37 Weeks

... Or is it? During last Saturday's check-up, OB again brought up the discrepancy between baby's gestational age and ultrasound age. I guess her point is that I can give birth in January na hindi considered over-term or overdue. So per gestation, I'll be 38 weeks this coming Wednesday but per ultrasound, I am only 36 weeks today.

But I want to give birth before the year ends! We have a long Christmas vacation and I have nothing to do. We can't go to the province because I might give birth anytime. And I had another extreme constipation episode. :( I'm a tad tired these preggy aches and pains, I just want to meet my little boy.

Maternity Shoot part deux

Since work was cancelled for all government offices yesterday while hubby was working from home and on a special non-working holiday, we decided to stage part deux of my maternity shoot. The first part was during my friend's wedding while for part three, hubby wants to take pictures of me against the Christmas lights in Trinoma. We'll see if we still have time for that one as I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow. :P

I scoured Google for inspiration and here are two of my favorites. Bought a cheapo white curtain for this silhouette shot.

Nekkid belly shot. We bought the metal decal (?) from Dimensione I think before I got pregnant. We just put it up recently because there are tacks behind the metal and the thing is meant to be put on wood or cork and we have no place for it. I was even thinking of selling it. Then, hubby accidentally snapped off one of the tacks so he proceeded to remove all the tacks and duct-taped the words to our concrete wall. Hubby really wanted this shot because it took us four years to have our baby. Okay, I better stop before I start crying. :P

 

36 Weeks

During my last check-up, OB remarked that baby may be in breech position. So she scheduled for a pelvic ultrasound and biophysical profile today, along with CBC and urinalysis.

CBC is okay, slightly anemic, so she prescribed an iron supplement. Urine appears okay although she had me do some urine culture lab test something, and a vaginal swab for Group B streptococcus screening or GBS. Results will be known on the next check-up next Saturday (yes, weekly check-up na!)

While waiting for my pelvic ultrasound, a nurse came up to me to discuss cord blood banking. The Medical City offers two options - public bank and private bank. In sum, public bank is where you donate your cord blood then when you want to avail of it, you pay a fee. Private bank is where they store your baby's cord blood for your own use only. They have two packages, basic costs P45,000.00 while the comprehensive costs P80,000.00, inclusive of first year storage. Thereafter, storage is P7,500.00 a year. Much as we want to avail of it, we don't have the extra moolah. Besides, the nurse said it is only available for CS delivery, although my OB said she just had a vaginal delivery who availed of cord blood banking.

As for the ultrasound, baby is in cephalic a.k.a. not breech position. YAY! Hope he stays that way na. His BPP is 8/8, I still have enough fluid though I should drink more water pa daw. His estimated weight is 2.5 kg or 5.5 pounds. By the way, I measured 136 lbs. today while I weighed 138 lbs. two weeks ago (maybe because I haven't eaten yet?) However, I weighed 140 lbs. (!!!) at the office clinic last Tuesday - maybe because I pigged out at the wedding last Sunday? Hehe. 

Mommy has been bugging me to walk walk walk. Okay, I will try to wake up early for it. I haven't been going to Trinoma for my me time during weekday nights since we got our kasambahay eh. Which could also explain why I get leg cramps these days. I hope baby comes out around Christmas basta before New Year's and that he comes out normal and healthy. Pray for me! :)

35 Weeks

Last Sunday, we attended the wedding of one of my high school friends, the last in our group of girls to get married. Hubby and I have been talking about doing my maternity shoot but since we're almost always doing something during the week-ends, we haven't gotten around to doing it.

Since I was all made up and dressed up for the wedding, we did our shoot in Ayala Westgrove while the couple was doing their couple portraits heehee. Buti na lang the reception is in Alabang pa, so we had about an hour. Since hubby was taking the pics, I was left to direct myself and didn't bring any props. Just me and my bump. Here's one of my favorites that I converted to black and white:

I also want to do some candid-white-shirt-in-bed shots, but we'll see if we still have time. I can't do nekkid close up belly shots though. For the most part of the pregnancy, my bump has stayed smooth. But I think a month ago, I developed pimple-like bumps on my belly, breast and nape. EEEK. And dark armpits. DOUBLE EEEK. Then just a week ago, I saw two lightning-like stretch marks near my belly button. Sigh. Battle scars.

Baby don't breech

At today's check-up, OB said baby is probably in a breech position after feeling my bump, hence, we might go the caesarean delivery route. But to be sure, she scheduled a pelvic ultrasound next week.

I'm a bit dismayed because I want a normal delivery for faster recovery and of course, it's more affordable than CS delivery. So I guess I'll be talking to my balong and urge him to turn. But my foremost wish is that he comes out healthy and normal.

Also, the OB has gotten me confused again with my due date. I've mentioned here before that per our first ultrasound, my EDD is January 12, but based on LMP it's December 31. For a while, we were going with the ultrasound age. Then, since the discrepancy is less than 14 days, OB said we can go by LMP. But now, we are going back again to ultrasound age. Argh. I hope the ultrasound next week will sort things out.

As if protesting the OB's diagnosis, baby's been kicking me like crazy. Ouch.

34 Weeks

34 weeks today. What happened to weeks 32 and 33? Well, week 32 was when hubby got sick then I got constipated after. Meanwhile, attending to potential workplaces after the boss's retirement kept me busy during week 33.

This week I think everything's coming up roses (hope I don't jinx it). Last week-end, my entire family came and even slept over. Never thought five people could sleep in our tiny guest room! We went to the Ayala Triangle Garden's light show and had dinner at Wee Nam Kee. Sunday we had lunch at Pino. Mommy also helped me set up the baby's closet. I was asking her to extend but the DA has hearings and she needs to take care of him.

The parentals also brought along our new kasambahay. Our first kasambahay after four years of marriage and 8 months of pregnancy! I'm totally not sanay even if I begged my mom to find me one because as the eldest, mas sanay ako na ako ang inuutusan. So I still do some stuff, like prepare hubby's baon or make my milk before bedtime. So far, Ate's doing great. We just got a washing machine and thankfully, Ate has some working knowledge in operating one because I'm a complete noob.

The challenge so far is thinking of our meals. Whereas before, hubby and I were content with toast and fruits for breakfast, we have lunch in our respective offices, and dinner is whatever I feel like cooking. Also, we eat out on Tuesday and Friday and most of the week-ends. But I can't do that now with another person who definitely has to be fed lest she collapses while doing chores haha. Hayayay.

As for the baby, he's been squirming and wriggling a lot. Sometimes, I feel my abdomen hardening. No pain though. Braxton Hicks perhaps? I've been told I should start packing our hospital bags. Ayayay. :)

Constipated

TMI post but I have to blog it. You've been warned.

Last week, I accompanied hubby to the doctor because he was not feeling well. I've been feeling constipated recently - one of the dreary pregnancy things - but I get things done in the morning. That day though, I ate some fried bananas at lunch. Uh-oh.

When we were about to go home, I felt the urge to go. So I went, but, nothing. I walked around and tried again, still, nothing. But my abdomen hurt. We decided to go home.

It was so horrible. I stayed in our comfort room and I was straining and I thought I was going to give birth already. I texted the OB and she said to take Dulcolax. It took effect after an hour but it was still so painful huhu. During our check-up, she advised to take prune juice and eat suha. I bought a bottle but I haven't tried it yet because my BM has been okay again.

For the the meantime, I'm steering clear of bananas.

Escapism: Gone Girl and Interstellar

Since a million and one things are taking up my brain space nowadays, I think I unconsciously gravitated towards escapism.

Like I downloaded an epub of Gone Girl. I've seen the book in bookstores before but never thought of picking it up. I thought it was a horror story. Anyway, the story's a bit psycho and I got hooked. I read it in the train and during the times I woke up to pee and can't go back to sleep. It's not a thriller, just psycho. Basta. Haha. A friend posted on Facebook that people should watch the movie after getting married but I say, read the book/watch the movie BEFORE getting married. Haha.

Then yesterday, after our OB check-up, we swung by SM Marikina to get the DVD and CD of the 4D ultrasound. We saw that Interstellar was showing and hubby wanted to watch. I hesitated at first because the price was P180 for 2D. I was thinking the chairs may be old or uncomfortable. But we were pleasantly surprised that the cinema is small and the chairs are better than that of SM North. (I digress: SM Marikina is a pleasant surprise. It's not crowded even on a Saturday night - even the Vikings there had no lines! The restrooms need work though like all the SMs out there, even the pa-posh The Block.) 

Anyhoo, the rows were a bit near each other so we can hear the kid above us getting confused about Interstellar. As for the movie, typical Chris Nolan mindf*ckery. I can't blame the kid getting confused, I was also confused a few times (so we were wondering why the parents thought a Chris Nolan flick is kid-friendly?!). I didn't like the ending though, so not like Nolan to end on that note.

It was nice to escape for a while. But now I have to face a wicked, potentially stressful week. Pray for me!

Crybaby

We've all watched movies or tv shows where pregnant women are shown to cry at the slightest whim. I can be a bit emotional so I was expecting that I'd be weepy all the time. Except for a couple of episodes in the first and second trimester, I've been cry-free.

Until recently. One time I got up to pee then I couldn't go back to sleep and found myself crying until dawn. I was thinking about my bleak job hunting prospects. Then, later in the day, I was talking to my mom about our yaya prospect who was having second thoughts and suddenly I was bawling. Thank goodness I was alone in our office floor as it was lunch break. I guess I'm feeling overwhelmed. The pregnancy part is going swimmingly well, just the other issues in life are stressing me out. I envy those who can sit back and just enjoy their pregnancy. While here I am, still doing some chores, still going to the office and may be possibly jobless after I give birth. Sigh. You can't blame me for crying. 

31 Weeks

31 weeks today. It has been a week of highs and lows.

Last Friday, we went back to the ultrasound place for the 4D re-scan. As soon as we saw the baby, he was hiding his face with his hand. He even lifted his leg ala-ballerina to cover his face. But he showed us his penis in all its glory. Naughty naughty boy. The sonologist kept remarking that we may have to go back for a re-scan. Thankfully, near the end of the session, he showed his face and even stuck out his tongue.

Then we were off to Dagupan to celebrate my mom and aunt's birthdays and one of my sister's engagement. It was a week-end of gluttony - I had my fill of seafood like bangus, crabs and shrimps and our usual merienda of palabok and lumpia. My mom scolded me though for wearing leggings under my belly and "forced" me into a frilly daster as soon as I arrived.

The low is on the job hunting part. I never imagined that my growing belly can be such a turn-off. I could not help but cry about the whole thing last night. Sigh.

Ippudo in Manila

During our honeymoon, hubby made sure to bring me to his favorite ramen place - Ippudo in Yokohama. I don't remember now if the taste was life-changing but I do remember him telling me that to signify that the ramen was delicious, I should make loud slurping noises. It's not easy to do though without the sabaw spewing all over the place.

 

Look, there's also a line.

 

30 Weeks

30 weeks today. Busy busy busy on all fronts.

Last Saturday, we had our 4D ultrasound. Balong covered his face, first with his arm, then with his leg. Hahaha. Buti na lang we are entitled to four free rescans. So far we were able to see that he has my forehead and nose and hubby's lips. Also, he hasn't just been kicking, he's been squirming and wriggling. I read somewhere that this is the "alien stage" - like there's something trying to jump out of your tummy. Just last night, I woke up and scolded hubby, thinking that he elbowed me in the stomach. Yun pala it's the bebe. Aguy.

We are still sprucing up the second room to serve as the room of the yaya and play area of bebe. We also disposed some furniture to make more space so we are currently sofa- and table-less in the living room. 

On the job front, I have passed out a couple of resumes in the compound and awaiting calls for interviews. 

Everything's happening so fast and at the same time. I am yearning for some quiet time. A staycation perhaps?

29 Weeks

Hit the 29th week today. A busy day, er, night, as the shelves and pull-out bed we were expecting arrived at around 6pm. Thank goodness our neighbors didn't complain about the drilling past 5pm.

Yes, we are in a nesting frenzy now. The second room's still a mess though as the stuff we just sold are going to their new owners by the week-end. Will try to post photos here soon.

On the bebe front, balong is really really active. The other night, I thought there was an earthquake so I checked my water bottle and the hanging light for movement. Turned out it was only me moving because bebe's squirming like crazy. I noticed that he also gets active when I'm at the sink and the faucet is on - I guess he likes the gushing water? 

I am all parts excited, nervous and overwhelmed. 

Hiccups

I always get a kick when baby is moving in my belly. Sometimes his jabs and kicks are so strong that I see my belly moving. When we watched Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends, he was kicking so hard during the fight scenes that I almost went out for fear that he was getting distressed by the sound effects. I just covered my bump then with a jacket.

Then there are times that his movements are slight flutters. I've generalized all his movements as "kicks" until I read in the What to Expect app that by this time, 28 weeks, baby is hiccuping because his diaphragm is still "practicing". Hence, the tiny flutters are actually him hiccuping and not kicking. How quaint! :)

Third Trimester Check-Up

Had my first third trimester check-up last Saturday. Henceforth, our check-ups will be every two weeks na. Gah.

I gained 7 pounds in 5 weeks, 2 pounds more than necessary because I should be gaining only a pound per week. Must be the Oreos and Starbucks butterscotch bars, yikes! OB said it's okay pa naman, but of course, better be on the safe side. Goodbye, Oreos and butterscotch. :(

Last Trimester

On to happier thoughts... Today marks my 27th week per gestational age. We are 1 week away from the 7th month and the last trimester. Yey!

Busy busy busy. I've bought a few bottles, blankets, bibs. Mommy insists on buying the white newborn clothes. The biggest thing we've bought so far is the bottle sterilizer. Might buy a stroller soon while the crib is when I give birth per Mommy's strict instruction.

On the homefront, we are installing shelves (again) and re-arranging stuff. Bills, bills, bills. No Christmas shopping for this mommy-to-be but I will be getting the best gift ever! I hope he arrives (well and healthy) before Christmas hehe! 39th week ko ang December 24, pwede na nun, di ba? Yey! 

A Time for Everything

As we enter the last quarter of the year, I already declare that 2014 is my year of change. Unfortunately, it is also my year of uncertainty. And that "uncertain-ness" manifested oh so strongly today.

I hate not being sure, not being in control, not having any plan so I am really feeling out of sorts.

I am not particularly known for being religious but I've always liked Ecclesiastes 3:9 since I used it for a speech in grade school:

3 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Hay Lord, You must have your reasons.

Swollen Feet

26 weeks this week. Lately, I've noticed the ever slightly swelling of my feet. I've taken to wriggling them while in the office. Today, I went to the office clinic to have my blood pressure taken and it's 120/80. My usual is 110/70. Googled like crazy, okay naman because not so drastic.

However, while I was drinking my milk tonight, I noticed that my feet are more swollen than usual. Ack. So now I'm in bed with my legs propped up on pillows. I really really hope I don't develop preeclampsia. 

 

I have a stuffy nose, too. Dunno if I'm getting a cold or it's just stuffy-nose-as-a-pregnancy-thing.

Entering the third trimester in a couple of weeks - eto na ba mga bagong aches and pains? Sob. 

Passed my OGTT!

Had my oral glucose tolerance test early this week. Having been diagnosed with PCOS, I've been warned that I am prone to developing diabetes. I've always had a sweet tooth, so while we were TTC (trying to conceive, yo) I tried watching my sugar intake. I cut back on coffee and softdrinks. I drank hot choco for breakfast for a while then eventually replaced it with green tea. I opted for dark chocolate. Since I wasn't still losing weight, I took up running in January and started taking half-rice lunches in March.

When I got pregnant, the particular cravings I got were Dunkin' Donuts choco butternut and Pan de Manila's spanish bread - hello, sugar! But I didn't crave them always so I wasn't too worried. Besides, I even lost two pounds during the first trimester.

However, after the OGTT was scheduled, I began craving Oreo and Starbucks' butterscotch oat fudge bar. Ack!

Bra Extenders

One of the perks (pun so intended) of being pregnant is that you get bigger boobies minus the breast augmentation price tag.

I think it was the near the end of my first trimester that I noticed my bras were getting snug. My cup didn't overfloweth and I can still close the snaps but I get the urge to un-snap them as they were uncomfortable. I wasn't keen on buying new bras because they aren't cheap and I won't have any use for them when the ladies shrink back to normal.

I remember reading about bra extenders once so I went to Landmark to find them.

This pack costs P89.75 for three different colored extenders. The saleslady also offered me a Barbizon one which I think was the same price but for only one piece. I'm all for getting the most bang out of my buck so I got this pack. They work naman. Although, the finishing of the stitches is kinda sloppy, there are some loose threads that you can just pull out, so if you're OC about that, this brand's not for you.

During this trip, I also bought a few maternity panties, the big granny ones which cover the belly hehe. I wear them when I wear dresses.

Now I'm thinking, do I have to buy nursing bras?

Cravings and Feelings

Today was not a good day. Ironic, because the weather was sunny and okay after days of rain, no mishaps on the train, and anything of that sort. I just felt down. I felt sorry for myself. Guess I woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Guess my hormones are acting up? 

I decided to have lunch early by myself at the nearby mall. Devoured beef caldereta and fresh lumpia which elicited a few somersaults from the wee one. But the real reason why I was in the mall was because I was craving Starbucks' butterscotch oat fudge bar since Tuesday. Thankfully, meron sa Midtown, worth the long walk. I wanted to buy one more but I didn't bring enough cash. Good luck to my OGTT next week. Yikes.

I barely accomplished anything in the office. I want to start shopping for the baby but I don't know where to start. Gah I hate this feeling.

Eraserheads in Esquire

I was in first year high school when the Eraserheads broke out in the local scene. High school angst meshed well with the unreciprocated love and obscenities that is "Pare Ko." Most of the boys then started creating their bands and Eheads tapes were staples during Kris Kringle.

"Minsan" will always remind me of a fight that some of us girls had at the end of freshman year. I can't remember the specifics now - but I think it involved common crushes. Sophomore girls helped us patch things up. I remember there was a picture of us that day all lined up in a row with eyes swollen from crying. A day or two after, one of the girls wrote us a letter and she wrote the lyrics of "Minsan", tweaking a few words, referring to the fight.

Funnily, Eraserheads was not as "famous" anymore when I got to UP in 1998. I can't even remember watching them in UP Fair. When they disbanded in 2002, I was also graduating. Reports say that Ely bowed out of the group by texting everyone that he has "graduated" from the group.

Then came the reunion on August 2008. Hubby scrambled to get us tickets. It felt surreal. Goosebumps erupted on my arms and all the lyrics kept coming back. I was in high school again. Then the concert was cut short.

We were there again for their March 7, 2009 concert. Frankly, and even if I am not the best singer out there, I can say that they do not sound that great live. Or maybe because it was an open venue. But we were there for the words, and for the feelings they evoked.

Between Life Stages

A couple of weeks ago, I read all the posts in my old blog that I archived the end of 2011. I was such an industrious blogger then, with posts featuring random photos and random thoughts. 

When I created this blog in 2012, the posts are few and far between. It was like I lost my blogging mojo. But then again, I'm blogging more now, although my posts are more about the pregnancy. I can't help but muse, was my life really that boring between 2011 and up until a few months ago? Well, to be honest, I was a tad depressed about the no-baby situation, and I was afraid that if I blogged, it would be one angsty post after another.

That said, I'm just glad and grateful that happier times are ahead - in real life and for this blog. :)

Congenital Anomaly Scan

We had our Congenital Anomaly Scan. It's a pelvic ultrasound where they count the fingers and toes, check the organs, check for cleft palate and other possible disorders. It sounds scary. Hubby pointed out that if we then find any disorders, then we're going to spend the next four months worrying about it. Oh well.

So we were off early to Medical City last Saturday. I scheduled beforehand for 10am. The ultrasound takes 30-45 minutes daw so I can take a nap. But the doctors then decided to play music and I was nervous so who could sleep?

The sonologist kept remarking that baby was moving a lot, i.e. "Ang likot likot ng baby na to!" so she was chasing the baby all around my belly.

Afterwards, they called hubby. Everything "appears normal". The best part: it's a BOY! I'm fine with whatever sex but hubby really wants a boy. He's been calling my bump "balong" - Ilocano for baby boy - and I'd admonish him because what if it's a girl? Confused na agad hehe! Also, I now weigh 125 pounds, so I've gained four pounds so far.

We went to the OB for check-up after. If we go by LMP, my due date is December 31, but per the first ultrasound, it's January 12. In this ultrasound, it's January 7. OB said since the discrepancy is less than 14 days, we'll go by the gestational age. So December 31 it is! Uh-oh, wag sana holiday rate!

I guess this means we can finally shop for baby stuff!

Growth Spurt

20 weeks just this Monday and my bump has seemingly expanded outward overnight. Has gotten heavier, too. I still do chores around the house and now I can feel the extra weight as I move around.

At least I can still see my feet. Yey! :)

P.S. The pro of this huge bump is that I get to use the pregnant lane. Skipped 40 persons in the bank today and entered a different (and nearer) gate in the office today. Double yey!

Celeteque Anti-Stretch Mark Cream

Once upon a time, I was underweight yet had a couple of stretchmarks. I paid them no heed because they were hidden heehee. Then the Bar exam came and I gained 'Bar weight.' When I started working, the 'Bar weight' became 'office lunches and meriendas weight.' The good news is I am well within my ideal weight. The bad news is I also gained a few more stretchmarks. So before I got pregnant, I was already trying to minimize, if not eradicate, my stretchmarks. I've tried Palmer's but did not finish up the bottle because it smelled like spoiled milk. I didn't use it enough to see if it worked though.

So then I got pregnant. I had morning sickness in my first trimester so I knew I couldn't use Palmer's. Besides, it was helluva expensive. Then I saw the Celeteque Anti-Stretch Mark Cream. When I bought a tube, they had a buy one, get one promo. I am currently on my third tube. The stretchmarks are still there but I think they have lightened a bit.

 

 Source

It retails at P445.00. It smells much better than Palmer's, actually, I don't notice any smell at all although I haven't placed it near my nose. I spread a dollop on my belly and existing stretchmarks in the lower back and booty every morning and evening. So far, I haven't gotten any new stretchmarks, especially on my belly, and I hope it stays that way.

20 Weeks

20 weeks today. Halfway through the pregnancy. Should I panic yet? Haha.

We got back from the province last night. Four days of (eating) bliss. Stuffed myself with crab, shrimp, bangus, fried lumpia, lilot balatong, kineled and Ilocano veggie dishes.

So today was about rest and errands. Watched Ruruoni Kenshin first thing in the morning, dentist to check on my bridge (again, ugh), grocery and playtime with Archer. It's gonna be hard to go to the office tomorrow heehee.

We will be having the congenital anomaly scan on Saturday. We might know the gender by then. Again, should I panic yet? :)

Love your aches and all your edges

These days, my feet ache when I'm standing for some time - like in line at the grocery. Walking (read: trolling around the mall) is still okay though. I don't know if my feet are already swelling because my Payless flats sometimes pinch my toes (although this pair has always felt tight from the start). Must I buy FitFlops? Ack. I hope it's not yet edema because that's supposed to happen in the third trimester and I'm still at the start of my second. 

My only form of exercise so far is walking - the walk from the train station to the office. I bought a DVD of prenatal yoga but I haven't gotten around to cracking it open.

At night, I also noticed that my lower back hurts when I lie on my back. So I try to sleep on my side, usually the left side, which is recommended. Lying on one's back puts pressure on major blood vessels.

Next week is my 20th week per ultrasound - halfway through the pregnancy. Gaaah.

Robin Williams

"The seemingly happiest of people are actually the saddest." - me

Robin Williams died last August 11 by suicide. I've read somewhere that comedians are actually a serious lot. Or they are among the saddest people. Maybe making people laugh is an act of self-preservation.

Social media exploded with tributes. It is indeed sad that someone universally well liked did not feel enough to stay - I'm paraphrasing his daughter Zelda's tribute.

On some level, I do get him. Rest in paradise, Robin.

My life so far...

... is dominated by visits to the OB then dentist then OB then dentist. Dentist for my root canal and OB because I caught a cold and cough. OB prescribed me vitamins and rest. Sigh. I'll gladly take back the nausea and morning sickness over tooth and respiratory problems. :(

Someone's kicking!

I am currently on my 17th week. They say that the baby's movement can be felt as early as 12weeks but for first-timers like me, the average is 18 weeks or so.

These past couple of weeks, I've been feeling tiny flutters - parang may pumipitik-pitik. Then earlier in the LRT, the movement I felt was "solid" already. I tried poking my bump and I felt the "solid" movement again! Yey! So exciting!

On the other hand, I am down with colds and cough huhu. I hope these go away soon.

Root Canal

This year is turning out to be a year of visits to doctors. Aside from my pre-natal check-ups with the OB, I've been seeing a dentist a lot this year. Google says dental problems do crop up while pregnant.

I have a fixed bridge and the tooth where it is attached to has become infected. Root canal was recommended. I hightailed it to the OB to ask for clearance and she said okay because I'm already in my second trimester. I thought of suffering through the pain but the dentist said the tooth could become more infected, hence, more painful. Besides, I have five more months to go. I don't want a toothache while in labor.

I had the procedure done this morning. The bridge had to be removed thus there was more drilling than usual. The dentist remarked that since I've been throwing up, the acidity in my saliva might have loosened the bridge, thus, the infection. 

The first dentist I went to wanted to use diluted epinephrine, hubby coaxed me to go to another, who used lidocaine, which is more preggy-friendly. The anesthesia injection hurt a bit but the actual root canal ekek HURT LIKE HELL despite the numbing. I could not help but cry out loud. Hubby was in the reception area and I was about to motion for the assistants to call him so I saw him through my tears. Funny thing was, he was holding both my hands and I needed one hand to signal if something hurts so I had to wrestle my hand back hehe. After that, there were more screwing and drilling and slight pinches of pain.

I have to go back this week-end to replace the bridge and a couple of weeks after to have something something installed. Almost five hours after, the area feels a bit sore but I've managed to eat lunch and merienda by chewing on the other side of my mouth. 

Sigh. I thought after the nausea has gone, the throwing up has stopped, everything will be smooth sailing. However, I'll gladly endure all these aches now in return for a healthy and normal baby. :)

Hello again, bagoong!

A couple of weeks into the pregnancy, I was cooking my weekly pinakbet with bagoong na isda or liquid bagoong. While it was bubbling away, I felt like throwing up. I ate noodles for that dinner and all the pinakbet was hubby's baon.

I am 16 weeks pregnant today. We have some left-over fried boneless bangus and veggies so I decided to cook dinengdeng, another Ilocano dish which requires bagoong. I could cook it with salt but it doesn't taste the same. Since my nausea has gone, I haven't been throwing up, and my appetite has returned, I decided to try cooking with bagoong again. And yay, I cooked and ate dinengdeng again without throwing up! My Ilocano heart is so happy. :)

How to stay stress-free while pregnant?

Yes, I'm asking; no, this is not a how-to post.

As soon as people learn I'm pregnant, they automatically say: "Don't be stressed." Which is really hard for me to do because my default mode is 50% stressed. Must be my being a tad OC slash paranoid and panganay-take-charge disposition that little things agitate me. Like just this morning, I saw that one of our knives' tip was cut off/broke off. I asked hubby and sister and they both don't know. So I'm worried and yes, stressed, that it got mixed in the food and one of us ate it. But it was quite a large chunk so I hope it was just flushed down the drain.

Then, there are work issues and office issues.

We are also looking for a kasambahay and it's not easy to find a trustworthy one who can cook, clean and take care of a baby.

Pre-pregnancy, I'd go for a full-body massage to de-stress. Now I can't. This is one of the things I miss. And coffee.

So really, how does one stay stress-free while pregnant?

Typhoon Glenda

Another July 16, another disaster. This time, a typhoon.

Reports leading to today stated that Glenda will be like Milenyo, which meant winds. The night before, I stocked up on bread, crackers and canned goods.

At around 3AM, I woke up because power went out. Thankfully, there was still running water.

At around 7AM, the wind started howling and rattling our windows. Scary. I tried to cook breakfast but for some reason, we could not ignite the gas stove. So we ate bread, Vienna sausage, apples and kiwi.

Then at around 9AM to 10AM, it was raining hard and the wind was really howling.

Second Trimester

Both of my pregnancy apps welcomed me to my second trimester today. STILL looking forward to not throwing up - just threw up my breakfast this morning. :(

I guess the hardest thing about the first trimester was the throwing up part. Two weeks after we learned I was pregnant, I was throwing up every morning. There were a couple of times that I threw up on evenings, too. The first couple of times that happened, I felt too tired to report to work. Hayayay. No wonder I lost 2 pounds, toinks, finally losing weight when I'm pregnant, oh the irony. OB said that's okay but I should be gaining weight soon as my appetite's expected to return. I hope so. 

First Time with the Doppler

Last Saturday's check-up was our first time with the Doppler. We were excited to hear baby's heartbeat. The OB was using the Doppler way way down there, and after a few seconds of swooping around, we were hearing nothing. I was scared.

The OB said to transfer to her transvaginal ultrasound. I was instructed to pee. During the TVZ, there were a few seconds of silence until the OB heaved a sigh of relief. Baby is okay. I was further relieved when the OB exclaimed, "Ay, sumisirko-sirko siya!" when she was trying to get measurements. Fetal heartbeat is 147. OB has a portable TVZ with a small screen so I didn't see the baby. Hubby was also disappointed hehe, he wanted another video.

We've been taking shots of my "bump" since 2 weeks ago. But with this experience of knowing that the baby is way way down below yet, I conclude we've been photographing my "belly bump" and not a "baby bump". :P

Double Rainbow

Rainbows never get old. I just saw a huge one on the way home. After a few minutes, I realized it was a double rainbow. Pure love.

#Blessed

I honestly thought this day would never come. You know, I hate how some people use the hashtag #blessed. I've tried not using it ever. But I think this is the best exception:

We've been trying to conceive for years. We have issues, we've had treatments - ranging from work-ups to injections to acupuncture. We've spent many pennies on medicines. And I always got one line when I peed on a stick.

My cycle has always been irregular so I take a pregnancy test on the 36th day or so. April 30 was my 36th day so I took a test. Negative. The next day, May 1, was a holiday and hubby and I made plans to run in UP in preparation for Run United 2. I was aiming for 10km but I felt so heavy that I ran-walked, mostly walked, around 7km. I blamed the heat.

Come Saturday, May 3, we were scheduled for acupuncture. Still no Aunt Flo in sight. I took another test. Negative... or was that a faint second line? I had another test. A really faint second line, if you held up the test near a light. I called the hubby, who was watching the NBA. He wasn't sure if there was a line. So we still went to our acupuncture appointment.

But I was feeling antsy. We tried calling my OB but no one was picking up. We decided to go to an ultrasound clinic. After a couple of hours, the sonologist saw nothing, and could neither confirm or deny if I was pregnant. She said to have an ultrasound again after 2 weeks.

I took a few more tests and the second line was getting darker. Mother's Day came and passed and we couldn't tell anyone, not even our parents.

We finally went to the OB on May 12. She saw a yolk sac and teeny tiny embryo that she called "bulinggit". Finally! We told our family and closest friends right after.

BUT. There's more.

During our next ultrasound, the OB suddenly asked, "May lahi ba kayong twins?" I said no, on our side. Turns out she was seeing two yolk sacs. Ack! Hubby later said his grandma had twins-siblings. However, after a few weeks, the yolk sac was empty, the embryo never really developed. The OB said it was vanishing twin syndrome. The good news is, Baby A is A-okay.

Today, I am at the end of the first trimester. I am still (unfortunately) experiencing morning sickness. I hate the smell of bagoong cooking so goodbye to my staple pinakbet. I am not yet showing much but I'm bloated so I now live in Uniqlo stretchy jeans. 

I am due in January. I'm excited and I'm scared. And I can't believe this blog is going to be a mommy blog! Haha. :)

Closing Time

Closing time
Open all the doors and let you out into the world
Closing time
Turn all of the lights on over every boy and every girl
Closing time
One last call for alcohol so finish your whiskey or beer
Closing time
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here

Back in freshman year of law school, my blockmates and I had regular Thursday inuman sessions at this bar called Cafe Dapits. I think it was because we were let out early that day and our classes the next day were really late. Anyway, we would drink until the bar closed down and our cue to exit was when the place would play Semisonic's Closing Time.

While walking to work yesterday, the song came back to me. My boss is retiring in seven months' time and since I'm co-terminus, my stint here is ending as well. I can transfer to another boss but given my current state, it doesn't seem advisable to do so. However, I did make moves to transfer to another government office early this year but they still haven't called me back for an interview (boo) so maybe I'm destined to stay here for the meantime.

Apart from the retirement, everything seems to be closing down around here, and by here, I mean around the office. We are near the Philamlife building and sometime last year or early this year, it was bought by SM. I like Philamlife building because it houses two of my banks, BDO and BPI, so I can run bank errands during my lunch hour. There was also a Dell's where we could eat relatively cheap  slow-cooked food. There was  a small Mercury Drug where I could buy my medicines without a long queue. But they have all since moved out except for BPI. BDO has transferred to the other side of the street, in Times Plaza. This would have been fine except that there used to be a connecting walkway from the LRT to Times but it has also been closed. So now, I have to go down the LRT stairs to get to Times. In my state, it's kind of a hassle.

Closing time
Time for you to go out to the places you will be from
Closing time
This room won't be open till your brothers or your sisters come
So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits
I hope you have found a friend
Closing time
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

Maybe it's time for new beginnings.

 

Happy 4th and Nat Geo Earth Day Run

Last Thursday was hubby and I's fourth wedding anniversary. Time flies indeedy. Since fancy night-outs are "rare" in our household (hehe), I'm documenting this one.

We were supposed to go to Boracay or some other beach for our anniversary but then we signed up for the Nat Geo Earth Day Run on April 27. We decided to book a hotel for a staycation the day before the run and luckily, hubby found a deal for F1 Hotel in BGC.

Since we were going to a hotel on the week-end, we opted for a low-key dinner on our anniversary day. We had dinner at Trellis which was our special-occasions-place back in college. We will forever love the sisig there.

Bolinao 2014

Last Black Saturday, my side of the family went on a day trip to Bolinao. Although it's still in the same province, it took us three hours to travel from our city, hence, it still felt like an "out of town" trip. Pangasinan is such a huge province.

We arrived shortly before lunch, and stayed at the Treasures of Bolinao resort. For day tours, the resort usually offers tables and chairs in various shaded parts of the resort. However, hubby and my sisters managed to haggle their way into taking a room until 5pm. 

After lunch at their restaurant, we took pictures with the parentals who had no interest in swimming (hehe) and then swam in the coral-y, albeit very clear, waters.

ARISE Gary V. 3.0

Last April 12, we watched "ARISE Gary V. 3.0" at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It's Gary's 30th anniversary concert series. I think it's one of the better, if not the best, concert I've seen in a while, local or foreign.

DJ Tom Taus (of Cedie and brother of Antoinette fame) warmed up the crowd. He grew up into a buff young man (please Google pictures). The concert started with videos of Gary in the 80s shown on the big screen while Iya Villania Arellano was doing cartwheels in the air ala-Pink. Then, G-Force dancers came out in neon-lights- Daft-Punk like costumes. 

When Gary came out, he immediately belted his hits "Di Bale Na Lang" and "Growing Up". He sang mostly ballads with a teleserye medley and a movie themes medley. I shed a few tears when he sang "Reaching Out' and "Natutulog Ba ang Diyos." His voice has not changed, it was just like listening to the radio or to a CD.

Here he was singing "Sana Maulit Muli" which I learned was written pala by his wife, Angeli. They're so musical, I'm so inggit.

 The fast numbers were a different story though. He could still move and groove but not as much, most of his dance songs were grouped in medleys. My favorites were when he sang and danced "Sa Yahweh" (pictured below) and "Shout for Joy" with the original Manoeuvres.

He performed with children Gab and Kiana Valenciano, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Sam Concepcion, DJ Papi and Rico Blanco. He frequently went off the stage and into the audience and the Patron people kept coming up to him and taking selfies. It was so That's 1980s with a twist, instead of the thick sampaguita garlands, people had their cellphones. It made me wonder though, what did the artistas then do with their sampaguitas. A really popular star then would have the garlands covering their necks up to half of their faces. I digress.

I hope he'd do more concerts soon so I can buy better seats - yeah, yeah, that what I always say. :P

Lea Salonga's Playlist: The Repeat

 

I admit I'm getting a teeny bit embarrassed about posting blurry Instagram concert photos from the nosebleed section, heehee. But c'est la vie.

I love Lea Salonga. Loved her since I was young. I wanted to buy a pricier ticket but hubby didn't want to go with me. My SIL agreed to accompany me but only if we bought the cheapest seats. So there I was again in the nosebleed section. I'm just glad I saw the concert though because I missed the original run last December. Thank goodness Lea held a one-night repeat last January 18.

The nosebleed (P1,000) section wasn't too bad at the PICC Plenary Hall. The place reminded me of my oath-taking ceremonies. Anyhoo, the place was just cozy enough that Lea didn't appear like an ant and the acoustics was good.

I liked her rendition of "Blurred Lines" which was one of the early songs. Yun lang she didn't sing any of the songs I wanted - "On My Own", "I Dreamed a Dream", "Sun and Moon" or even "Journey." Also, I really want to hear her sing "A Whole New World" live. She sang "Sana Maulit Muli" but alas, Aga Muhlach wasn't there and he was called to the stage last December. Boo hoo. I hope I get to watch her next concert - in a nearer section. :)

TwistedHalo

Helena Belmonte, 28-year old model and daughter of Mega Magazine's Lorraine Belmonte, fell from the veranda of her 28th floor condo unit last week. Police ruled it was a suicide.

I don't know Helena personally but I know her LiveJournal username: twistedhalo. I've always liked reading blogs and hers was one of the many I've "stumbled upon." I was 21 then, she and her friends were 16. They were enrolled in private schools and partied in exclusive clubs. They traveled and wore nice clothes. I guess the probinsyana in me lived vicariously through their posts.

I liked her username so much that I used it as my own username when I signed up for Flickr in 2005 or 2006. I again used the name for my previous blog, just "customizing" my blog URL by adding "pink" before "twistedhalo."  I wonder if she noticed if she ever came around to Googling "twistedhalo."

I still followed her Instagram and Twitter years after just because. So I was shocked, even if I am a complete stranger, when I learned about her death. Her godmother, Sari Yap, wrote that Helena has been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder since she was a kid. Her recent posts hinted of depression but I guess no one could have predicted what was coming.

Eternal peace to you, my online namesake.

 

SOLD OUT!

What do Taylor Swift, Run United 2014 and Nat Geo Run have in common? Two words: SOLD OUT!

First, TayTay. Yes, I'm 33 years old and I like Taylor. She'll be having her concert here on June 6 at the MoA Arena. Tickets were sold by SM Tickets (the worst, really!) and went on sale last March 7. That day, I contemplated on making a detour to SM Manila but I was finishing reports so I resolved to try my luck with smtickets.com. Great: the website was down the entire time and the tickets were sold out in 2 friggin' hours! Boohoohooo! :((

Second, Run United 1 2014. Actually, this concerns hubby. He was planning to run the 21km while I wanted to run my first 10km. When we went to Toby's to register sometime in February, the 21km registration was already closed! Yikes. Hubby was forced to sign up in the 10km with me.

The run was last Sunday. I think I did okay. I wanted to run, even sprint the last 2km, but I suddenly felt a sharp shooting pain in my upper leg, near the groin (TMI). But I think I still did okay, my body wasn't too sore after.

On the other hand, hubby set a new personal record, 10km under one hour! :)

Finally, the Nat Geo Run which will be on April 27. While having breakfast after Run United, I tried to sign us up for 21km and 10km again but they were closed! Only the 5km and 3km were open. Argggh. Again, we were "forced" to sign up for the 5km if only for nice singlets and finisher shirts haha.

These events remind me of that saying: "daig ng maagap ang masipag". Truth!

Nesting 2014

As 2014 rolled in, we were hit by a major nesting bug. Well, hubby specifically. He's been installing lights and setting up extension cords everywhere (we have 3 in our bedroom alone!) We also have a ton of stuff but not enough storage space. The past couple of years we've been planning to put up storage in our bedroom but never had the time nor the resources. One day, hubby went ahead and ordered some at a store in Market, Market. Around the same time, we bought two free-standing cabinets from SM North Edsa's Our Home for my side of the bed.

 

I spied this pillow case in Our Home while buying the cabinets. It was the last piece.

Since I cleared some of my stuff from the top of the shoe cabinet, I put in a teal (wedding motif!) vase with fake grass and a painting from my law school classmate. I want small but real house plants, even if I do end up killing the poor things. That wall needs something, perhaps decals, or more shelves to hold my gazillion of books.

Just last week, we had combi blinds installed to replace the curtains in the living room and the kitchen.

According to Wikipedia:

           In human females, the nesting instinct often occurs around the fifth month of pregnancy,^[1][9] but can occur as late as the eighth, or not at all.^{[citation needed]} It may be strongest just before the onset of labor.^[1][10][11]

           It is commonly characterized by a strong urge to clean and organize one's home and is one reason why couples who are expecting a baby often reorganize, arrange, and clean the house and surroundings.

As I tweeted a while back, in our case, it's not the acquiring of stuff that's tough, it's having the bebe to put in the nest. Oh well. At least we now have a pretty nest.