Daisypath Anniversary tickers

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

My OGTT experience

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), in my opinion, is by far the worst ever lab test that a pregnant woman should have to undergo. Imagine being in my shoes -- 8 months pregnant with a "healthy" appetite being told to fast (as in totally without food or drink) for 10hours. And if that is not difficult enough, the glucose drink prior the test gave me a sugar high followed shortly by a sugar crash that had me dozing off in the lobby of the Healthway clinic in Alabang. But wait, there's more to the fasting and "tulo-laway" episodes. Every hour, for four hours, blood and urine will be collected to check for glucose tolerance. On my second blood extraction, which was right after my sugar high, the med tech failed to pierce my vein on the first try so she moved the needle several times inside my arm looking for my vein until napa-aray ako. She tried on my other arm, same thing. Vein not pierced, needle poking around, pregnant lady says "Aray!". On the third try, again hindi pa rin natamaan vein ko. When she started poking the needle again, I swear nahilo ako then nandidilim na yung surroundings ko. I was on the verge of fainting!

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...

I can't believe how fast time flies. Today marks our eighth month as husband and wife & in 3 weeks time, Maia is just about ready to pop out of the oven (figuratively speaking, of course). As I sit here waiting for Carl to pick me up, I have decided to answer one of those surveys posted in a yahoo group that I'm a member of. The survey Q&A is about "Adjusting to Married Life". So here goes:

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

A lot of things have been going on since my last post. First, we transferred to our temporary apartment in Avida Sta. Catalina. Then, we started buying baby clothes and lastly, I had my 31weeks doctor's checkup yesterday.

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.