Andi, the wooden walker

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Hola amiga!

Honey and I already saw signs of Migo's eagerness to stand up and do small steps so we wasted no time and looked for a walker. We would frequent the malls so to look for a walker that would fit the little man, but to no avail. Branded or brandless walkers, they won't "fit" Migo. Migo has long legs and from what we saw upon fitting the walkers, his legs would fold and he found it hard to straight them up and walk. Aside from that, he found the trinkets and toys placed in front of it interesting so he would just sit still, not walk at all, and just play with the toys placed infront of him. Our search for the right walker lasted for almost two weeks until we settled to the idea of just buying him the traditional walker. So on Christmas day, while driving our way to papu and mamu's place, Elmer saw a nomad selling an andador and we swerved, stopped, and bought the wooden walker.

Andi. I named the humble andador Andi. I know I used one too when I was a baby. In fact from me to our bunso Cris, mom and dad also welcomed the benefits of the andador. The older ones-titos and titas, lolos and lolas, ninongs and ninangs, prefer Andi over the new-kids-on-the-block who looked really fancy with all the toys
in front of it, the nice padding, and the rolling wheels. But then why did we settle for the plain-looking Andi? Here are our reasons:

-Andi looked so plain that Migo just focused on his walking, unlike when placed in a walker where he would just play with the toys placed in front of him.

-Migo would just glide, not walk, in the walker. The wheels made him move, not his feet. With the andador sans the wheels, his legs would do all the works. Literally, he would move himself from one place to another with the small steps his feet could make.

-Thr price. Andi priced at only p250, who would not get it? ;) Seriously, andador for me is durable compared to any branded walker available in the market. And if Migo would turn out to be stronger and nastier than other babies his age, andadors are easier to fix as long as there are nails and hammer around. Beyond repair already? Priced at P250,let's go and buy a new one!

One downside though, was that I had to make a padding so to not hurt his kilikili and chest, and another pad where to put him in. I had to sew these paddings and I slept at around 3am to finish it. It was not easy for me, but I had fun sewing anyways, thinking that my little sweetheart will spend some hours in a day, jumping and walking, in this wooden walker I named Andi.


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Seven month old

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Good morning!!


I already lost count of Migo's developments. Some was not even captured by cam for it happened so fast. I just found myself giving him solid food one Sunday morning and it was already finished when I remembered why I charged the camera battery. Damn!!

This month I discovered that he loves hugging his bolster pillow whil sleeping. He always had deep, peaceful sleep everytime he hugs it. And he loves lying on his right. That is one of the sleeping traits he got from me.

Migo also love the all-fours position. He would happily rock himself front and back when he is in this position.

Upper left tooth peeped already. One time he was laughing so hard that he opened his mouth real wide, there I saw the new member of the teeth family. And he was showing the same signs again: drooling, rubbing anything to soothe his gums, etc. And to add to that, he now learned how to bite. Ouch!!!



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Mosquito bite solutions

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Hello, hello!!


We live in a place with plants everywhere so it is expected that we experience mozzie bites every now and then. Mosquitoes invade the place almost at all times, but 5pm is the worst time of all. I have this feeling that they all, as in all, want to go out and play in our place. It would last for like two hours or so, so I always hide my little Migo from 5pm onwards. But mosquitoes have their way of sneeking in to our humble pad so it's not a safe place to hide either.

I am one momma scared of mosquito bites. Who won't be? Scarring the skin of my little one is not a problem I consider. What I am so scared of is the dengue. That's dengue we are talking about, dahlings, and who want that for their babies? Paranoid as I am, I almost bought all mosquito repellent products I could find.

First thing I bought is Indigo Manila's Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me. I love the scent!! Citronella is the active ingredient of this milky lotion spray, and I would imagine me having a spa whenever I apply this to little Migo. Yep, it smelled like a spa aroma because of the citronella.

Second I tried is the Miason's Room and Linen Spray in Citronella scent. I bought this to intensify Indigo Manila's SFDBM. I would spray this to my baby's linen and crib beddings. Again, the spa aroma filled the air.

Third I bought is Downy Antibac fabric conditioner. I saw in their advertisement that it sort of repels mosquito for an amazingly significant amount. I asked our laundry lady to put this to Migo's clothings. It made his clothes nice smelling too.

Fourth product is Giga's Baby Mosquito Repellent. So far, among all the products I bought, this one is my fave. I walked past it when I was looking for a new moquito repellent product to try but something invited me to buy it. I was really hesitant at first for I found the scent too strong. Surprisingly, upon applying it, the scent transformed into something really mild and fresh smelling. Again, spa aroma filled the air due to the citronella scent. It's economical too for I can use it directly to his skin and skip his beddings and his clothings. I loved it in an instant that I bought again 1 bottle to give to Migo's cousin as a Christmas present.

For several weeks now, due to these products, I am having less and less problems with mozzie bites. They would still bother us all the time, but atleast I am confident my little one is guarded.
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Solid food rules

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Guten Tag!

In my own experience, introducing solids to my little man came easy. I just gave him a soup one day, followed by (mashed) macaroni and he liked it already. Our first experience with solids was really easy. I did not have any hard time introducing it to him maybe becaus he was really ready for it. However, despite the fuss-free solids session, I still strictly follow these rules.

-Give solids on the sixth month.
Why? Infants' intestinal tract is not yet mature until they reach their sixth month and giving them solids early on might be to hard on their part. It does not apply to all babies, though. Some mature early on, some mature a little later. But still, I just wanted to make sure about it so I had to patiently wait for the sixth month.

-Do not get excited on the food.
Giving solids can be really exciting, especially based on my experience where Migo would just get everything I gave him. But, hep hep!! We are avoiding over feeding here. Since the experience is new to the infant, he might not give signs that he is full already because he is enjoying the moment. And mommy might get overly excited too, forgeting that she's feeding an infant with a very tiny tummy.

-Experiment on one type of food first before introducing a new one.
I cooked lugaw for him and the lugaw was served for a week. It was intentional because I wanted him to be familiar with the food and also in case he's not hiyang and had diarrhea, I knew what the culprit was. It will be hard to track the cause of food allergy if all was given at the same time.

-The right eating position
Infants should be in a correct sitting position so to make him swallow the food correctly. Babies can be placed on a high chair or be sitted on your lap when feeding.

-The gear
I make sure that my little one is wearing a large bib when he's eating. A larger size of a bib can accomodate all the mess and prevent it from going to any part of his shirt. I also have a wet face towel on hand so I could wipe his mouth, or his face for that matter, to keep it clean and dungis-free.

-The utensils
I bought a simple infant bowl and not the fancy, colorful ones. I knew my baby would
be distracted with colorful things and I did not want him to be distracted while eating, so a plain looking bowl would be okay. The spoon I bought is kinda small so I can put it easy in his tiny mouth. In due time when he can already open his mouth wide and can accomodate a larger portion, I will buy then a bigger spoon. By the way, I chose a rubberized spoon over a plastic one so not to hurt the gums of my baby.

-No toys, no play
As much as possible, I do not want him playing while eating. As early as now, I want him to develop the habit of not playing or doing other things while eating. Even if this is one of our bonding times, I make sure he knows that eating time is only for eating time. Talkies are limited also. We have all the time to play when he's done with his food anyways.

-The water
I make sure that I let him drink water after each session so to help rinse out whatever is left inside his mouth. This also prevents singaw and cavities (for bigger babies with already lotsa teeth).




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Understanding his teething

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Howdy!!


For almost two weeks now, Migo has been scratching his gums in any way he can. He would grab almost everything, put it in his mouth and place it there, just there on that particular center spot, and quietly sooth himself. He would be Oscar the Grouch once I pull the thing from him to stop. Then eventually I would give in to his cries for he would really cry so loudly and be irritated. I suspected he was teething.

Confirmed.

Itchy gums was not the only sign I saw these past few weeks. I associated most of the unusual activities to teething. And my research told me I was correct.

UNEASY AND IRRITABLE - Most of the time he would cry for no reason at all and I would be there ready to carry him to comfort him.
Research says: As the sharp little tooth rises closer to the surface your baby’s gums may become increasingly more sore and painful,leading to your baby being very fussy. The pain and discomfort is most often worse during the first teeth coming in and later when the molars come in because of their bigger size. This is most often the case since babies become accustomed to the sensations of teething and learn to live with them. But you may find your baby may be fussy during the whole time that every tooth comes in. Every child reacts differently.

DROOLS - I often run out of bibs because he could easily wet it in a matter of minutes, no exaggeration. I wondered why he could not control or swallow his saliva. He looked like a saliva factory for like a week.
Research says: you may see your baby start drooling more often than normal. Teething stimulates drooling, which is often worse with some babies than others.

DIARRHEA - our worst case. It happened one Sunday when Elmer, Migo and I attended the Avon walk at Mall of Asia. He was sitting cutely on his stroller, Elmer was busy and proudly introducing his little version to his officemates while I played clown so he would not throw tantrums to the new faces sorrounding him. I noticed his shoe fell off from his feet (maluwag kasi, pinasuot pa e). As i picked it from the ground, I set my eyes to the stroller and there I saw pupu dripping from his seat down to his legs. It was such a mess! And I never saw it coming for he was okay the day before. We hurriedly went to Strada to clean him as well as the stroller. Boy, the pupu was really liquid, the diaper could not accomodate it. That was terrible. I stopped giving him solid food and I lessen my scoop of milk. The diarrhea lasted for three days.
Research says: While this is a symptom that is disagreed upon by physicians, researchers and parents, most parents usually notice slightly looser bowel movements when a baby is teething. While the recent study done by the Children’s Hospital in Australia found this to be the most common symptom of teething, there are still many people that will agree and disagree with this recent study. It is believed that the most likely cause of this is the extra saliva swallowed, which then loosens the stool. Be sure and report any diarrhea to your doctor that lasts more than two bowel movements.

November 19, 2009--- his first tooth on the central bottom, the left one in particular, came out.


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The other woman

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Ciao!

It is all over the news--Manny Pacquiao and the alleged other woman Krista Ranillo.
Jinky was not able to hide her emotions when she succumed into tears as Aling Dionisia gave Manny a comforting hug. Why is it that in every success of a man, there comes the other woman? Is it because men do not feel truly "up there" if they do not conquer it all-the money, the fame, the women. Why is it that success always means one family being torn apart? One family in trouble? One home being wrecked? It does not happen to just Manny Pacquiao, who from the beginning was being linked to Ara Mina and now to Krista Ranillo. It could happen to just anybody--known or unknown member of the male community. Having a broken home is something like having a cancer-- you do not wish it to happen to anyone, even your enemy.

I have, in fact, a close friend who is one. Believe it or not, we are good. I mean, as friends, we get along. We share the same likes--movies, clothes, bags,
shoes, even food, books, the list goes on. We can talk about anything and everything
under the sun--except her love life. Who wants to hear stories, or problems, of a kabit? How would I feel kilig every time she wants to talk about their weekend get away? Or the places they have been to? Their thriving business together? When at the back of my mind, I know someone is being stabbed. Someone is hurting (yes, the wife knows all about the affair too). And believe me, this friend of mine is someone I would not like to meet in the future. She is such a perfect kabit, if there is such a thing. Perfect that the man wants to leave his family behind just for her. And my friend is there always waiting.

They have been together for the longest time now. And they do live as a married
couple. Ma and Da are their terms of endearment. And when they learned that I was
pregnant few months back, inggit sila sa akin. I did not bother to confirm if they too wanted to have a child of their own for I was not so sure if I would like to hear their answer.

I sort of investigated their set up few years back when their relationship was just fresh and young. I always have this belief that kabits exist because of money. As what I have said with Manny Pacquiao--the money, the fame, the women. It has to be the money and nothing else. But with my friend, it's different. They both have money. And most of the time, my friend has more resources than her guy--cars, high-paying job, allowance from parents, own condo unit. And these all belong to just her. Her own pocket, her own ATM. Most of the time, the guy is short of money. Of course he has his own family to give his money to. And the wife naman syempre will not allow the money to be shared with this kabit friend of mine. So my friend shoulders the expenses.

There lies the mystery of it all... is it always the money, or is true love now involved? My friend seems to be happy with him, and so is the guy with her. Who am I to judge? They might have their own reasons, sabi nga ni Manny, wag na pakialaman ang personal na buhay.

But as for me, I really do hope and I pray hard that my husband won't meet
someone like my friend--someone who I call a perfect kabit. As for the meantime, I am doing my best not to give my hubby the reason to look for one.




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Celebrating 16 years of pure love

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Good day!!

November 16, 2009, honey and I celebrated our 16th anniversary as a dating couple and
4th anniversary as a married couple. I met him when I was only 16 and now that I am already 32, he's still the one I get my kiligs from. It amazes me that half of my life I already spent with the man of my forever.

This year is such a special year for us. Aside from the 16th anniversary on the 16th of November,this is also the year we were blessed with an angel. Yes, after three years of longing to have a little one, we were given a little sweetheart we can call our own. The three of us are inseparable. Wherever one goes, the two will follow. and the anniversary was not an exception. My honey and I went out for our anniversary date, with a stroller in tow. ;)

We went to Megamall and first stop was Dairy Queen.
I dunno how how honey developed his love for DQ,
and I am not complaining. Pretty soon Migo will be
ordering one for himself.

I ordered the usual favorite, Oreo. Honey ordered
strawberry. While the little boy had to content
himself with his milk


Our gifts to each other.


The first time I saw a pair of these crocs suede-made flats some few weeks back, I was not able to sleep. I wanted it so badly because of the comfort it gives to the feet when walking. Yesterday, hubby gave it to me as his gift. Sweet!

I really thought Migo and he will be checking some stuff in some
boutique while I went to buy something from National bookstore.
Once done, I looked for them because they were nowhere to
be found. I was calling his both phones and he would not answer and I
was already fuming mad for he was in his phones constantly to attend to his work
how come now,he would not answer my call!! Few more minutes later,
the stroller was approaching carrying these flowers!! Awww, that was sweeter!!

We went to Gap and he eyed a nice polo, fitted it and left. He had second thoughts of buying it for it was "not practical". But it really looked good on him. So while he was buying something from Watsons, Migo and I went to Gap and bought
the polo. I gave it to him as a gift.

We then went to the Chapel to hear mass. To have each other for sixteen years is something really, really worth saying thanks for to that One above. For our last stop, we went to Dad's Eat-All-You-Can and had dinner there. Good thing our Migo was not that cranky anymore because he just had his nap that time. He was playing while we were enjoying our food. We went back and forth, back and forth. I was so excited to taste everything on the buffet table. I did not dare hesitate to binge and totally loose control of my so-called diet. That was such a bliss!

We arrived home at around eleven in the evening. Migo was in deep sleep already while the two of us were so tired and sleepy. I enjoyed the day so much and I look forward to more days like this.
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Half-a-year of cries and giggles

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It's been six months since I became a mom. I am so loving every bit of it. I so love it that going back to work now dreads me. Really, by this time, I should be going back to work, as in the real work. But I am having second thoughts still and I do not want to leave Migo to a yaya (which I do not have yet) for like, what, four or five days a week. It is not that I do not trust her, the yaya, but it's me that I do not trust. I do not know how will my mind work if I will be away from him in so many days a week. I might not be able to concentrate on my job. Yung trabaho ko pa naman, paper works mostly. I talked to hubby about going back to work and he has no problem with it. In fact, he is encouraging me to go out, pa-unti unti, so I can "get over" Migo and get used to not having him around even for just a while. Okay, let's see.

November 10, 2009-- Migo celebrated his sixth month. And I celebrated my survival, hehe...

Six months of crying loudly for milk, getting cranky when sleepy, toothless smiles, laughter that echoes around, hugs and kisses. Six months of pure bliss. Lavit!!

We had the traditional pancit for long life. Every 10th of the month, Elmer would bring home pancit from Kowloon house to celebrate Migo's monthly birth date. There must be a real, right term for it. Can someone please tell me how to call it? I am sure there are parents out there who celebrate monthly the way we do, with pancit and all, and I wonder how do they call it?

Six months from now and our little Nigo will be a year old. How time flies!! If only I could stop the time, I definitely will. I do not want my Migo to grow up yet, and yet it is happening real fast. So fast that I am afraid I won't be able to catch up.

I really hope he stays to be the cuddly, cute, smart baby that he is.
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The first solid food experience

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Bon Gourno!!


I excitedly waited for the sixth month to arrive for it is the month I supposed to give my little one solid food. November 1,2009 to be exact was his first taste of solids. We were actually in Holy Cross Memorial Park obviously for the All Saints Day and it was almost like a fiesta with the amount of food served. I eyed a chicken macaroni soup, one of my favorites, and scooped a generous amount for myself. I found Migo, who was just beside me, watching and as if salivating for what I was having. I just then found myself giving him some of the soup and he was so liking it. My titas encouraged me to give him some of the macaroni, but I was having second thoughts for he might not yet be ready for that kind of solid (solid for me then was just cerelac and mashed vegies). One of my titas grabbed my spoon, smashed the macaroni into a smooth texture, put a bit of a soup to just make it kinda slimy, and put it in Migo's mouth. Migo finished everything and he was asking
for more!!

Right there, I learned my son was really ready for some solid food.

Monday, the day after, I cooked lugaw for my little one. I figured I should give him food with less to almost no taste at all so he would not be too picky with his food. I prepared lugaw with no amount of salt or sugar in it, I just made sure that it was really soft and tender for him. I had no solid food stuff on hand that time for I was not yet able to buy his bowl and spoon so we just content ourselves with an adult plastic bowl and a teaspoon. Migo had no problems with that. He finished one serving till I saw signs that he was full.

Giving solid food came so handy for us. Migo was ready for it that introducing solids to him was like giving him something familiar already. He knew how to open his mouth, get the food from the spoon, swallow, and push out some if he was already full. And with the tasteless lugaw? No problem with that too. It was a fuss-free first time experience for me and my baby.
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Christmas is coming!

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Ho, ho, ho!!!

-Ber months always, always give me the chills, literally because of the cold weather and the other one is due to never-ending preparations. I love Christmas and all that comes with it and as a starter, I asked hubby to bring out all the big boxes full of christmas decors so to make the atmosphere a full-blown Christmas breeze. Glitters and balls messed the floor for like a week, but I did not mind cleaning them all up for I had pure fun, fun, fun arranging all of them.
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Cheating is still cheating. Period.

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My favorite magazine show, Sweetlife (airing every weekdays over channel 11 at 5pm),tackled about emotional cheating. For the longest time I have been thinking if cheating is classified only as physical cheating, meaning there is physical contact on whatever form involve.

"Whatever form" can be as plain and simple dating or as far and sinful as sexual intercourse. Does it always have to be "face to face" so to consider what they are doing is cheating? Madalas ko kasi marinig sa mga lalake na kung wala namang nangyayari between a man or a woman (whoever is married between the two), it is not cheating. So if like my husband texts his ex, and they text regularly for that matter, with "how are you?", "kumain ka na?" "i just arrived, you where are you?", "ingat ka lagi ha", etcetera etcetera to that effect, you men think it's not cheating? I believe it is. And I have been believing for the longest time.
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Welcome to the Christian World!!

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October 11, 2009 -- finally, Migo was baptized. Thankfully, the weather was fine that Sunday. After the Ondoy scare and Pepeng's U-turn, I sort of became paranoid of the rain. I even prayed the novena and asked Infant Jesus to please, please, spare us that day. Obviously, it was an answered prayer.

I am writing every bits and pieces of this occassion, and of course the experience behind our Migo's baptism.


Church: St.Peter's Parish (Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City)
We already chose Good Shepherd Cathedral to be the church, but the people there were so unprofessional. Rewind to October 1, I called Good Shepherd to have October 11 pencil-booked for a special baptism but the one who talked to me (unfortunately I was not able to get her name) told me that they do not pencil book. Afraid that I won't be able to get the date, I told her I will just go to the church a little later to pay for the baptismal fee, problem was I did not have the requirements on hand. I so wanted to pay to book the date but she did not allow me, but instead she assured me that October 11 was fine. Fine then, so I printed the invites and distributed them already. Come October 3, Elmer and I went to their office with the pay and the requirements ready only to be told that October 11 was already booked for a whole day event!! Huwwaaaat??!! I was already fuming mad and Elmer was obviously wanted to blame me for this (syempre, ako in charge sa event na ito e). But the staff just went on to what they were doing, not even offering any other option. I told the guy who we were talking to that I already phoned two days back and a girl assured me October 11 was open. I insisted to no avail. We then thought of St. Peter's. We head there straight. The staff were all friendly and easy to talk to. They accommodated us as if we were very special people. We were treated like a celebrity, or a politician hehe.. and I noticed that it went like that to everybody they assisted. Nice treatment, really!! Come the baptismal day itself, we were ushered to the baptismal room that really looked great!! Aircondition is cool. I mean, even if we were cramped up inside, malamig pa rin. We had a small "talk" or in other words, seminar, about baptism. And the baptismal room had this fixture which I so love:





Food: CCME Homemade Food Stuff --- www.homemadefoodstuff.com
Suki kami ng CCME. Bonifacios (Rockville) as well as Kimpos (Fairview). Their food was soooo yummy and the price was amazingly low for such a delightful dish. Before deciding on CCME, we considered Shagrila Finest Cuisine in West Avenue, Tramway in Timog, Pandan in Capitol Hills, and Martha's Plate in Marikina. CCME beat all of them. But honestly, I also had some second thoughts whether to really get them or not, for no doubt their food is delicious, however I was quite hesitant of their catering service. I asked around regarding their catering service but mostly, like us, they just availed of the food delivery. Bahala na si Batman! became my attitude. Maging palpak man sila sa catering, bawi naman sa food. That was my consolation. Good thing they proved me wrong. Aside from the sumptuous food, their catering service was good enough for a simple handaan. Not much for the set-up though, but we were informed about that already. Kasi nga, sa food talaga sila concentrate. Nora, the one in charge of our account, told me she would be deploying 8waiters but 10 waiters arrived to serve. All of the waiters were polite, even asking permision from us if they could go out for a while to relieve themselves. Nakakatuwa kasi pati pag-CR nila nagpapaalam pa. They really asked permission pa ha ;) As for the food, do I need to say more? Yum, yum, yum!!! Guests were telling us the food was impressive. And even though the guests went back and forth to the buffet table, there were still leftovers enough to last us for a week!! Meaning, CCME had big servings. We had four courses (no dessert) and paid p37,400 good for 150 heads, making it 249.35 per head. Mura na yan kasi bawi naman sa mga natirang food e, which as I have said, could last us for a week.






Centerpieces: Letters/Alphabet Blocks and Sesame Street Characters
Since CCME did not have appropriate centerpieces for baptism, I let out my labor of love and made my own centerpieces. I decided to make blocks, some of them spelled MIGO, and put sesame street characters to add more color. I enjoyed making each centerpiece, though I should admit that I was close to getting a fever due to sleepless nights just to finish it. It was hard focusing on the project while taking care of Migo. So everytime I had free time which mostly started at around twelve midnight when Migo was in full deep sleep, I would sit on the floor and do my thing. I finished around twelve centerpieces. Brian, the ever creative nephew of Elmer, made the additional seven centerpieces which were balloons with sesame characters.




Tokens: Straight From the Heart Prayer Companion Book
Elmer and I decided to have this as our token because this prayer book was my strength when I was still pregnant. Back to my last trimester, I had complicated pregnancy all of a sudden and I prayed like five to six different novenas in a day from this book. When I was in labor, I was holding this prayer book all throughout the ordeal. And everytime Migo gets sick or feel uncomfortable, I run to this book and say a prayer. I also prayed for a good weather during Migo's baptism, again from this book, and it was granted. It costed us less than P200 each. Available at St.Pauls in all SM Stores


Guests' Tokens: Papemelroti Notepad
I was contemplating whether to give towel cupcake or notepad as token for the guests. I was browsing over towel cupcakes and I found myself liking it everytime I looked at it. I was set to go to Divilandia and buy my stuff and make my own towel cake, but then Ondoy hit Manila. The storm obviously made it impossible for me to get out. Paranoid that a storm, or a heavy rain for that matter, would fall anyday soon, I just opted to go to the nearest SM store and looked around for a token. I found myself inside papemelroti and liking almost everything in there. I found the notepad useful, so why not give it out to the guests? We availed of the 20% for every 50pcs purchase. We bought 100pcs. We paid around p1,520 for 100pcs.

Outfit:
He wore a mini pair of barong from So-En Bebe and white shoes from First Step.It costed us more or less p550 for this get up. He then changed to his reception outfit when we got home. Nangati kasi sya sa barong fabric and he was so uneasy. He wore two kinds of Oshkosh shirt, p249.00 each and boy's pants, around p250.00



Entance Piece: Rubbermats
We bought rubber puzzle mat because Migo now wants to lie on his tummy and is already starting to crawl. Then I just thought that since my theme was alphabet blocks, why not form these puzzle mats into blocks, spell the name MIGO, and put it in the entrance area. Bumagay naman sya sa pwesto nya. And later that night,madami nang nagpapapicture sa tabi nung puzzle mats. One pack constists of 26 mats and it costed us around p200 only.




Others:
Lechon---Lydia's lechon courtesy of Ninong Eric
Dessert --- Mister Donut courtesy of Tito Edmund
Fresh Ubod Lumpia --- courtesy of my mommy (mamu for Migo)
Tanduay Ice (for the manginginoms) courtesy of Tito Edwin
Balloon Decors --- courtesy of ate Eileen, arranged by Brian

When Ondoy shocked the nation

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September 26,2009--I woke up at around 6 in the morning to instruct manang Gloria what to cook for our breakfast. First reaction was: umuulan? paano kami aalis nito? The three of us were supposed to be going out (again!) to get Elmer's ultrasound result in Healthway North Edsa. To cut short, we did not go because of the rains. Okay lang din sa akin. In fact, I had a lot, as in a lot, to finish that day and going out was my least priority.

One of the tasks I had to finish that day was Migo's baptismal preps. I started wrapping Migo's baptismal tokens at the kitchen-lanay at around 10:30am. I switched on the radio and jump-start myself for a busy day ahead. Rain was pouring so wildly and wind was blowing in almost all direction, me liking the cool and chilling effect from where I was working. The mood made me go on and on, steady and focused with wrapping the souvenirs. After around fifteen minutes, I was about to go inside the pad again to get something and I was so shocked to see water almost knee high!!







Guilty of not being mindful of the heavy rains, maybe because I was so caught up with Migo's baptismal tokens and having set my mind to finish everything that day, I barely noticed how really strong Ondoy was until I saw the raging water from kuya Edwin's place running down to our pad. It was the first time hubby and I experienced such! We put away the carpet, unplugged the appliance, cleared the floor, and packed all our essentials for we might evacuate the pad any minute from then.

I turned on the tv and fished info on what was happening outside. The scenes were all appalling!! How could it happen in a matter of just few hours? Floods as high as eight feet in some areas!! People who tried to go to work now wanting to go home to check on their families, only finding themselves in a very compromising and risky situation. People up on their roofs,some elderly and some even barely a week old, were hoping for some rescue. Ondoy caught everybody off guard.

I texted my mom asking how they were. Good thing they were not that affected by the flood, though the water in front of the house was already knee deep. Mom told me that dad went to bayan where our old house was to help our uncles and cousins evacuate things. You see, that house was so near, as in near the Tulyahan river. Lamesa dam let out water already and the river was a direct hit. But things happened real fast. In a matter of four hours, the basement was all wiped out and they were not able to lift a single thing. Water from the basement went up to the first floor!! Imagine how high the water level was!

Is this one of nature's way of telling us that she is already fed up? That she gives us all her best, providing us all our basic needs from light, to food, the air we breath among others and battering her, abusing her, polluting her is all she gets? Makes me wonder, are we reaping what we sow?
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First and (definitely) last date in Amici

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Selamat pagi!

Since I had my bedrest last April, until I gave birth last May, Elmer and I had no time for dinner date, movies or mall strolling. Honestly, despite the fact that Migo is giving us so much laughter and fills most of our time, I missed going out with hubby-alone.

That was why when Letlet, our ex-kasambahay, asked us if she could be Migo's yaya par-time, I gave her an instant nod. Migo and Letlet seemed to be enjoying each other's company and so far, so good.

Last Saturday, Elmer and I! decided to go to the mall and watch a movie. I wanted so much to watch Bea Alonzo's And I Love You So, but they were out in SM cinemas. I thought Kimmy Dora and The Proposal would be great substitutes. I was so excited!! We left here in Fairview at 2:30pm and come 4:00pm, we were still on the road. Traffic was terrible because of ongoing public viewing of INC's Eranio Manalo. We arrived in Megamall just in time for the anticipated mass. Really, I was so disappointed for I was so set to watch a movie, and my anticipation reached heights already. Needless to say, we were not able to make it to the movies ;(

After mass, Elmer and I were already starving so we decided to have early dinner. We were torn between Racks and Amici. I was kinda partial with Racks because I so wanted their ribs and it was safe to dine there since it was already a familiar place plus we would never go wrong with what to order. As a policy, if we're darn hungry already, we will not experiment on food. Experimenting on what to order would always come up with a wrong choice of food. And wrong choice of food when we're already starving means disaster. But that night we broke the rules. Since I was so intrigued with what Amici had to offer, and the nice feedbacks I heard from their satisfied customers, I chose Amici.

A sweet lady greeted us as we enter Amici. She gave us the menu and once decided, we should go to the cashier to place the order and pay. I thought this was not a "self-service" type of restaurant. I heard this is considered "poor man's Italianni's" so I thought they also imitated every bit of Italianni's. Anyways, I ordered lasagna, hubby ordered Pollo Arrostito, and one Tutta Carne for sharing. Sa totoo lang, sa menu palang parang ang dami kulang. Or they were just being straight and simple? The description of each meal did not sound appealing at all. Unlike with other restaurants where description of each dish was carefully thought of, making me salivate as I read them one by one and making it harder for me to decide with what to get, Amici's description was just one liner and basically just described the content or the ingredient of the dish. Pollo Arrostito-Baked rosemary half chicken with veggies. Lasagne Al Forno-Creamy-lasagna in meat sauce. Boooorrrriiing!!!

When the meal arrived, both of us were just quiet. The food did not look tasty at all. There was no food presentation either. Hiya nga ako kay Elmer e. I have been asking him kasi to treat me there since it opened in Morato so I guess he already had high expectations with it. Plus palagi pang puno ng diners, so the food must really be good. Frankly, it was not. We were disappointed big time. We did not enjoy a bit of our food and that was really sad.


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How's the 4 mo. old baby?

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One thing I love about staying at home (for the meantime) is the pleasure of witnessing the developments of my little sweetheart.

Migo is now four months old and he keeps on exploring, exploring, exploring!!! He does not settle until he masters what he wants to do.

Last week until today, here are the moves he's been wanting to perfect:


lying on his side


holding his toys for a few seconds




joining his feet together


Makes me one proud momma!!

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Super Migo and all his hospitalizations

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A! You're Adorable... B! You're so Beautiful... C! You're so Cute and full of
Charm...


I am fond of singing this to Migo. I have been singing this to him since he
was in my womb. I also have a nursery rhyme CD and I would play this particular
track over and over. D! You're a Darling... E! you're Exciting... F! you're a Feather In My Arm...

Every meaning of the alphabet song fits so dearly to Migo. Everytime he hears
this song, and everytime I sing along with my animated voice, he would stop, a
pair of happy huge eyes would stare at me, and a big smile and continous laughter
will fill the air. G! you're so Good to me... H! you're so Heavenly... I! you're the one I Idolize...

I! you're the one I Idolize... this I dedicate to my little sweetheart. I idolize him for his bravery. He taught me that despite pain, despite the trials, everything will be alright. After the storm, we shall stand up, smile, and move on. Smile and be happy.

June - He was barely two months old when he had fever due to UTI. He was confined
for seven days at Philippine's Children Medical Center. That week was the longest
week of my life. I could not bear to see him being inserted with a needle, only to be
reinserted after a couple of hours because the vein would give up. I dread the ordeal of going to the Treatment Room for a reinsert. He would cry so loudly, would stare at me as if asking for help and mercy, and there I was, holding his legs para hindi sya maglikot. Natatakot ako na baka isipin nya kasama ako sa nagbibigay sa
kanya ng sakit, so after the ordeal, I would hurriedly carry him and give him the
tightest embrace possible to assure him that I was there for him. Amazingly, he would stop in an instant and be back to his normal bubbly self, as if there was no dextrose attached to him, as if there was no pain. This happened everyday, for seven days.

A week after, we went back to Dra. Sonia Gonzales, his nephrologist, for a follow-up
check up. Upon checking his birdie, the nephro and I noticed a bulge on the groin's
upper right area.

July - Hernia. The bulge was suspected to be hernia which was common to infants
that were born earlier than the due date. Migo was only 36months when he arrived.
Hernia can be corrected by a simple surgery. Sur-ge-ry!!! He was only two months
old when he had his first.

August - We were still not cleared with his UTI, we still had to find out what's causing it so to totally avoid another episode. His nephrologist advised us to have him undergo VCUG so to track the cause. We scheluded him for the procedure to be
held in UST. Dr.Bolong, the urologist, gave an orientation first before proceeding.
Pain was still in the picture, for a gadget that was almost as thin as a needle was
inserted to the penis of Migo. I was there all throughout to again hold his legs. I expected the stare I tried to avoid- that stare asking for help and mercy. After two minutes, we were done. He again was back to his jolly and cheerful attitude, forgetting what just happened. VCUG's result told us that not all of his urine was coming out and that caused the UTI.

September - We were back again at PCMC's operating room. He was scheduled
for a cystoscopy and a circumcision. Cystoscopy would trace if there was a
blockage in his urethra, causing the urine to not totally go out. If there was something blocking the urethra, he would be scheduled for another surgery. Good thing there was none, THANK GOD!! He just underwent early circumcision for the skin on the outermost part of the penis might be the culprit of the UTI.

I was having dilemma on how I would manage Migo after the circumcision. How
am I going to carry him? How would I change nappy? What will I do if he cries endlessly due to pain? Surprise, surprise!! He was not at all displaying any discomfort, and in fact, when he woke up, he gave me a huge smile and a happy stare. And he was so playful all throughout the day. Again, as if nothing happened to him.

I trully admire my little sweetheart. He had all these experiences so early with ease. I believe he deserves to be called my Super Migo.

I earned dollars

..............................

I have been staying home since April. I had a self-imposed bedrest so to help the baby inside me grow faster. His growth slowed down on my last two months of pregnancy and bed rest, according to my research, would be helpful.

Since then, I stopped earning from my profitable sideline and stopped getting allowance from my parents. Yes, I get allowance from my parents because I work for them and I do not get my sweldo on time so the allowance I get helps me survive my regular trips to the malls. Otherwise, my world will be dark and I will be insane.

I had to keep myself busy and entertained and the internet was such a great help. It became my BFF, and I could not live without it. He was my constant companion. After a month, the telephone bill arrived. Then it hit me. Where shall I get the payment for the telephone/internet connection now that I stopped collecting moolah. Elmer now shoulders the payment and I feel too bad about it, so I decide to do something about it.

I came across this site that pays for every published or approved review.




http://www.reviewstream.com/writereview.php/?inv=IdwwwX3PHuGr




I love trying out new products and I like commenting (read: criticizing) it. New shampoo in the market, new flavor of instant pancit canton, even the new all-korean pop group, hotels in Makati, newly opened resto in Morato. I always share my experience, satisfied or not, to friends so why not put it in writing, have it published and get paid? So I was convinced to sign up.

I am having such a great experience writing reviews for this site. And just
recently, I got paid. Yihhee!!!

The First Bath

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Okay, so I admit that I really was scared of giving Migo a bath. Imagine how fragile he is, plus the fact that bathing involves water and soap (of course) that might hurt his eyes. Also, I am a first time mommy so I am somebody with no experience when it comes to this. I am even scared of bathing a dog, for goodness sakes! Good thing our dearly beloved lola neighbor, who we love to call Mrs. D., volunteered to give me lessons on how to bathe my little sweetheart. I made clear to her that I want to bathe Migo all by myself so what she had to do was to give me lecture and demo without the actual thing. You getting the picture? Right.

Important reminders before heading to the tub:

-Ideal time for baby's bath is 9am. It is already comfortably warm for the baby.

-Make sure to close all windows, doors, electric fan or aircon so to give the baby a warm and not chilling environment.

-Prepare his bath essentials. Warm water (not boiling, for goodness sake!), baby soap (the mildest in the market), tub, tray (where he will be lying for he cannot be placed in the actual tub yet).

-Prepare his towel and clothings. When it comes to towels, I have two pieces--bath towel and hand towel. The bath towel will wrap him and the hand towel will dry him.
As for clothings, these inlcude his diaper, tie-side top, pyjamas, mittens, and booties.

-When everything is ready, that would be the only time to undress the baby, head to the tub, and bathe, bathe, bathe!!



This is my step by step bathing procedure:

-Feed him first if he is hungry. I did this so just in case he cries, I know the reason is the bathing experience and not his hunger.

-Prepared everything as mentioned above.

-Undressed him. Mittens first, then booties, pyjamas, shirt and lastly the diaper.

-I put some warm water on the tray first before I put him there. That's because the tray felt cold and he might feel cold and cry if I place him there right away.

-I carefully splashed warm water to his entire body.

-I immediately followed it with soap and I cleaned his entire body as fast as I could.

-I rinsed him thoroughly, again, as fast as I could. Also, I folded his earlobes slightly downwards so to cover the holes and prevent the water from getting through. And even if I used gentle-to-the-eyes soap, I still made sure that no water will get through his eyes.

-I then dried him all over, then put on his new, clean clothes for the day.

I did not have a hard time giving my Migo his first bath. As a matter of fact, I believe he liked the experience. He was just still, and he enjoyed the water.

It was one lovely, first-time experience for both of us and I so love this new bodning moment we have :)

Miguel Inigo

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He is fondly called Migo. I love calling him My Little Sweetheart. He really is one. My day, no matter how gloomy, turns sunny bright whenever I look at him. He cries quite a lot but i do not care for the sound he makes will always be music to my ears. He gives me sleepless nights and restless days but I do not mind at all. As long as we are together, it's perfectly fine.

I just love to stare at him at all times. I do not care if he still cannot see me, as long as I know he feels me, then it's okay. I so love to carry him, feel him, feed him, everything for him!! I so love my new precious gift from above. And I promise the One who gave him to me to take care of this gift for as long as I live.

Welcome my dear baby

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He arrived finally!!!

I did not have any idea that I was in labor already. Night prior the big day, I was feeling contractions, heavy yet bearable ones. I just ignored it for there was no feeling of intense pain or whatsoever. Though I found it hard to sleep the night before, shifting from one position to another, I still had a good rest and still managed to sleep tight. The following day, contractions were still there yet very manageable. I did the laundry, washed the dishes, and almost scrubbed the floor. Until I noticed that the contractions were getting frequent but still not painful, really. That was quite an experience I could not really describe. I texted my OB and greeted her a happy mother's day, and in passing I told her that there were contractions and they were getting frequent. She asked me to time the interval of each. When I texted her that it was between 20-25 minutes, she asked me to head to Delgado already.

HUWATT????!!!! was my first reaction. Elmer was not with me that time. He was with his kabit and he was having it washed. I called him and told him we had to go to Delgado as instructed by doctora. He did not finish his car wash anymore, headed straight home, and we packed our things. I was just cool, chilling. But Elmer, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, was obviously nervous.

Good thing the roads were clear so we were able to arrive at the hospital early. I headed to the labor room and I had four labormates there. Three of them were just okay, but the other one was shouting like crazy. I kinda felt scared. The screaming could be coming from my mouth soon. The mom who was shouting so loudly was transferred to the delivery room and finally the room was quiet again. A little after, one of my labormates was silently moaning, and moaning, until it got louder and louder. Oh, no!!! Another round!! She was ushered to the delivery room after sometime of shouting. I was still cool and still not in pain. One by one, my labormates were crying and shouting like crazy. Until finally, when they broke my water bag, aaggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!! That was really painful!! Then I understood why my labormates behaved that way.

May 10, 2009 at 7:45PM, I was transformed to what I have been dreaming of eversince.

Finally, somebody's gonna call me MOMMY.

Another Answered Prayer

My husband was set to go to London next week, May 14, 2009. He's been excited about this trip and he has been waiting for this for a long time. This trip is courtesy of the company he works for for a job well done. Despite his excitement, I am a bit hesitant if I want him to go to the trip or not, for I might give birth while he was away and of course I do not want that to happen. I need him here and I want him here when our first born sees the world. I am thinking, how could we have our family picture in the hospital (yes, my plan is to have our first family pic inside the delivery room) if he's away? I prayed to God that the trip be postponed or something despite the fact that all was already set. The company already handed him his passport/visa and plane ticket. They made arrangements with the hotel already. Everything was already set, but still, there's nothing wrong with hoping.

When he arrived from work today, he told me there is some bad news. He told me that the trip was postponed because of swine flu. Apparently, his bosses do not want them to take the risk. The trip is now rescheduled to July. Of course I did not show him that Im happy to hear the news and pretended that I was disappointed as well. But deep inside me I thanked God for another answered prayer for I really want him to see our firstborn when he arrives in our lives.









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Prayer to St. Gerard - Patron and Protector of Expectant Mothers

This is my prayer for safe and easy pregnancy



PRAYER TO ST. GERARD
PATRON AND PROTECTOR OF EXPECTANT MOTHERS
Great St. Gerard,
beloved servant of Jesus Christ,
perfect imitator of our meek and humble savior,
and devoted child of Mother of God.
enkindle within my heart one spark
of that heavenly fire of charity
which glowed in yours and made you
seraph of love.

O glorious St. Gerard,
because like your Divine Master,
you bear without murmur or complaint
the calumnies of wicked men
when falsely accused of crime,
you have been raised up by God
as the patron and protector
of expectant mothers.
Preserve me in the dangers of motherhood
and shield the child I now bear,
that it may be brought safely
to the light of day
and receive the sacrament of baptism.

Hail Mary... 3x









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Powerful Novena to Child Jesus

This is one of the prayers I recited because I really was desperate with my baby's IUGR. My request was granted in less time.





POWERFUL NOVENA TO CHILD JESUS
(for the individual's urgent need)

(this novena is to be said at the same time every hour for nine consecutive hours -- just one day.)


O Jesus, you said:
"Ask and you shall receive,
seek and you shall find,
knock and it shall be opened to you"
Through the intercession of Mary,
your most holy mother,
I knock, I seek, and I ask
that my prayer be granted.
(state your request here)

O Jesus, you said:
"All that you ask the Father in my name he will grant you."
Through the intercession of Mary your most holy mother,
I humbly and urgently ask
your Father in your name
that my prayer be granted.
(repeat your request here)

O Jesus you said:
"heaven and earth shall pass away but my word
shall not pass."
Through the intercession of Mary,
your most holy mother,
I feel confident that my prayer
will be granted.
(repeat your request here)



My source: Straight from the Heart - A Prayer Companion









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Bored With Bed Rest But All Worth It

Hubby and I talked about me taking a leave from work a month before my due date so I could rest. At the back of my mind, that would be so cool. At least I could be a domestic diva for a month. I imagined myself cooking him breakfast, preparing his lunch and again preparing his dinner. And picture myself organizing our place, the closet, the baby needs and all that, doing some gardening, etcetera. But something bursted my bubble. Sure I will be resting, bed rest that is.

As I have mentioned in my previous post, I had a self-imposed bed rest due to the IUGR thing the baby is having. He is not growing at the right pace. His measurements were small for his age. According to my researches, mothers with this condition were adviced to have a bed rest. My doctor did not ask me to undergo one, but still I did it for my baby's sake.

Bed rest was not at all that fun. Sure it was an opportunity for me to really have a full-day rest, come sun up to sun down, but really I did not enjoy it that much. I had to gather all the things I would be needing near my bed so I could just grab them without moving much of my muscles. My books and magazines were there, my hubby's portable DVD player and all the dvd's were set, 1 gallon of water ( i needed lots of water to increase my amniotic fluid) and a tumbler, some healthy nick nacks, and our baby's classical cd's were all beside me. I only had limited privileges to get up and that was to go to the rest room to either pee or take a bath, and to take my lunch and dinner at the nearby dining set. I felt like a sick person. To add, I also had to watch my diet. I needed to load on protein, cut some of carbohydrates, total no-no to sodium, fats and oily foods. So that meant I had to say goodbye to longganisa and tocino and all other processed food that always complete my breakfast, some of my favorite junk food that perk me up, and just stick to grill, stewed or broiled food. I felt so helpless. This was not the "rest" or leave from work that I was looking forward to. This was not at all being a domestic diva that I pictured myself would be. But again, as what I have said, I had to sacrifice for my baby.

I also prayed hard to the Authority upstairs. I knew deep in my heart that He was the only one who could divert this situation and help with our dilemma. I prayed a novena hourly for every day. My special request was to give my baby the right measurement he needed.

April 30, 2009-- that was the next appointment to my doctor. Hubby was supportive for he left really early from work just to accompany me to the doctor. I told him days before that I could not bear to hear another bad news all by myself and I needed him there. Good thing he made all effort to be with me, considering that his work always required him to go overtime every end of the month.

Sure I was nervous. Nervous of what the doctor's news would be. I was #5 in line and waiting for my name to be called seemed like an agony for me. I only waited around forty minutes but it seemed I waited forever.

My blood pressure was read, and it went up a bit, but the doc said it was still within the normal range. My weight, as expected, was up from 147 pounds to 150 pounds and again, that was normal. At last she asked me to lie down so she could measure my tummy's fundal height. The last time was 26 inches, not normal for 32 weeks. Now it was up to 29 inches!! And it was just right for 34 weeks!! That was the first good news I heard!! I thanked God on an instant upon hearing that. Now it was time to go to the ultrasound room to check the measurements. Another round of nervouseness for me. As she was applying that cold gel in my tummy, I was praying real hard that the measurement would be all okay by now, even if I only had a short time for bed rest and healthy eating. The doctor was smiling, and told me that everything is okay. EVERYTHING IS OKAY!! The baby already coped up with his measurement, but still on the border line side, but atleast he coped up already!! I never felt so happy!! Thank God for all that!

I asked her if I needed a bed rest, and she said not at all. But I have to go on leave and just relax at home. She gave me new batch of vitamins. One would be for my baby's brain development and one for preparation of my breast milk. She also asked me to start taking a 30-minute walk routine in the morning and at night.

On my way home, I was just so happy that the smile on my face was fixed all through out. I never thought bed rest could be this helpful. I dreaded it, but it really helped. And I again decided and self-imposed to continue this bed rest. But this time not as much, for I also needed to tidy up our place and prepare the things of our baby. For he will be coming in just a month and I may not have time to prepare all his stuff. But of course to take a bed rest is still the top priority.

Lastly, these will not all be possible without the prayers and faith in God. I trully believe that nothing is impossible in prayers, and this happening is one proof that God really hears ours prayers.









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Time for Bed Rest

My last check up with my OB was April 19, 2009-- still no good news for the growth of our little one. He's still behind when it comes to weight, only weighing 3.6 pounds when he's supposed to be around 4 pounds already at 32 weeks. His abdominal cirmcumference is also small for his age. His head and limbs though are okay, but in the border line measurement. His lack of weight and measurement is due to the notch found on my left side which hinders the nutrients he is supposed to be getting from the food i am eating. His eating activity is not normal at all. My amniotic fluid is also low since he is not urinating that much due to the lack of fluid and food he is getting from me. I researched what this condition is and my researches showed that this condition is called Intra Uterine Growth Restriction.



Management for IUGR is still unknown, and the causes are not fully defined since there could be a lot of factors. I am certain that the notch found in me is causing this IUGR. According to my research, bed rest is often requested to mothers with this condition. My OB has mentioned this to me during the last check up, but did not ask me to undergo one yet since we still have to find out the baby's development on my next appointment. If he copes with his weight, she will not ask me to bed rest, but if the situation is still the same, she will impose one. However, I cannot wait for the next check up and I cannot bear another bad news. So I decided for myself to go a bed rest. Hope this could really help my baby grow.








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A Complicated Pregnancy All of a Sudden ;(

April 2, 2009 --- That was my appointment to my ob-gyne. She measured my tummy and as expected, it was still quite small for my being thirty weeks pregnant. My weight was continuously shooting up but the measurement of my tummy, or what they call fundal measurement, is not at all matched with the weight gain I am having. Her facial expression was full of worry so I got scared too. Was there anything wrong with my pregnancy, or my baby? She then asked me to step to the ultrasound room to check on the measurement of the baby and to know if there is anyting wrong inside. The result showed that all the parts of the baby is quite okay and so far are measuring normal to his age, except the abdominal area. That shows, according to her, an early sign of malnutrition. I could not believe what I heard, for I know I have been eating for two, one for me and one for the baby. So how come he is having signs of malnutrition?

I know there is something wrong when she asked me to meet again the next day at St. Luke's Hospital to do another round up of ultrasound. This is a more extensive type of ultrasound which they call maternal and fetal doppler. There we will see the full details of what's going on inside my womb.

April 3, 2009 --- St. Luke's Hospital. Hubby and I went there early just to be sure. I was nervously waiting for my turn. At around 11:30am, my name was called and my obgyne performed what she had to do. This kind of ultrasound took us for like 45 minutes to complete. According to her, there is a notch somewhere in my left uterinary artery and she asked me to buy Aspilet to be taken once a day. She also asked me to buy a steriod and meet her again the next day to explain the results of the doppler. The next day? So that meant I had to see her again. This kind of appointment is really not normal anymore, for we would just usually meet once or twice a month. But here we are now, having three check ups in a row.

April 4, 2009--- Healthway Clinic. The doctor interpreted the results of my ultrasound. According to the report, there is a notch in my left uterinary artery and that means it is sort of blocking the nutrients or food that is supposed to be for the baby. Good thing though, according to her, my placenta which is also responsible for the transmition of food to the baby, is mostly concentrated on my right area. And good thing also that my right artery is not having any problems. So that means that the baby is "so far" still okay. But then, there is still bad news. The notch on my left side also shows that I am a candidate for pre-eclamptia. Pre-eclamptia is a condition affecting pregnant women wherein the blood pressure shoots up during the course of pregnancy. It is a fetal condition that compromises the mother and the baby. There is no other treatment but to take the baby out,meaning the baby has to be born earlier that expected. Otherwise, mother may suffer stroke, or worst, even death. Hearing that, I got extremely furious. Why is this happening to me all of a sudden? I have been bragging about how easy my pregnancy is, then all of a sudden I am hearing all this? I wanted to cry right there and then. Good thing the doctor told me that pregnant moms now a days are so lucky because these conditions can be predicted and can be avoided. That sort of gave me a peace of mind.

She then shot the steriods to me. The steriods is for the baby's lungs. It will prepare the baby and will make him mature ahead of his age so just in case worst case scenario of preeclamptia attacks and he has to be taken out, he is prepared to the outside world. I also have to take aspilet once a day to avoid thickening of my blood, again, another prevention for preeclamptia. I also have to take anibiotics 4x a day for my UTI. Some of my vitamins were increased: Amino vita to be taken twice a day, calcium to be taken thrice, vitamin c to be taken thrice, macrobee once a day, milk twice a day, and lots and lots of water. I was also asked to load on protein for the baby's sake. I never had this so many medications in my entire life!!

I am hoping and praying that all the preparations are worth it, for I really wanted to have a normal and easy birth for our baby. And of course I do not want to compromise the condition of our little angel. I am looking forward to my next appointment and this time I want to hear some good news.









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Buying Baby Stuff For the First Time

Two weeks ago, hubby and I went to SM megamall to buy few of baby stuff. It was a combination of hesitation and excitement on my part. Hesitation because as a first time mommy, honestly, I am not sure if I knew exactly what I am doing, or what I will be buying for the tiny kiddo. Excitement because this is a different kind of bonding moment for me and hubby. After years of buying stuff for ourselves, for the house, for the car, and all other things, now we are facing a different phase of buying stuff for our own firstborn.

First stop-the pram, or commonly known here as the stroller. We were already sure of what we were going to buy since we scouted for it several weeks ahead. We were set to get Chicco Trevi. It is within our budget and it's quite okay for us. But when we went there to get it, they already run out of stock. They actually had one left, but it was the display unit. For obvious reasons, we did not want the display unit. So we looked for another brand and we landed to Graco station. Graco prams have a reputation of being one of the best brands when it comes to baby prams, cribs, carriers and the likes. Like Chicco, it is one of the best brands for baby carriers. We agreed to get the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe in elegant green and brown combo. It's quite big and much expensive than Chicco Trevi, but the added features it has, are so convincing, we did not have doubts at all.
-It can be both for a newbord and a toddler, meaning our kiddo can use it from day one up to say three years old.
-The frames are all made of aluminum so we are talking of rust-free material here.
-There are lots of compartment available for baby stuff--baby tray and cup holder in front, parent tray at the back, 2 cup boards at the side, and a load basket below.
-Canopy can be rotated from front to back.
-Wheels made of rubber.
-Washable linings.
-Four stages reclining position.
-And the "it" and "deciding factor" for hubby-the one-touch-easy-fold.


Next stop, baby bottles. We were deciding wether to buy the ever popular feeding bottle brand Avent or the one as equally as popular brand Pigeon. Philips Avent from the UK is no doubt The Man of all feeding bottles. This brand has a superior quality to boost, and it has all the features the baby needs when feeding. With all its top most advantages, the price is no doubt higher than the usual brands. I believe this brand is the most expensive when it comes to feeding bottles, but then it's all worth it. But I did not buy it. We agreed to get Pigeon brand instead. The simple reason we had in mind: We have to know first what the baby's reaction to feeding bottles would be before we indulge into something expensive. We got Pigeon because its quality is not far behind. In fact, it's one of the expensive and saleable brands too. I just got particular with the nipple, since they say the nipple must be patterned from the nipple of the mother, so i bought this type they call peristaltic nipple. This type of nipple allows the baby to suck in the same way they would from a mother's nipple. We bought 3 cutely printed bottles and 3 plain transparent bottles and some extra peristaltic nipples.

Last stop-the crib comforter. We do not have a crib yet, but then we agreed on buying this wooden crib that suits the theme of our place (our pad has sort of all-wood theme). We did not buy it yet since we did not have much space in the car anymore. We just bought the comforter first. The comforter is such a cutey!! It's creamy yellow and light brown color with teddy bear prints. First time I saw it, I did not look for other designs anymore. The set includes the overall side linings, one head pillow, two bolsters, one fitted sheet for the mattress, and one blankie. I know our baby Migo will definitely love it!

I never thought buying baby stuff can be this toxic, but then who cares? I enjoyed every second of it!! This is a first time for me and so far, I am loving it. As a matter of fact, I cannot wait for our next date. I am looking forward to buying some more baby needs. I really love the experience!









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Normal Delivery or Ceasarian Delivery?

I am now 32 weeks pregnant to date. And I just cannot still believe that I will be delivering a human being soon. In fact, the day I discovered I am pregnant is still very vivid. It's like it was just yesterday. But now, I am only few weeks shy to The Day, our Migo or Miguel Inigo's birthday.

However, as much as I am excited to see our little darling, the pain of getting him out of me is creeping me out. I know for a fact that giving birth is not a piece of cake, and no matter how wonderful it is to bear a child, the method of delivering him out goes from painful to crucial, which gives me goosebumps big time.

As of the moment, I am still not sure if I will be having a vaginal delivery - or commonly known as normal delivery, or abdominal delivery - or better known as caesarian delivery. Las time we checked, the baby is in the right position already, meaning his head is already headed down. But since I am still few weeks away to my due date, and also the baby is moving too much (he's really playful!!), there is a possibility that he still change his position. So there is no way of telling yet which procedure I will undergo. All I can do is talk to my baby every now and then and beg him, literally, to be a good boy and do not let mommy face a hard time in delivering him.








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My Hubby Bid Goodbye to His Hair---Finally!!!

I have been trying to convince my hubby to shave off his hair. He would totally refuse and really won't agree with me. I told him it is about time to change his haircut. I have seen the same ol' boring hairstyle for years!! And he's been sporting that kind of do since time immemorial. I would see his pictures from gradeschool, to highschool, to college and nothing changed. For one, he was so comfortable with this kind of look, it has become his comfort zone. Well, his case is not at all strange. A lot of people won't change their looks for the fear of making their appearance from good to worse. But this time, he really had to say goodbye to his hair. For hubby's having a worst case of falling hair, a disease called alopecia.

Alopecia is a hairloss condition wherein hair is lost in patches or batches and the loss is rather rapid. Reason behind this is not yet completely known but dermatologists usually associate this condition with stress. True enough, since my husband is so dedicated to his work, he is usually stressed. We noticed a small patch of hairloss last November 2008 and we just simply did not mind it. We thought it's just a simple case of hairloss. But we noticed more and more hair falling off. They were clogging the drain, they were all over the floor, even on his office table and computer desk. I would see strands of hair on the pillow, the towel, the headrest of his car. We were alarmed. December of that year, we started consulting dermatologists. That's where we learned that his case is called Alopecia. I researched for it in the internet. I read about the cause, which like I said is still unknown, the symptoms, the appearance, etc. And we concede to the fact that he's really having an alopecia.

This condition of hair loss is not alarming at all. It's just that there are cases wherein hair tends to go a resting phase, meaning, it will not grow at all for a long time. My hubby has been under medication for like three months now and so far, no good. Soft baby hairs are sprouting but they only last for like two to three days for they tend to fall off too. The patchy hair loss started to bother him for people could not help but stare and give him strange looks. It's like he is under going chemotherapy. I admit that i was bothered by it too. So we both decided to shave it all off.

Sunday morning, we went straight to the barber shop and instructed the barber what to do. It only took aroung 10 minutes to shave it all off!! And guess what, he looked great with his new look!! And he liked it too, thank God! And all the people around him--the neighborhood and in the office--all agreed that he looked better now that he shaved it all. I guess it shoot up his confidence again.

He is still under medication, still applying the same scalp ointments and creams prescribed by his dermatologist and that herbal shampoo we discovered in Quezon City Circle. We both concede to the fact that it will take us a long time to see his hair grow again. But nevertheless, with hair or without, he still remains to be the most handsome guy for me.









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Bra Extensions

My tummy is getting bigger and bigger and that is not the only body part that is expanding. Expectedly, my breasts are not far behind. From 36c, they have grown to a whopping 38c. I have never been proud of this size!! However, discomfort finds its way to interrupt my happiness. My current brassieres are still good enough to use so I did not buy a new set, but I can feel discomfort at the back area since i cannot hook them up anymore. Good thing there are bra extensions available in the market. They are so helpful!!! Aside from expanding the scope of my bras, they now prevent my boobies from touching each other since it's now more spacious and loose. I bought one set of bra extensions for only p145.00. These are available in all maternity shops. Mine I got from Havin a Baby, Trinoma Branch.









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Have you heard of Ciao.Com? It really Pays!!!

As what I have mentioned in my previous posts, earning money now a days is a struggle. A lot has to be done to extend the family income. I for one is not at all content of my regular job. I also ventured into some small businesses on the side to augment what I am earning. Do you think it's enough? Nope. Since I am spending a lot of time in front of the computer anyways, why not earn from it? Gone are the days that I would just surf and check my friendster and facebook account. Now, whenever I am seated in front of the monitor and tapping the keyboards away, that means money coming in the future days.

I discovered ciao.com last October 2008. I was searching for a reputable get-paid-to's site and I stumbled upon it. Their initial scheme was to pay their members $1 per review of any product found in the site. I was hesitant at first, but since I am fond of writing, why not? Afterall, they only require $5 for a paypout. So i reviewed 5 products at first just to check if they would really credit $5 to my paypal account. Lo and behold, they did!! And after that, I wrote for like 50 or more reviews, and got paid for all of it!! I am still writing reviews for that site, and still earning up to this date. However, they changed their payment scheme come December 2008, but nevertheless, they are still paying. I am still getting some dollars out of it even if I am not writing reviews since there are lots of ways on how to earn from it (from reading other member's reviews, by referring a new member, etc.).

As of this writing, I already earned a total of P4,800 plus from this site. Not bad at all for a some hours spending infront of my monitor.

For those who also want to join this review site and earn just like me, please click the link provided:

http://www.ciao.com/reg.php?FriendId=10019635



Note: It's sad that they are not accepting new members outside UK anymore. I wish in the future, they revise this rule, or atleast have a Paypal service, so other members outside UK can benifit too!!
FROM CIAO.COM--Attention New members! Please note that payment of money earned on ciao.co.uk is only available through a UK bank account. As stated in our bonus program guidelines. Payment via Paypal is not possible.




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The Linea Nigra

As a pregnant woman, there are tons and tons of changes I have to face everyday. On the onset of knowing that I am indeed pregnant, fear of physical changes gushing through me. I have seen a lot of pregnant women changing from slim to stout, from pretty to scary (me bad). And I know I am not an exception. But as of this writing, I am fortunate enough not to look as bad as I expected. In fact, I do not look an inch of a pregnant woman, with the exception of the bulging tummy of course. My face still looks the same, and my neck and nape have not changed it's color. My underarms though are becoming darker by the day, but it's okay at least I can hide that. What I am bothered though is this line in my tummy which is also becoming darker and longer everyday. I am getting conscious about this thingy and sometimes I hate looking at it in the mirror.

This vertical line in the abdomen area is what we call the Linea Nigra. This goes from the pubic area up to the belly button, and in some cases even extends higher. It is dark and is most obvious to fair skinned women like me than dark skinned ones. It is most likely to appear on the second trimester, but I started noticing mine when my tummy started to be obvious. That was, I guess, on y 11th week. The cause of it is not known, though experts say what causes this is the one also resposible for the darkening of the areola. Linea Nigra is much likely to happen to pregnant women.

So what is to be done to prevent this? Bleaching creams? Peeling creams? All pregnant women by now know that any topical treatment, whitening agent and the likes are not safe to be used during pregnancy, so one thing to be done is ---NONE. Just let it be, leave it alone. This is bound to happen. Not to all preggos though. It is said that after giving birth, this is likely to fade, but not on an instant. Give a year or so before you finally say goodbye to it. But knowing that it will be not forever there is a relief already.









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Havaianas and the Scary Lead Content

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In this world of flip flops, who on earth still does not own a pair of Havaianas? Even the tiniest and the youngest member of any household cannot stand not owning a pair!! This brand of slippers have been so popular in the Philippines, for the Philippines is a tropical country and wearing open type slippers is very appropriate. We can wear this specially during summer season, and we can even wear this during rainy season when we have to brave knee-high flood in the streets. Gone are the days when wearing slippers in the mall or in the hotel can give you unsolicited looks. Gone are the days when wearing slippers are just for those who cannot afford to buy leather-made footwear. For now, as long as you are wearing havaianas, you are so in the "in" crowd.

But what is this I am hearing that local distributor is recalling Havaianas due to lead scare? To refresh, the US has submitted studies and reports stating that Havaianas, specially the ones made for kids and with prints, have a high lead content making it hazardous to be worn. Why are we to be scared of lead? Generally speaking, this is bad for our health. Excessive amount of it can destroy the nervous system, may cause some sickness including cancer, and is harmful to an unborn child.

Local distributor of Havaianas has taken the necessary action of recalling their products to assure the buying market that they are doing what is best to be done. They are to bring samples to the Department of Trade and Industry to have them checked. Even if they are assuring that the US batch is entirely different from the local batch, they are responsible enough to act on the matter by having these products checked. Hopefully in the next days, this issue will be resolved so we can wear our collection of lovely pairs with a peace of mind.
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