Random Thoughts

I honestly thought that I would give birth on the 29th through induction. Because my contractions during my 39th week was weak and that I was still on the go, even planning a very busy weekend. Hubby and I even planned of going to a party in Cavite, have my haircut, and have a fulfilling breakfast at Serendra. I wanted to do everything before giving birth because I know that my hands will be full for our newborn baby and the little girl.

But it seems like God has other plans and that Andie wanted to come out of the world on time. :)

Nov 18, 2008.

5:30PM. After Alex and I watched "Chicken Little" and "Barnie" at the family room, we went down with Hubby. I checked my email and let Alex eat her merienda. I was surfing the internet and did a couple of tasks when around 7PM, I felt different. I felt a contraction but it wasn't strong. What I felt was a weird back pain. I even thought that I just needed to do Number 2. LOL! I told Hubby about it, at first I said it was nothing. But deep inside I was actually thinking, what if that was it?

7PM. Hubby and I were having dinner when I felt more contractions coming. It wasn't painful, but I told myself if this was it, I might as well eat a lot. :D So I ate my dinner and had ice cream for dessert (after all, I will be giving birth in a few hours). I convinced Hubby to go to the gasoline station for gas since our car doesn't have gas as of that moment. Finally he agreed. LOL!

7:30PM. I was trying to finish some assignments like las vegas nevada research just to forget about the contractions and to make my mind off of it. But I was feeling a bit weird already.

9PM. My Mom and sister dropped by and we went down to have a chat. They ate dessert and told them that I might give birth in a few hours. They wouldn't believe me because I was still laughing and smiling with them.

10PM. We decided to sleep. But I told Hubby that we should time my contractions already.

11PM. My contractions are getting close but I can't still feel any pain except for the back.

Nov 19, 2008.

2AM. Now, I can feel a little bit of pain so, Hubby texted my OB already giving her the time of my contractions and interval which was around 10mins apart.

5AM. My OB replied and told us that we should go to the hospital so they could do IE. If I'm 4cm she said we should be prepared to be checked in. I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe that I'm actually on labor already. Hubby and I were even exchanging jokes. I packed my stuff (change bags), dress up (how I wish I took a bath then), and leave some instructions to Alex yaya.

530AM. We were at the hospital. Our travel was a breeze. Hubby was not even stressed out. I went straight to the Nurse station, fill up some forms and then off we went to HRPU. I waited for a couple of minutes before they did IE.

6AM. They did IE and found that I was already 3-4cm. Hubby congratulated me because with Alex, I was already screaming when I was 3-4cm. LOL!

The next few hours went by so fast. I can't remember what time I was 5-6cm dilated but what I can remember is that I was already texting Hubby to hurry up (since he was in the admission office trying to fix our room). I can feel a bit of pain but not too much to ask for anesthesia. But I still agreed to call the anesthesiologist anyway. Good thing, I asked for her early because she arrived after a few hours!

I was in total pain when the anesthesiologist arrived. My OB arrived before her and gave me a pill for me to relax. I was so happy to see my OB and the anesthesiologist.

1130AM. I think by this time I was already fully dilated. They were making me push already but I wouldn't because my OB was not yet there (she left to check on a patient at her clinic).

1145AM. They brought me to the delivery room. This time I was already pushing during contractions. It took me a lot of pushes before Andie came out. They even had to help me by leaning on my tummy. I thought I wouldn't make it to a normal delivery because Andie would go down then go back again because she was long!

1245PM. Good thing she came out finally at around 1245pm. She cried as soon as she came out. The cry was loud and I wanted to cry too. I don't know why. Probably because of relief or happiness or the feeling of overwhelmed or maybe because the labor took only for a few hours unlike the last time that I had my labor for almost 24 hours! But one thing I was sure was that I felt REALLY HAPPY.

 

 

When I was brought to the room, the first thing that I saw were the flowers that Hubby bought for me. :) Actually it was one of my requests. LOL! Thanks sweetie for doing all my requests. :)



He also ordered Estrel's cake which I really wanted through my brother in law. Thanks again for the cake Kuya!

Now, she's beginning to be a handful. She cries every time she wakes up (makes me realize that she might be a colic baby). She wants to be fed all the time! She's not contented with my milk supply. She cries soooo loud our neighbors can definitely hear her.

But despite of the sleepless nights (maximum of 3 hours of sleep everyday), I still feel happy and blessed that we can finally carry our baby princess in our arms. Not to mention Ate Alex's excitement when she first saw her baby sister. :) But will leave you with this photo for now and be back with that memorable story.

Whew!

That's the first word that came into my mind to start of this post. LOL!

I can't believe it's been a week already since my uneventful (thank God!) delivery. Where did all those days go?

Anyway, I've been recovering pretty well but still adjusting to our new setup. Trying hard to cope up with the demands of a newborn (who wants to be breastfed almost every hour!) and a toddler who wants to get attention all the time. Yes, it is pretty hard. But Hubby and I are coping.

Thanks to all who who greeted and who dropped by here! I appreciate it so much! You guys made me smile. :)

I promise to post my birthing kwento and photos hopefully next week when I have adjusted already. And when I get enough sleep too! The question is, am I going to get that in the next few months? HAHA. For now, I'm happy that I'm getting maximum of 2 to 3 hours of sleep everyday.

Oh well, the pains and joys of motherhood. At the end of the day, I'm still happy and contented and blessed that I've got everything I wanted.

Now, I'm off to do some reading on life insurance quotes before the baby girl wakes up.

'Til my next post! ;)

As I was looking at our newborn baby being cleaned by an O.B. resident, I can't help but ask myself, who does she looks like? Her dad or her mom? But after looking at her again, and again, and again, she not only looks like her dad or her mom, but she also looks like..... Ate Alex!.

Whoever she looks like, we are glad that she came out healthy. And I am also glad that her mama is also recovering fast. Now you know who wrote this post. More stories and photos to come in the coming days.

Yeap, I'm still very much pregnant! :D

Now, on my 39th week and inspite of our kind of busy weekend and walks at Mall of Asia and even went up using the stairs (for 3 floors), my contractions are still the same. Not too strong to start a "real" labor.

But as I've mentioned in my last post, it's ok since I'm still working until the 26th. I even plan of going to the Richwell Sale on Saturday after seeing Jody's loots! I just love that vanity set which I first saw at Sophia (of Jane)'s playroom (which Alex loved so much too!). I also plan to go to the parlor on Saturday!

So, I guess giving birth will have to wait. LOL!

We had a not-so-busy but super FUN weekend. Thanks to Abie and Howell for inviting us to Bela's Third Bday last Saturday!



We had a blast! Especially Hubby who had so much fun watching Leodini's magic show. He can't get over it until we got home he was still overwhelmed. LOL! You see, doing magic was his frustration. When he was a kid, he even asked one of their drivers to tie him up and put him in a closet. LOL! I can't forget that story.

Anyway, the little girl had a blast too during the party and during play time at Kidz Republic! She was smiling when Hubby fetched her after an hour and half of play time! :)

It was nice seeing some of the MBAPs with Hubbies and kids there too - Abie of course, Apple, Jody, Jacqui, Joy, and Peachy. I was actually shocked to see Peachy there because I knew she just gave birth. LOL! But Peachy, you don't look like you gave birth! Sexy na ulit! ;)

Yesterday, Sunday, we (or I) just spent the whole day sleeping and lounging around. I've been soooo lazy lately. I haven't even prepared the crib and the bottles for baby #2. Aaargggh. Bad Mama. All I want to do lately is to sleep! Hopefully I get to fix these stuff over the weekend. During dinner, my good friends Fars and Mage came over. And another friend from London (won't disclose yet) surprised us last night too!!! I was so happy to see her. :D She came home after 6 mos in London. See you again ladies after I give birth. :D

How about you? How was your weekend?

...And were ready to go... To the hospital that is! LOL!

But wait! Not yet! I had my 38th week checkup yesterday after work and found out that my cervix is already open at 1CM. Oh well, at least it has improved a bit compared to last week that it was still closed. My contractions were not that strong though so my OB is already thinking that she might induced me again on my 41st week. Just like what happened with my first pregnancy. So I guess the day would on the 29th!

Hubby and I are getting anxious and excited because we will never know when would that big day be! For now, I'm still working and my last day at work will be on the 26th. We are even researching on some diet pills already such as Hydroxycut hardcore so I could drink it as soon as I give birth or probably as soon as I'm done with breastfeeding which I assume (and hope) that would be months from now. Or hopefully a year I guess.

Alex is also getting excited!

Especially now that we told her that her baby sister will give her a gift when she comes out of Mama's tummy. The funny thing is that she guessed the gift right after buying it at Toy Kingdom! Hubby and i couldn't believed it! We thought she didn't mind us buying the gift in front of her. We even had it gift wrapped in front of her too! Little did we know that she remembered us buying it and even ASSUMED that it was for her. LOL!

My, she really is not a baby anymore. :(

Oh, the photo above was taken yesterday. She was in the mood for picture taking that she even agreed for me take her photo a few times. :) She just loves bags and these two bags are her favorite bags as of the moment. Thanks to Tito Dandy for the bags which he brought from Macau last March. :D

Happy Friday everyone!

This is so funny! I can totally relate to this. Another nice article from MommySavers.com by Connie Colwell Miller.

As we all know, people have traditionally divided a woman’s pregnancy into three trimesters, identifiable by certain physical characteristics in the mother and the developing fetus.

However, now that I’m expecting my second baby, I’ve decided to set aside the information provided by those with the medical degree in lieu of my own version of the pregnancy stages.

Please keep in mind that the stages I’ve outlined here are malleable. While, according to your doctor, the third trimester cannot occur before the first, my categories are more flexible. Some may even occur simultaneously.

See what you think.

1. The Eat It and Puke It Stage
This stage (which involves an infuriating amalgamation of intense hunger, the inability to eat any food, and the subsequent vomiting of said lack of food) is also known as the “hell on earth” stage and the “never again” stage. It may be accompanied by a lack of personal hygiene, a pile of stinking dishes, violent mood swings, and the inability to brush the teeth without vomiting. For some women, a cranky husband exists simultaneously.

Note: Some women do not get morning sickness. This stage is not for you. We’ll put you in the same category with the women who have babies who sleep through the night at four months. We have a word for women like you.

2. The Nothing to Wear Stage
This stage is associated with a bloated and sensitive abdomen. To button your pants would cause any of several major issues (see Stage 4). However, you still somehow manage to look ridiculous in maternity clothes.

3. The “Hands Off!” Stage
The breasts feel like giant zits about to pop. Touch them and die!

4. The Farting Stage
I have to admit, this is my favorite stage. For me, it coincides with the end of Stage 1, so its arrival is much anticipated. Besides, I get to give my husband a taste of his own medicine.

5. The Garbage Disposal Stage
If it’s remotely edible, it goes in the mouth. Suddenly, your toddler’s leftover macaroni and cheese doesn’t look so bad. Even if it is stuck to his neck.

6. The HOT Stage
“Man, it’s hot in here. Turn on the A/C. Geez, aren’t you dying in this room? Open the windows!” You get the idea.

7. The Tortoise Stage
This stage arrives at a different point for every woman (karma ensures that the women who do not experience Stage 1 tend to encounter Stage 7 much earlier). The body begins to slow down and appears about to cave beneath the massive weight of itself. This stage is often accompanied by insensitive comments from strangers such as, “So, are you ever going to have that kid?” and “Wow, it seems like you’ve been pregnant forever.” Some women like to call this category the “Get This Thing Out of Me” stage.

8. The Labor Stage
Sorry, totally blocked this out. Oh, wait. I do have one memory: ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch.

9. The New Baby Stage
And then, thank the Lord, we’re done. Less than a year later, and we have a new baby. And while we do encounter an array of difficulties with newborns (don’t get me started on the joys of beginning breastfeeding), it is equally rewarding, don’t you think?

Why else would we keep having more?

Happiness is...

1. Nice reads from MommySavers.com
2. A good book by Ken Follet
3. Dinner and Coffee date (Part 2) with YFC friends
4. Family Day last Sunday
5. Dinner and Movie Date with Hubby last Saturday
6. A good movie (Quantum of Solace)
7. Still getting good sleep even if I'm now on my 38th week
8. The little girl having a blast with her cousins and playmates over the weekend
9. A good breakfast
10. A great dinner at Masas

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

Our family day with the in-laws last Sunday was kind of different. It was potluck and Hubby & I were assigned to organize the lunch. At first we had no idea what kind of food to bring but since my in-laws are currently on a diet for the past few months, we decided to make it a bit healthy. Hubby and I decided to bring Mango & Kani Salad, Tempura, and Estrel's cake (since I've been craving for this for days now!). We asked BIL to bring crabs and look!





It was very yummy! We asked SIL to bring chicken or beef so they brought baked chicken which was also good.

For the parents, we asked them to cook the Lapu-lapu Sinigang sa Miso. And they also grilled this very huuuuge fish which was really yummy.



I can say that everyone was happy after the sumptuous lunch! Not to mention the estrel's cake (which I ate two slices!) and three flavors of ice cream (pinipig, caramel, and vanilla). Everyone was full and wanted to sleep afterwards. LOL!

Alex had a blast playing with her cousins that she didn't take a nap! Just imagine, she woke up at 7AM that day and then she was WIDE awake the whole day. She was so excited. When we were in the car on the way home, that was when she slept but it was already 9PM. She didn't eat that much as well. But I guess that's just how it is when she gets excited. It made us realized that she really needs a playmate. :)

Well, I found the right bag that is. LOL!

After researching and window shopping for months now, I finally found the bag that I wanted. Actually I didn't have something in mind but I know that when I see "the right bag" I would know.

So yesterday, while checking out some small business for sale and then window shopping on the side at the mall, I found it. I had to think about it for a few minutes then Hubby offered to pay for it as his (early) Christmas gift. It must be my lucky day! :D

Thanks again sweetie, for the nice bag. (*grin*)

So there, I went home so happy. My window shopping turned out to be a success! What a nice way to start the weekend, right?

Have a nice weekend, everyone! (*wink*)

I know it's kind of odd but have you considered giving out video cards this Christmas? Why not, right? It would be nice for technical persons who love to upgrade their own computers. These people can be your office mates, friends, or even your relatives. I remember last Valentine's day, Hubby gave me an external Hard Disk which I really, really love and need too! So why not considering giving a useful thing this Christmas?

As I've written in my previous post, Hubby is the ultimate gadget lover. So every special occasions like birthday and Christmas, I would always give him a gadget. Last Christmas I gave him a PSP (thanks to this 0% interest or SIP! LOL!). Since he loves to play games, I'm considering of giving him the xbox 360. I'm not so familiar with it yet so I need to read about xbox and see if it would fit my budget. And oh, I forgot, I'm also considering of giving him a phone too. We'll see which one he likes better.

I remember our first purchase of our digital camera. It was an Olympus water proof and I can still remember the feeling after we purchased it. You see, Hubby is a gadget person meaning he loves to buys stuff like digital cameras, PSP, cellphone, computers and more. So the moment we purchased our own digital camera he was ecstatic! Now I'm eyeing this Nikon Coolpix P5100 Digital Camera - Black - 25580 because it looks small and compact and that I can take it anywhere I want to. And guess what? It's a 12 megapixel camera! Will do more research on this one and see if it would still fit our budget this Christmas. ;)

Yesterday, Hubby and I were talking about our car. He wanted to have an overhaul car wash after the baby arrives. But I insisted on having it before so that when the baby arrives, everything is sort of dust-free and clean. He is also contemplating on getting new tire chains but I guess that will have to wait since we need to save up for the delivery. Of course after the delivery there are other expenses like the baby's vaccination, checkup, diapers, milk and more. So maybe next year, we will take it into consideration.

...went just fine last Thursday. And guess what? I lost 1 lb for a week. It seems like I was taking ephedra-free fat burner but of course I wasn't. I was surprised actually because I was eating a LOT lately like pizza, burger, cakes, and more. My OB said I won't be giving birth in 2-3 weeks though because my cervix is still closed. I was actually relieved because I still need to finish work on the 21st and might be moving my last day on the 26th depending on the baby. Looking forward to my next checkup next week!

by Aurelia Williams.

Here's another nice and inspiring article from MommySavers.com.

Or should I say "Well Balanced Moms Are More Fun"? Let me ask you... When was the last time you had lunch with some girl friends, or went on a girl's night out? When was the last time you went on a romantic weekend getaway with your spouse? If you can't remember, we definitely have to talk.

It's so easy to fall into the mommy guilt trap. We feel guilty if we take time for ourselves, so we end up taking care of everyone in the family but us. It's easy to lose ourselves in the quest to become Super Mom. Along the way we get stressed out and aggravated. It's important to do something just for us to stay balanced moms. Here are some ways for you to get started on your journey to rediscover YOU.

1. Get together with some girlfriends. One of the best ways to rediscover yourself is to spend some time with your girlfriends each week. Have lunch together, go to the movies to watch the latest chick flick, or plan a girl's night out every once in a while.

If you are having a bad day, call one of your girlfriends to vent, or just chat. You'll be surprised how much better you feel and how it puts things back in perspective that seemed like the end of the world a few minutes ago.

2. Spend a romantic weekend with your spouse - anywhere but at home. Go away for a romantic weekend with your spouse a few times a year. Rekindle your passion for each other and feel in love again, instead just partners in dealing with the everyday "stuff' involved in raising kids.

3. Go on a date every week. Get a sitter once a week and go on a date with your significant other. Spend some time reconnecting with each other. If you have an activity that you both enjoy, take a class together.

4. Pamper Yourself. Do something every week to pamper yourself. Go get a new haircut. Visit your favorite nail salon for a manicure, pedicure or to get your nails done. Call your favorite day spa and schedule a facial. Get a massage.

If you are on a budget, pamper yourself at home. Send Dad and the kids to the park. Take a hot bubble bath and paint you toenails. Honey makes a quick facial. Place a cloth in warm water and apply to your face to open the pores. Smear on honey, and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Don't feel guilty about taking time for yourself a few times a week. Your kids will appreciate it when they get a balanced and fun mom in return. You will be more relaxed, happier and actually be able to enjoy your family. After all, that's why you had kids in the first place, didn't you?

Now, I'm off to do some reading on Orovo and it's premium products. After all being healthy is also part of being a Mom right?

Happiness is...

1. Great weather today
2. McShaker Fries is back!
3. Upcoming movie and dinner date with Hubby
4. Dinner with my good friend MM
5. A relaxing (and lazy) weekend
6. New themes for my phone
7. God still provides!
8. Baby #2 is doing great (no more "scary" contractions that would lead to early labor)
9. My afternoon nap
10. Online Assignments

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

We didn't do much over the weekend except for our visit to the cemetery last November 1st. It was our first time to brave the traffic but we realized that it wasn't that bad after all. We were expecting a LOT of people but the crowd during our visit was tolerable. Or maybe we were just lucky since we were able to get a parking space at around 10AM. We were also lucky to discover a second exit at the cemetery so we didn't experience the traffic going home.

In short, our visit was a breeze.

I spent our Sunday sleeping the whole day while Hubby fixed a few things at the house. It was relaxing. I can say that it's been awhile (probably a month or two) that we spent the whole day at home (on a weekend) and boy, I was glad we did.