Musings of a working mom about her husband, kids, and everything else under and beyond the sun.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
House Update
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Cocolife rant
HMOs are both boon and bane. I didn't have any complaints with Cocolife until now and I am extremely disappointed with how they handled my confinement last week. How on earth could they have possibly categorized acute gastroenteritis as maternity-related? It boggles the mind that my baby had anything to do with my LBM and vomiting. Now, I'm not in the medical field but common sense tells me that maternity related cases include pre- or post-eclampsia, pre-term labor, and gestational diabetes, among others. For Cocolife to immediately dismiss my case as maternity-related just because I'm pregnant is freakin' unfair! I would willingly shoulder the the tests needed to make sure my baby is okay but Cocolife should have the decency to recognize that gastroenteritis is NOT maternity-related. Its not my baby's fault that her mommy is matakaw. I'm going to fight tooth and nail for the reimbursement of my hospital expenses by Cocolife. I already have my two-page complaint/reimbursement request letter ready and a medical certificate from my doctor explicitly stating that my case is not maternity related. I hope to hear from them before I give birth. Wish me luck!
Friday, July 3, 2009
A Surprise Baby Shower
Sa mga nag-order ng food, nag-blow ng balloons at nag-organize ng games and mommy talks - maraming, maraming salamat! I'm so touched! You're the best ever! Mwaahhh! =)
So huge at 36.5 weeks preggo
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
My OGTT experience
Pregnant lady: Miss, hihimatayin na ata ako.
MedTech: Relax lang ma'am..
Pregnant lady: Pinag-papawisan na ako ng malamig. Nandidilim na rin paningin ko...
MedTech: Sige po ma'am, i-out ko na ulit yung needle.
Pregnant lady (thinking): Hay salamat! Ang sakit na kaya nun. Naku, mukhang matutumba na ako.. Buti na lang nakaupo ako. Wag lang ako matumba ng paharap..
MedTech: Okay lang po ba kayo ma'am? (Sabay pahid ng vicks sa noo ko. May tinawagan din sya pero di ko na masyado rinig - my hearing was like I was underwater)
Next thing I knew, someone was helping me to a wheelchair and I was brought to the Emergency Room of the clinic. I was made to lie down and in a few minutes the MedTech arrive and was successful in extracting the blood from the back of my hand. I was lying there for maybe 45minutes and got up only when I was sure I was okay. Hay naku.. Parusa talaga ang OGTT. Kahit baby ko mukhang nabigla sa fasting ko. It took two days before she was back to her usual malikot state in my tummy. Poor Maia..
Anyway, thank God its over. I'm 35 weeks today and still bloated and waddling. Maia's kicks are getting stronger and it doesn't help that Carl plays with her every evening (at 10pm!) when I'm asleep already. Hon, playtime till 7pm lang - we might be starting a pattern na madala ni Maia when she's born. Baka 10pm na at gising na gising pa sya at naghahanap ng kalaro. =)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
While I am waiting...
1. What was your major adjustment when you started living together after the wedding?
I'll have to say it would be adjusting my way of thinking from "mine" to "ours". Its so easy to say during the first few weeks of our marriage, "Ako masusunod sa TV channel kasi akin ang TV." or "Pera ko naman to eh so I can buy anything I want." In the first few months, we ended up having a schedule for TV shows I want to watch and Carl's basketball games. When I think about it now, natatawa na lang ako. =) At the very least, we learned the value of compromise from that experience.
I think Carl had a better grasp of the "ours" principle. When I asked him the same question last night, he said his biggest adjustment was calling my father "papa". Ako din naman hon eh - I also had some trouble adjusting to calling his parents "papa" and "mama". =)
2. What was the thing you like most/least about it?
Like I said previously, the "ours" principle taught us the value of compromise.
3. Is there something you wish other married couples have told you beforehand?
None that I can think of. I am blessed to have a husband that complements my character. Also, being together for six years before marrying helped us adjust to each others quirks and habits.
4. Any tips for newlyweds living in their new home/with their in laws?
In the start it might feel like you're just playing bahay-bahayan but it helps for the both of you to have a clear plan for your future. Whether it be to save up for a house, a car, have a baby... There are things that you have to prepare and plan for beyond your wedding. Sabi nga nila, the wedding is just for a day but your marriage will be a lifetime. So, it pays that you have a plan for your future as a couple/family.
Wow... 34 weeks and 1 day... In a few weeks time this wriggly little baby in my tummy is going to say "Hello world!". =) I can't wait to hold my baby love. But while waiting for that day to come, I'll enjoy every minute of carrying her around and feeling her move inside me. As I lumber around in my huge swelling "hobbit"-like feet, I know she's safe and snug inside me --- and that is always a comforting thought. =)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Baby Stuff
Moving to a new place at 7+ months pregnant is not easy. I was bone-tired even though Carl did almost all the packing and all the heavy lifting of our stuff. Added to this is the stress brought about by a miscommunication with the subdivision admin and the homeowner's association. The guards wouldn't let us in the front gate! It was late and way past my dinner time and we were stuck with the mini-truck at the front gate! Lumabas talaga sungay ko dahil dito and all I could do was yell at the guards when all I really wanted was to wring the necks of the admin and HOA secretary. When we finally got hold of the admin after numerous attempts at contacting her, it took all my willpower to handover the cellphone to Carl and not deliver a blistering tirade to the admin. Hay... Things like this are best forgotten. Anyway, on the brighter side. We are quite satisfied with our temporary home but we are still looking forward to moving in to our very own home by August/September (God-willing).
Now on to the fun stuff. We started shopping for Maia! And boy oh boy, I got carried away! =) I just couldn't resist the pink baby dresses that were at 50% off in Babyland. I grabbed two of those. =) Of course, we also bought the practical stuff - receiving blankets, hooded towels, tie-side shirts and onesies, frogsuits, booties - mostly clothes. We are going to buy the crib and the bulkier stuff next. We haven't quite decided if we'd go with the sturdier wooden crib or get the portable Graco cribs. We're praying that a kind Ninong or Ninang will sponsor the crib. Hehehe. =)
I had my checkup yesterday and at 31 weeks and 5 days pregnant, I weighed in at 155lbs. Yikes! I still have at least six weeks before Maia comes out so my OB advised me to limit my rice intake (huhuhu) and eliminate sweets in my diet (waaahhhhh!). Thank God its been raining lately and my cravings for the cold, sweet, sinful stuff (aka halo-halo) has subsided. I also had a spotting scare yesterday which turned out to be nothing more than hemorrhoids. Hehehe.
So here's my bloated, sleepy-eyed pic at 31weeks.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Bahay-bahayan
Seeing our house was like having a medal hung around our necks at graduation. This house is the tangible product of several years of hard work - sweat and tears (on my part) included. With guidance from our parents and blessings from the one Above -- this is finally it. Our very own home. =)
House construction - January 2009
House construction (side view) - April 2009
House construction - April 2009
Model House
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
My Pregnancy Weight Gain
7 - 9 pounds of baby
2 pounds of placenta
2 pounds of amniotic fluid
4 - 5 pounds of increased blood volume
2 pounds uterine enlargement
3 - 4 pounds of fluid in maternal tissue
1 pound of breast enlargement to prepare for breastfeeding
Any remaining pounds are a general deposit of fat required by the body for
breastfeeding and energy stores
Wow! 1pound on the breasts.. =) Anyway, no worries. I feel that I'm still within normal range. I'll have to cut down on the halo-halo and sweets though.
Very soon we will start shopping for baby stuff. I got my list prepared thanks to my officemate, mommy Paula. =)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day Thoughts
It felt kind of weird to be the recipient of Mother's day greetings yesterday. I just feel like I don’t have sufficient “credentials” yet in order to carry the title of “Mother”. Carl tells me I’m just in denial. I think not. I just have a different definition of motherhood. For me, motherhood is when you play an active role in the growth of a child – teaching, caring, loving. By this definition, one need not necessarily carry the child for nine months to be considered a mother. In my life, I am very lucky and blessed to have two mothers. My beautiful & intelligent Mama Jo and my equally beautiful & intelligent Mamang Helen. By the example of these two, I am confident that I will be the best mom for Maia. Happy Mother’s Day to my Mama in heaven and to my Mamang in Zamboanga. You two are the best! =)
First birthday with Papa and Mama
Wedding day with Papa and Mamang
Pregnancy update: I am now 28weeks and 4 days pregnant with our little girl Maia. Her hard kicks and acrobatics from the last month is now more of a yoga-like motion. I guess she’s running out of room in there. =) My heartburn is also less frequent but I still feel so bloated. I have stopped wearing my wedding ring on my finger for fear that I won’t be able to take it off anymore. I have also purchased new slippers (size 10 from a size 7!) and undergarments (XL panties and bra 40C). My change is cup size is just astounding! I was just 37B before pregnancy and they say it will be much bigger when I start breastfeeding! Sayang naman all my pre-pregnancy bras if I don’t get to wear them again… I’m still lazy. I just watch TV while Carl does the cooking and washing of dishes. I so, so spoiled. =) All I do at home is sleep and eat. I do some house chores too – like press the buttons on our automatic washing machine and let Carl take care of hanging the laundry out to dry. Hehehe. =) I’ll be having my monthly check-up this Tuesday and I guess my weight will be around 150 lbs. I will be really freaked out if I tip the scales at 160 lbs (Please God.. Not 160).
PTC Rainy Summer Outing at 27weeks pregnant
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Meet our Maia =)
We finally had our 4d ultrasound last Friday (April 17) on my 25th week of pregnancy. Many would say that I should have it much later - around 28-30 weeks - so the baby will have some "chub" and be cuter in the ultrasound. Oh well, I can't wait that long. ;-) As soon as we got our OB's go signal it was only a matter of time and choice of where to have the ultrasound. We eventually settled with having the ultrasound closer to home at the MV Santiago Medical Center in SM Dasmarinas. Apart from the convenience, it was also the cheapest 4d ultrasound that we were able to canvass. Although the package may not be as good as In My Womb, the price difference of P1,200 was our final deciding factor. 'Nuff said. Meet Maia, our sweet little girl. =)
Maia was very cooperative all throughout the ultrasound. I have been talking to her since morning, telling her to show her face and gender. She's a very good baby and she listened to mommy. =) She was facing front and was even doing poses during the video. I think she looks like her daddy but I bet she'll have my eyes. =)
Then it was time to see the gender. The doctor had a difficult time catching a glimpse of the gender at first because of the umbilical cord blocking his view. He made me lie on my side to get a better picture and there it was - the three slits that showed our baby was a girl. =) Of course Carl had to go and say, "Doc baka magbago pa yan paglabas ng baby." To which the doctor replied, "Hindi. Sure na girl na ito."
Carl was understandably more nervous to have a girl, as he confided to me later on. "Hon, paano kung nagka-mens na sya?", he asked. What a really strange thing to be worried about. I had to reassure him that I'll be the one taking care of all the female stuff and went on to say, "Mag-alala ka na lang kung gusto na nyang magka-boyfriend. How old mo ba sya papayagan?" He quickly replied, "21." Aba! Mukhang pinag-isipan na talaga ng hubby ko yung future ng baby namin. Hahaha!
The next day, on our 6th month anniversary, my darling husband brought home two dozen roses. One dozen for me and one dozen for Maia - proudly saying that he is the first guy to give Maia flowers. Awww... How sweet! =)
Monday, April 6, 2009
Light Welterweight ala Manny Pacquiao
Aside from my weight fiasco and the occasional heartburn, my pregnancy is progressing very well. I have a definite bump showing -- not like my mini-bump of last month. We are also scheduling our gender ultrasound check this Wednesday. We are so excited. I'll be uploading photos as soon as I get them. =)
Monday, March 9, 2009
Baby Gender Quiz
You have a 47% chance of having a boy.
And you have a 52% chance of having a girl.
And Here's Why...
- You are carrying the extra weight around the hips and bottom, so it's a girl.
- The hair on your legs is growing faster during pregnancy, so it's a boy.
- Girls are carried high. You are going to have a girl.
- Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the north indicates that you will be having a boy.
- Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
- You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl.
- Dad-to-be is gaining weight right along with Mom-to-be, which means that you'll have a boy.
- The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
- You didn't have morning sickness early in pregnancy, so it will be a boy.
- You are looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a boy, because girls steal their mother's looks.
- Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.
- Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is even, it will be a boy.
- A needle on a thread held over you belly moves from side-to-side, so it will be a girl.
- Your urine is a bright neon yellow color, so you will have a boy.
- You have a craving for salty or sour foods, which means that it is a boy.
- Your nose has been spreading, which indicates a boy.
- You have been craving fruits, so it is a girl.
- Your baby's heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute, so it's a girl.
- You must have orange juice every day, so it's a girl.
- You are not having headaches, so it's a girl.
- Your belly looks like a watermelon, so it's a girl.
- You show them the palm of your hand, so it's a girl.
- You use the handle, so it's a boy.
It's a pretty close fight. =) And while Carl continues to cheer for a basketball player, I continue to cheer for one that will be in the WNBA. Hehehe. =)
Monday, March 2, 2009
I'm baaaack!!
What has been going on last February? Well, there was Feb. 14 Valentine's Day -- which I think is getting too commercialized for it to hold any real significance.
So that sums up February. Now on to March. =) I'm 19 weeks 5 days pregnant as of this writing and weighing in at 133lbs. I have gained 13lbs so far during my pregnancy. Here's photo of my 19 weeks bump. =)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Short Talk
Our little darling is now 15weeks old and I have started to feel a bit of movement from him/her which I’m definitely sure is not just gas. =) In just a few weeks, Carl will be able to feel our baby too. He has been quite impatient with my tummy not getting bigger fast enough and I think he feels left out. Hehehe. =)
Oh well, this is just about my shortest entry so far. I'll have more stories next time. =)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Only in my Dreams
Dream #1: The whole Grade 6-T class was abuzz with news of exchange students coming from outside the country. I was curious too because they were going to be in my group, the Rainbow Kids. And here comes the exchange students, Amorn and Chaowarith from Thailand. Huh!?
Amorn and Chaow are my Engineering counterparts in MTHAI. I wonder what event could have triggered them being showcased in my dreams?
Dream #2: I was back in Grade 6 but I was already 3months pregnant. My bestfriend in elem., Christine, was also pregnant with her second child. She already has a 2-year old baby girl running around playing while we were having lunch inside our classroom. When the child turns around and faces me, she looks like the exact carbon copy of my sister Miriam!
It would not take a genius to figure out why I had this dream. Just the night before I was relating to Carl and Miriam some of the funny stories of Miriam when she was in her baby-toddler years. With a seven-year gap, I can clearly recall all the “nasty” things I was doing to my baby sister. =) From the eating her baby food episode (one subo for Miriam, two subo for Ate. And my mother would always wonder why Miriam is still hungry after I feed her. Now you know. ;-)) to making takas in the afternoons so I can go play with my friends (ayaw namin ng saling-pusa! Hehehe!). I can still remember how I could hear Miriam cry when she wakes up from her afternoon nap to find me gone. I’m such a bully but I do love my sister very much. She will always be our baby. =)
Speaking of dreams, Carl is also having dreams of his own. He once told me of his dream where he was a chef and he was cooking chicken curry. “Sayang hon, palpak yung luto ko”, he said. Syempre naman, I had to “bait” him. “Sige nga hon, magluto ka nga ng chicken curry.”, I said. And he took my bait! =) We had chicken curry that evening and it tasted pretty good. My hubby is turning out to be a better cook than I am! Not that I’m complaining – I am always willing to be the dishwasher. =)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Doldrums...
Child: Mommy, is that me when I was at your tummy at 3 months?
Me: No anak, that’s just mommy’s bilbil.
Ugh! I really should have gone into medicine to save myself all these ignorance and disappointments. Remind me again why I chose to be an engineer? Ah yes, because I thought my course was about COMMUNICATIONS ala Mass Communications not about antennas and semiconductors. And that’s another price I have to pay for my ignorance.
Anyway, on the brighter side of my bilbil story, we got to hear our baby’s heartbeat for the first time last Saturday. It was going so fast! =) The doctor recorded it at 150bpm – that’s about twice the normal heartrate for adults! It was really fascinating and Carl got to hear it too! Yey! =) The doctor gave a lot of advise for us first-time parents. Let me see if I can recall all of them.
1. Just buy 12 sets of baby clothes (4 sleeveless, 4 with sleeves, 4 longsleeves). The baby will outgrow them quickly. Choose white colors so that it can be used again for the next baby.
2. Start buying pampers dry or huggies dry when its sold at a discount. Get the M-L sizes because Carl is huge so our baby may also be big. Hehehe. =)
3. When bottle feeding, invest on the nipples – not the bottles.
4. Buy a wooden crib. Its more durable and hindi maalog.
5. Invest in a good quality, sturdy stroller. Pick the large one coz toddlers would still like to ride it.
6. Be financially ready. Prepare Php100,000 for childbirth – this will also cover emergencies. (Note: It only costs Php 7000 to give birth in the municipal lying-in clinics. A saleslady at Robinson’s told me.)
7. Have frequent sex on the 37th week of pregnancy. (Yes, its true.)
We are due for another check-up next month and I have just graduated from taking folic acid vitamins to iron+folic acid vitamins. The doctor also gave me a long list of food to avoid – coffee, tea, softdrinks, too sweet, too salty. Remember to drink my meds and Anmum everyday. Also eat lots of fruits and vegetables. As for food cravings… Well, I think its okay as long as its in moderation. Just last week I had this intense craving for dinuguan and dilis. =) Thanks to my officemate from Batangas who was kind enough to send me some dinuguan from their fiesta handaan. I was in seventh heaven that day! =)
My sis will be arriving from Zamboanga this Sunday and with her is my care package from Papa consisting of fresh fish – samaral, tanigue and yellow-fin tuna. =) Kainan na naman. Yahoo! =) Kaya naman pala lumalaki bilbil ko eh. Hahaha! =)