xiao long yao xiao wawa (xiao long wants a baby)

after a multi-year hiatus, xiao long (small dragon) is finally returning to the blogosphere reincarnated as pang long (fat dragon) because she is pregnant :)

pang long was going to start a handwritten pregnancy diary, but her dad suggested starting up another blog similar to Ballin' in Dalian, which allowed her to share stories about her life in china with friends and family. this actually sounded like a more fun way to chronicle the pregnancy; thus Ballin' and Expectin' was born. 

currently i am 9 weeks pregnant, with an estimated due date on MY BIRTHDAY (!), february 20th, which was a surprise. i am very much hoping that i get to share my birthday with doglet (zach and i's name for the unknown baby) so it will fully be cemented that february 20th is the greatest day in the world. tbh though, i always kind of disliked having a birthday in the winter, so i feel a little bad foisting non-outdoor birthday celebrations on doglet but it is what it is.

i can't promise to have cute decals and chalkboards in the background but i do plan to start taking week by week pregnancy pictures of my pang long belly to see the weekly progress. i did weigh myself yesterday and clocked in at 124.5 lbs after a full meal which was not as pang as i thought i would be at this point, but there is still much time for that.

i am fully taking advantage of the covid-19 pandemic work situation and have been able to spend my entire first trimester at home so far. in fact, i expect that i probably will not be back at the office until after i get off of maternity leave. it is 8:15pm and i just got off of a work call, so i am very thankful that i do not have to commute home now, since i seem to be going to sleep earlier and earlier. doglet, you are sapping all my energy you little scoundrel ;)

to end my first post, here is the very first proof of doglet's existence in the form of a very faint pink line: 

when i saw the line, your dad was sleeping, so i cheered silently in the mirror with my arms over my head. in retrospect, maybe i should have figured out another way to tell him, but i was so excited that when i felt like he had had slept enough i roused him and held up this picture to his half closed eyes to show him the good news. he had no idea what he was looking at and requested that i get the "blue light (of the cell phone) out of his face". but not to worry, da baba (big daddy) is just as excited as pang long is and we are looking forward to bringing a little doglet into our 16 year relationship.

here we go!