Outfit of the Day Pic

April 26 - after church

April 28 - after OB check-up

April 29 - after church

Midnight Reflections

Warning: This is a long post, written during one of my many insomnia attacks.  It is full of ramblings and reflections of a mother to be who wants to sleep but just can't.


I have been on bedrest since I got pregnant.  With less than 1 month to go, it seems I will still be until I give birth. I was diagnosed with placenta previa since my first trimester and this causes my scary moments-the spotting incidents. Good thing I resigned already from my job or else, it would have been very stressful.  My Indian boss wouldn't let me at first and offered various working arrangements, including a work from home set-up.   The work from home set-up would have been great but with our OB's advise, I knew from the start that this will not be a normal pregnancy.  Bibi and I decided if we are really serious with our pregnancy plans given all the emotional, physical, financial investment plus other factors involved in this pregnancy, then we should try our best to make our situation conducive to become pregnant and carry our baby to term. Now, I could not imagine how I could work from home when I always have contractions when I use my laptop - and I am just surfing the net!  I could not go around our small condo unit without using a wheelchair.  Good thing I have my ancient but trusty PDA but I think it cannot replace the laptop for work.  I really admire women who are able to work until they go to labor, which I thought I would be one. But reading pregnancy articles made me realize no pregnancies are the same, even if the mother is the same.  What more if different mothers are involved?  Some thought my resignation is going overboard but I just have to follow my instincts.  With all these, I feel very blessed that Bibi is my husband who is very much involved and supportive of my pregnancy. He has been spoiling me ever since we got married more than 6 years ago. With all the treatments, hospitalization even my mood swings, he is still very patient and understanding.  I know how far he would go for me... 


In one of my surfing sessions, I came across this:

"The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices."

http://www.babycenter.com/0_forty-two-things-that-change-when-you-have-a-baby_1452535.bc

Just looking at the 3D pictures of my unborn child already makes me feel that way...

Scary Moment Update

April 22,11pm. Another spotting incident.  May be due to the 3 1/2 hours spent in baby shopping...to think I was in a wheelchair the whole time.  Per OB's text, go to the hospital if there will be subsequent spottings.  Good thing there were no incidents after.  At least I was able to experience shopping for the baby without any dire consequence to my little buting.   I'm a girl after all and who does not enjoy shopping?  Shopping for the baby was even more exciting and fun!  Now, I think there will be no more shopping for me because of this spotting incident.  Usually, my OB does not allow my once-a-week outing for 2 to 3 weeks after a spotting incident.  Given that I only have one month to go, I cannot imagine myself shopping 1 week before my CS operation.  The upside is that bibi finally agreed for me to try online shopping!  I just hope there will be no contractions now that I will be surfing the net more (which I usually experience before).  O well, once buting is here, I'm sure I'd rather spend my time with her than shopping!

Outfit of the Day Pics

April 21 - before baby shopping @ SM Makati

April 22 - after church

Gadget ni Kuting

Natutuwa ako kasi nagagamit ko ulit yung pinakamahal na personal gadget na binili ko ever (December 2006 sa Singapore).  Ito yung PDA ko na HP Ipaq. Ang galing kasi halos mag-6 years na ito, nagana pa! Ngayon, dahil bedrest ako, siya ang mini-computer ko dahil pag laptop ang gamit ko, naninigas tyan ko. Di ko alam kung nagkakataon lang pero pag PDA gamit ko, ayos lang.  Kaso luma na software tsaka ala ako wifi sa bahay so yung mga blog entries ko, ma-upload ko lang tuwing may chance na makapag-internet using laptop, which is once or twice a week lang, gamit ang prepaid Tattoo broadband (para tipid hehe).  Para rin syang ipod kasi maganda yung sounds niya. Hmm, kung matuto lang ako pano i-update software nito, ayos na!


Pangarap ko pa naman makabili ng bagong cellphone na hi-tech (iphone 4s, sony ericsson xperia pro, nokia lumia) before pa ako ma-pregy pero since may baby na on the way, iba na ang priorities ko.  Talagang nag-iiba ang buhay pag may anak but I wouldn't have it any other way. 

with matching bluetooth keyboard

Wheeling Around

Here's a picture of my wheelchairs. Yes, I have two.  Both were already used but I don't mind.  A big thank you to bibi's family and to our churchmates who lent us these wheelchairs.  Without these, I wouldn't be able to go around the house, go to church and go to malls (with OB’s clearance of course).

Just a side note-every OB visit I get to eat out since my OB would give us the go signal to do so.  We always go to Greenbelt 5, our favorite mall.  We appreciated Gbelt even more since it is so easy to get a wheelchair from the Concierge.  Thus, no need to lug around our own.:)

And the Countdown Begins...

In my April 14 OB check-up, OB asked if we want to have a normal or cesarean (CS) delivery.  Since the chance of my placenta previa going away is slim, we decided to go with CS.  Our OB did not want to decide for us but when we decided to have a CS delivery, she said CS would be safer for me especially that I have a "complicated pregnancy".  It wasn’t until I heard those two words from my OB did I realize my pregnancy is indeed complicated.  Before I got pregnant, I have thought that once I conceive, pregnancy will be a breeze, despite my OB’s warnings.  I am thinking no one in my family had complicated pregnancies so I’m good.  Gee, was I wrong.  One factor could be the age.  I am the only one who got pregnant in my 30s. Well, there are really some things we cannot control.  


Although my estimated due date is June 13, our OB said it is best that I schedule my CS operation around 3 weeks early to avoid labor.  Laboring with placenta previa can result in bleeding and we wouldn’t want that to happen… Would have wanted the delivery to be on bibi’s birthday (May 22) but OB said it’s too early.  3 days after bibi’s birthday would be ok.  And now, the countdown begins for the big day!

Changed my baby ticker to real time countdown mode :)
Buting's icon is a mushroom - ka-buting!

Dear Little Buting: Squirmy Buting

Dear Little Buting,


At more than 32 weeks, you have stopped kicking. Your movements are more of squirming-sometimes gentle, other times, it feels like a royal rumble wrestling match. This is because my tummy's becoming cramped since you are getting bigger! You move a lot when I'm hungry, during my madaling araw bathroom ritual, around sunrise and when your tatay is watching basketball! Your every move makes me smile because it reminds me of the precious life growing inside my tummy. I love you little buting!

Outfit of the Day Pics

April 14 - after my OB check-up

April 15 - after church

Just realized that ever since I got pregnant, I haven't bought any maternity clothes, except for the Havin' A Baby shorts in the first picture.  Since I do not go out much, my wardrobe are my dusters I inherited from my Inang (my nanay's aunt), hand me down shorts from Sanse and my loose clothes. Tipid! Hehe.   

Outfit of the Day Pics

Since my due date is fast approaching, I decided to take outfit of the day pictures while I still have my big baby bump so I’ll have something to remind me of my pregnancy looks :) 

April 5 - after church

April 8 - after church

Scary Moment Update

April 1, 1245PM.  Another spotting incident. We went to the hospital for fetal and contraction monitoring.  Everything’s ok after an hour, what a relief!  My OB called me and explained that it might be due to my constipation…reminded me to eat more veggies…

Dear Little Buting: @ 7 months!

Dear Little Buting,

Based on the latest ultrasound, you are not so big anymore! Your weight is now in the mid-range for a baby your age and our OB is very happy about it.  How time flies! Here you are in my tummy at 7 months!  

Scary Moment Update

March 25, 4AM.  Another spotting incident.  This time, it was only a little blood and we decided to observe first since I was not in pain.  When I texted my OB, she said to continue observing and increased the dosage of my meds.  She really is one  thoughtful  OB as she texted me again in the evening how I was doing.  There were no subsequent spotting incidents  but I felt my tummy to be too firm but no pain.  She then asked us to see her the following day.  The check-up turned out fine.  She prescribed additional meds and advised me to stay in bed for the next two weeks.  Wah! There goes my nesting plans.  Oh well, little buting is more important.  Bibi can do it especially that we went around SM Department Store already and he has an idea what needs to be bought before the baby comes.   

Sofa Story

We spent another 3 hours in the mall after ultrasound – first, we had lunch with Kuya Martin, Ate Cecil and Kyle.  Then, we went to the Department Store to scout for baby clothes, cloth diapers, diaper bag, bottles, cabinet  and crib.  We also went to Our Home for additional options for the cabinet.  We end up liking a sofa set.  Ever since we got married, we have not yet bought a decent sofa.  What we have is a hand me down sofa bed which eventually broke during its first year with us.  That is why some visitors say , why do you have a bed in your living room?  Well, one major reason why we haven’t replaced it is because bibi has not found  the “one”.  And it seems that he has found it as he was very excited about it! Since I also want to have a decent and comfortable place to breastfeed liitle buting so instead of a breastfeeding chair, I think the sofa set may be included in the baby budget :P

  

the sofa on the left is my future breastfeeding chair; nice noh?

3D Adventure

March 24, 2012

Bibi and I were very excited since we will be having our first 3D ultrasound!  I chose to have it done at In My Womb (IMW) Megamall because of the consistent good reviews it receives in blogs and online forums.  I initially wanted a 4D ultrasound. The difference between the two is that in 4D ultrasound, you will get a video while in 3D, you will only get pictures, sort of snapshots of the 4D ultrasound.  The difference in the price is around Php2,100 so we decided to forego the video.  Another option was to have it done in Makati Med (MMC) but the 2D ultrasound there already costs more than Php2,000.  So it was worth giving IMW a try. 

The whole IMW experience was worth it!  First, our session started as scheduled.  No long waiting time unlike in MMC.  Second, there is a viewing room adjacent to the ultrasound room where Bibi and Yaya Emily can watch the whole procedure.  Third, the OB-sonologist, Dra. Ramirez was very nice and very patient in explaining everything we see on the big LCD TV.   She even answers our questions.  In MMC, my experience is that answers to questions are very limited or vague because they prefer the attending OB to answer the patient’s questions.   The waiting time for the colored pix is 2 weeks but we were able to get the black and white pix after the ultrasound (for the colored pics, I received a text saying the pics are now available for pick-up before the 2 weeks was up).  All I can say is that little buting is so cute!  And by the way, it is now 100% sure, little buting is a girl! 

Consistent with the previous ultrasounds we had, little buting was very malikot during the IMW session. I think the donut I ate contributed to her being hyperactive.  She kept on pouting and covering her face with her hand.  She also changed positions a lot but good thing she did not turn her back  to us.  Dra Ramirez had to be quick in getting good angles for the snapshots!

a snapshot of her long legs! mana sa tatay :)

DIY Trip: Recycled Home Decor

Another recycled home décor.  I found a little notebook with a beautiful mother and child portrait by Ang Kiukok as its cover.  If I remember it correctly, it was a gift from Mitch, a former SGV colleague.  I used a frame from a souvenir photo I got from Picnic Grove, Tagaytay in one of my many-bring-a-foreigner-corporate-guest-to-Tagaytay trips.  Check out the pic below!