning on getting so we decided to go with the less cool, but still highly rated Graco Snugride 35 DLX. Something that was very important to me was that it would be lightweight and easy to carry. And this one is only 7.5 lbs (just like the Nuna Pipa).
Marin's Mood: She's still kicking quite often. I'm predicting she will be quite the character, but we will see. She is, after all, my daughter and I was a very calm child.
Baby Prepping Accomplishments: Marin's full name is Marin Victoria Goh. Marin is an interesting name because the meaning is not fully agreed upon. From what I've found Marin most commonly means "of the sea", but it can also mean "well wished for child" or less desirably "sea of sorrow". While there are a lot of names that have unfavorable meanings, I wanted very much for the meaning of her name to be uplifting and powerful. So for her middle name we had thrown around MANY ideas. First I wanted Amelia because it sounded so cute and I like "A" names. Cliffton wasn't a fan. Then I wanted Alara because it means "one who brings brightness and happiness to the soul" which is a perfect pairing for the meaning of Marin. Cliffton said it sounded too unique so we veto-ed that name. While in Hawaii Cliffton and I were sitting along the beach and he said, "We should choose a name that starts with an A or E, maybe something like Emily, or Elizabeth." We agreed Elizabeth sounded lovely, very stately yet sweet, but for some reason it didn't give us any happy feelings. We were tending to lean towards long, British sounding names for her middle name. But, Marin Elizabeth still didn't seem to suit her. We also tossed around the idea of Charlotte, because we've always loved that name. Charlotte is where Cliffton and I met and fell in love so it's actually a very romantic name for our child. Also Charlotte is a British and stately sounding name so fits with our "theme". So it was definitely on our short list. Finally, one morning while we were eating breakfast at our Royal Hawaiian hotel in Honolulu together, the name Victoria came to me. Also, the name of a British monarch like Elizabeth, but for some reason I had a feeling Cliffton would love it. I looked up the meaning and it seemed to pair perfectly with Marin. It could either mean "victory of the sea" or "victory in a sea of sorrow" so she would triumph over any sorrow. Poetic and powerful. I told Cliffton this meaning and said the name out loud and he did love it! We then had it narrowed down to Marin Charlotte or Marin Victoria. And I said to Cliffton, "I think we should name her Marin Victoria, because the meaning is strong and confident and she is your daughter after all." Cliffton smiled and agreed. And there you have it! That's how we decided on her name! We love it and our greatest wish for her is that she does indeed triumph over any sorrow (even if it's a sea). We hope she feels happy and loved always.
On the Horizon: We just got her car seat, and now we just have to buy some other essentials like her little bassinet/ pack and play to sleep in, a stroller, bottles etc. Yay!
