Babymoon

 I had no freaking idea what a babymoon was till I got caught up with this pregnancy thing. They said, babymoon is mom and dad's last hurrah someplace fabulous before baby comes in. There's always the Carribean or Mexico or whereever. It depends on your budget actually. I just thought we need our "us" time when we still can have it, coz when Sophie and Emma are here, our lives will never be the same again. Ha!


Before I got pregnant, Kevin and I had been planning to go to Mexico this December-- to get outta winter cold. But when we found out we're having twins, we scrapped that plan. After all, we have major purchases coming up. We can't find cheap airfare anywhere in Canada either, so we decided to find someplace cheaper and closer. As Kevin said, just a "stay-cation", anyways we've been going places in the last 4 years. Ha, rationalization. :)

Booked the hotel online and called my in laws so they can babysit Stinker. Finally, I can use my bikinis.   Since I didn't have my professional photo with my baby bump-- I will take photo of myself in bikini! Something my mom would not want to see on Facebook haha.

I took some photos on our way, it was one gorgeous day. It was unusually sunny and no snow. We passed by some kids tobogganing. Ah to be young and happy.

After almost an hour of 100/kph drive, we reach our destination. 

I only booked for an overnight stay, and we got there quarter after 3pm. I want to make the most of our stay so after we got our keys, we went to our room and check it out. Here is Kevin checking out the channels. Yah, I married someone who's as "couch potato" as I am.

The room was pretty decent, big space too. This was the cheapest we could get. We wanted the Deluxe King but it was no longer available. But this wasn't that bad. 

Excitement made me so hungry that I wanted to eat buffet dinner at 3:30pm. While waiting for the buffet to open, we hit the casino for some slot machines and got lucky. We won! It paid for the dinner--- which was a good thing coz dinner was not that gastronomic!

The so- so prime rib buffet .. though I must admit I had 3 helpings . bwahaha.

Kevin wanted to play casino again but I told him we might not get lucky this time. Instead, we checked out the pool and found it empty. I hurriedly went to our room and donned my bikini.. 

Of course, I had a cover-up. Will not swim like a bloated frog, ya? This is just for my documentation purposes. 

With my nude tank top. My good friend Mona thought I was nekkid. :)

We felt like we own the place. :)

What pass as swimming for me is merely keeping afloat. It felt soo good swimming in a warm water while it was snowing outside. ^_^

Yes, it was an a-okay stay-cation!

Prenatal Yoga

I've read a ton of stuff about how important prenatal exercises are to labor and delivery YET I never tried it. I have all the excuses in the world. But having seen the childbirth videos scared the shitz outta me. Now, I want to do it plus I want to swim. Fact is, winter sucks the energy out of you. Going to work still dark and getting home still dark?! No wonder, people get SAD-- Seasonal Affective Disorder.

I PROMISE to commit to this yoga. Promise to keep my energy high after work to do this. More than anything else, I should prepare for labour and delivery not just my babies' nursery. ( although that takes a lot of work too). I still have a lot of things to do, nursery room's closet is yet to be made, shelves and some wall decors are yet to be put up. Gaaah. stressful. Don;t have Santa's elves to do the job.

The Other Baby.

I never had a pet. I think my family did but I never had that kind of attachment to any canine. When I met Kevin, he just got himself a dog. A doberman pincher named Stinker. I know. Such an odd name but he said he was so stinky when he brought Stinker home from the farm.


The first time I met Stinker, he scared the shitz outta me. He is huge and will break my bones had I let him attack me. But he's like Kevin's child although, a monster of a child who wrecked most of his furniture. Behind every big dogs monstrosity, they are cry babies. Suckers. Attention-whores. At that time, I only stayed here in Winnipeg for two weeks so the thought of bonding with the dog was far- fetched.


But the inevitable came. Finally moved in here. Kevin assured me that I will get used to him. Yah yah. I'm not the only one who was adjusting to our new life. Stinker had been throwing up that week that I arrived. Vet said he was having a hard time and my presence stressed him out. Wow. Dogs get stressed! How little I know of these four-legged creatures.


It started off as a love- hate relationship with Stinker. But as with all relationships, he grew on me. Surprisingly, we got along. Stinker is always considered in all our activities. Like taking him along wherever we go, essentially it's parenting practice.


Now that we are soon to be parents, we are worried for our canine baby. Will he have a hard time? Definitely, he's not going to get the same attention he's getting now. He stays in our room every night ( like a guard dog :))---- although it means I have to vacuum the room 3x a week. But then, soon this  ordeal will not work with the babies in the house. Dogs and babies look cute ONLY on YouTube but I wouldn't let Stinker come near the babies when they're still newborn.


I've read some stuff on the net on how to prepare your dog before the babies come home. According to the article, you have to bring something that has a baby's smell so the dog will get used to it. That will work. But how about Stinker's 'galloping'? He's uncontrollable barking at a single hint of unfamiliar sound? He's 'pet session'? The list is endless and we have no bloody clue how to make it work.


I guess we'll just let the leaves fall where it may as they've said. It's a life imitates art from that movie Marley and me.


Good luck to us.

Most Popular Names of 2011

http://www.babycenter.com/top-baby-names-2011

The Hunt for Bassinet

When I am not thinking about my ever changing body, I am obsessed with baby furniture. As I have mentioned before, a friend offered to buy crib--s, not just one but two of them. Its a very good offer to pass up. However, there's a big problem. The cribs that I want from Babies R Us are not available online. Panic mode. How will my friend buy me the crib? Crib is very important and we want  to have it before the babies come. Think Gladys think....Solution came as quickly as I identified the problem. Babies R Us have gift cards!! So I emailed my friend about it but still I will not get it till next year. :(

Most mommies ( esp mom-in-law) told me that it would be more convenient to have the baby in the same room as us. This got me thinking. If we have a crib, there's no way in hell it will fit in our bedroom. We have a small bedroom and even if we rearrange it, two cribs will still be a tad too big for the space we have. So hubby and I decided to get a co-sleeper or a bassinet.

Bassinet what? For the life of me, call me ignorant but bassinet sounds like a musical instrument to me until I got myself acquainted with it. Back home, other than babies co-sleeping in bed with their mommies, we have what we call as "duyan". Duyan is an improvised bassinet ONLY it is made out of a blanket tied on both ends and hang on the wall ( think of it as a baby hammock). This is a very effective method of lulling the babies to sleep, fail-proof. BUT in this age and times, it is safe to get something that is on the ground and not suspended   above ground level :)

Having decided on a bassinet, hubby and I spent way too many hours on the internet trying to find a bassinet that is not expensive and durable at the same time. Babies R Us have a fancy one for $160. I wouldn't want to buy with that price because we will just dispose the bassinet in 3-4 months time. So I scoured and got so frustrated. We even came to a point where I will have to apply for US visa to go to the States to buy a good one-- sometimes stupid ideas come from frustration! Alas, I came across sears.com. Yep, not sears.ca ( canada-based).

It was just in front of me but I just didn't see. I was so focused on finding the bassinet that it didn't occur to me that I can actually order straight from the States! In an effort to get Canadian buyers, Sears.com have flat rate shipping of 10 bucks to Canada. Although Sears stores are everywhere here in Winnipeg, there are items that are exclusively distributed in the States i.e. cheaper bassinets.

I went ahead and ordered a basic bassinet in green and yellow. It's not a fancy one, but it can be converted into a cradle. After I placed the order, I found another bassinet for the same price with vibrator and musical mobile. gaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh. Shoot me.

The Name Game

When we found out that we are having girls, hubby was like.. oh they're gonna be like The Olsen twins. pfft. I don't even like them. If there's a twin that crossed my mind right there and then, its the Wakefield's!

I grew up reading all Francine Pascal and her ghost writers Sweet Valley Kids, SVH, SVU. For 3 years, the Wakefield's and their fictional school were given life through TV. I watched it alongside with Friends ( which my mom would always say too adult for you, that includes Danielle Steel in the too adult category!).

Despite my love for these twins, I never thought of naming them Jessica and Elizabeth. haha. But one thing I really hope to do as a soon to be mom is to treat them as individuals, not as twins, for them to be identified as their own person ( hahaha touche!). I wouldn't want a flirty Jessica as a daughter either, popular may be but not flirty. But  popularity comes when you are flirty and promiscuous, so forget popular.

I've already have in my list the name Sophia .. so we thought of finding the other girl's name. If you searched google, there are names that are really for twins. So Sophia's twin name counterpart is either Isabella or Olivia. But I'm taking the less conventional road, I opted for Emma. Emma, as a name, like Sophia sounds classy and simple.

As respect to my mother-in-law and to my mom, my girls will be named Sophia Elizabeth ( not because of SVH) and Emma Luz. I can add or change the middle names but they will be called Sophia and Emma. Besides, I painstakingly painted the wood letters for their nursery already!

Fetal Assessment 101

After my first ultrasound, I was scheduled for another ultrasound to assess the babies inside. I was told that multiple birth mothers usually make frequent trips to the hospital because well, obviously because its riskier than singleton pregnancy.

Again, took off from work and went to the Fetal Assessment Unit of St B. The office is so cute, it has a corkboard of pictures of babies. It inspired me to make those baby announcement postcards! ( if I can squeeze this in, I would).

The nurse was super friendly. She ushered me to the room to change and we had the ultrasound again. This time, Kevin was inside the room with me. The nurse was so informative, like a voice over on a uterus "tour". I had to cut her off midsentence because I  had difficulty breathing like I was straggled or something, started to sweat like a cow. The nurse stopped on her tracks and turn on the lights and gave me some water. I don't know what happened but my blood pressure abruptly shot up. Scary shiz.

I had to rest before we proceeded again. The nurse said it must be too much pressure laying down, so I have to keep my head elevated. The light-headedness disappeared and we continued. Unlike the first ultrasound, this time, I can really recognized their heart, limbs and how they moved inside of me. Here are some of the still shots given to us by the nurse

Twin A

twin B

Lovely, aren't they? BTW, they are both girls. They just can't figure out if they're fraternal or identical. I'm okay with both. I could have a blonde and/or brunette little girls. Best of both worlds.

Stuff I never used to care about

I have been a godmother for awfully dozen times but I had no idea a baby will need a lot of stuff. I have witnessed my friend having labour and how painful that looked.  Word around town is , its really painful but people still do it!

Anyways, reality sets in. We are having twins, nothing can stop it. Moving on, Kevin and I mulled over the stuff we need. Man, if I will seriously buy everything, we will be broke in a mere second. So we decided, its time to be wise in our purchases and just get what is necessary.

There's a long list of things that will never crossed my mind for a good 80% of my life. Yet, these days it has become so massively important to me. I didn't give a hoot about house equity, mortgage, education plans and furniture. But right now, I have been expending all my mental energy to these things especially furniture.

Since, its official that I will never have any baby shower ( calling all my friends, never too late to arrange for one ;)), I signed up for a baby registry at www.babiesrus.ca so I can "solicit" gifts from people. Off we went to the store, and my golly... babies need a lot of stuff.!! diaper disposal system, wipes warmer, bottle warmer, bouncer, swings, swaddler.. I don't even know they exist before! On top of that,  seeing all those beautifully decorated nursery rooms at the store, made me so preoccupied and obsessed with finding the perfect furniture for my dem babies ( to channel Mariah Carey). Perfect means quality + reasonable price.

But we are going to be parents. And parents are practical right? So I have to be practical by getting stuff that we need like crib for example. Back in the Philippines, babies sleep beside their mothers. Psychology books will tell you that co-sleeping is more of an Asian thing. So the average parents back home just use a Playard -- which I thought was just a more portable crib. But sleeping beside me is a no-go as I have two of them. It's hard to keep track and at the same time I'm scared to roll over them or something.

Now here comes the problem. I have to get two cribs yet we have a small space for the nursery room. This room, mind you, is at the moment, a cluttered "my office" space. It's our spare room. I have done a lot of research on nursery rooms and I have decided on having a Winnie the Pooh themed nursery. Which brings us back to my crib. It has to be white, immaculate white crib will look good on a yellow and green background with Pooh, Eeyore and Piglet murals. The cost of the crib is a whopping $300 each and that doesn't include the mattress another $150 and the crib set which is a good $180-200. And then I have to get two. Do the  maths and you will get the vertigo.

my style inspiration

Ideally, crib should be the first thing that we will buy but uhm.. we need to renovate their room first.. In other words, , I have to quit obsessing about the crib instead work on their room. Try as I might, I can't stop thinking about it, so I scoured for deals on the net and caught up with a friend working in the States. Must be loaded because I was told that this friend will buy me the cribs. I was overjoyed. I couldn't be more thankful but but... I will not get it till February. Hmmm.... just have to wait with good faith that I will get it :)

... that fateful day.

I've taken a month-long hiatus from blogging because I don't know how to articulate into words what I experienced since we went for our first ultrasound. Then I realized that I came up with this blog to chronicle my pregnancy. But one BIG surprise changed the entire course of my life, its not enough that being pregnant is a life-changer in itself.

A week before my first sonogram appointment.. I took a photo of me and posted it on facebook. Here is the photo----->>






This was the first photo with my burgeoning belly. Of course it generated quite a stir among my friends and left me with a lot of comments. But one comment from my cousin who is also expecting bugged me that time. She said I was way too big for 4 months, there might be two people "residing" in my belly. I shrugged the idea, I know some people want twins but I was so sure I'm not having one. I told Kevin about it, hoping to get the " no we won't...." answer. But then, he kept on teasing about the possibility, that we cant discount the fact that his mother is a twin and that the "odds" or "luck" might be on us.

I had an appointment with my OB two days before I was supposed to go for ultrasound. She didn't see anything extraordinary ... like a possible twin pregnancy so I was relieved. Then Thursday came, I took off from work and we went to fetch my mom-in-law and went to St. Boniface Hospital. This is the hospital where I will have my delivery. Too excited to know the sex of the baby, we were there an hour earlier. We killed the time at the waiting area talking about possible names when it was my turn. I rushed my way to the ultrasound room because my bladder was full yet I was told not to pee till the ultrasound is done. I just want to get it over and done with. I was all by myself in the room, as it was the hospital's policy that only the pregnant patient is allowed to enter the room, but family members will be asked to join after all the necessary check-up.

The nurse was friendly, had this small talk. uhm.. too chatty for me I guess. As she was doing the sonogram, I was not as enthusiastic as she was, I was more like anxious. Then she dropped the bomb by asking... " why didn't you say you are having twins?" BOY was i shocked?!? I almost fainted, like my jaw dropped to the ground. I was stunned. Catatonic to be exact. She asked me if I was okay? I said I had no bloody idea I'm having two babies! The nurse was soo excited, she said " I don't get a lot of twins lately.." I am 19 weeks pregnant and my OB didn't notice it? Wow.

I was on the verge of crying... I had a pseudo-anxiety attack like the world is closing in on me. As I was looking at the scan, I can't even make out the image. I felt so guilty because I can't recognize them, my thoughts were blurring my vision. I knew I should feel blessed but at the same time I was having a hard time picturing myself with a baby.. what more with two!

It took the nurse 45 minutes to check everything... till I was asked to call my family members. My mom in law and Kevin was impatiently waiting outside. Kevin asked me what it was... I just looked at him and said TWINS. They were both surprised but not as shocked as I was.

I think Kevin gets it now.. he's seen with his two eyes that indeed there is /are living beings in my belly with spine, legs, arms, heart and that they are moving. The "shock" subsided and I can now see the glowing white against the black background. It was surreal, how can they fit in there? The nurse told us that we will have to wait for my OB appointment for the sex of the baby. We didn't even know if they're fraternal or identical. Just that there are two!

The ultrasound is one of the coolest experiences so far... like your very own private camera. It was amazing..

On our drive home, it started to sink in. WE ARE HAVING TWINS. twins. two peas in a pod. Everything in twos. Funny how one hour before we went to the hospital,  I found this flyer from babies r us with a buy one, half prize on the next item on cribs... hilarious. I was like, who would want two cribs?! Tsk tsk.. didn't know it was meant for us. Good Lord, I didn't read the sign. :)

Week 16: AVOCADO

This week is all about that fluttering sensations in my abdomen and no, its not that the baby is moving around there, it feels more like gas or muscle twitch. And guess what, I was shocked to see some growing hair near my belly button. LIke eww, I was blessed that I dont have so much hair before but look at it now, like a virgin forest. So unglam.


So my baby is associated with another produce this week. It's AVOCADO. Now the size of an avocado. According to experts, big enough to hear us!


Yes, thats the milestone this week ---the baby can now hear us; my backward laughter , my constant singing of just about anything and our childish bickering.


I remember someone I know taught her unborn baby to do Math by talking to her womb while doing accounting work. Uhm, sounds preposterous right? Coz it is! There are numerous studies saying that children are more intelligent if they listen to classical music while still in the womb. This might've prompted corporations to come up with Baby Einstein stuff to milk money from gullible parents. I'm not saying that this is all false. It's just that these researches are still in its "infancy" ( pun intended) to invest on something that has not quiet reach a certain level of validity. I guess, I will just have to exert my efforts on not being so stressed on my pregnancy as there are an ocean-ful of researches that could prove how stress affect our baby's well-being!




While we are at it ( on well-being), I have developed several pregnancy "symptoms":


1.regular back aches- which from my pregnancy bible means that its another effect of pregnancy hormones and I guess Physics too ( read: gravitational pull). And being at my desk for practically 8 hours added up to that ache.


2. bigger bOObs-- woot woot. so far, the best thing evahhhh. I know, i know, its just nature's way of preparing me for breastfeeding but still... its so cool. I'm not flat-chested to start with but its just relatively bigger this time around and i get to flaunt it, cleavage man. cleavage.


3. pregnancy brain-- aka bird brain.  forgetfulness. somehow, it makes me feel not so bad about accidentally tossing my 2-month old Google phone in the washing machine. Blame it to my pregnancy. BTW, i used this argument with my hubby but I didn't get away with it. Blimey.


4. pregnancy glow.. er more like grow-- my mom-in-law said I got glowing skin but I don't believe her, she was just patronizing me. More like grow because my face looks rounder, like  a fresh-baked pie. On top of that, my nose is getting wider too, nostrils flaring. gaaah. 


So excuse me, while i "talk" to my baby ;)

Week 15: ORANGE

Now on week 15, my bubba is the size of an orange. :) All of bubba's limbs are functional and now starting to squirm and wiggle like crazy in my womb. On the other hand, my now-cramped chest and abdomen makes me short of breath!


This week I have been experiencing abdominal cramps and I always ask my nurse friend Carol who is now working in NYC ( envy envy!). So she told me to get hold of my OB and I said there's no way I can do that because 1) its not yet my sched and 2) i am swamped with work stuff. But she poisoned ( you did Love!) with the idea that I might -- might have UTI or urinary tract infection. So here I was, google slave surfed the symptoms and it fits! Panic crawled that led me to my OB clinic and submitted myself for urinalysis. Strangely enough, after the test, all those "symptoms" were gone. Gaah placebo effect eh.


And since I am starting to show, I don't fit in my pants anymore. I still wear them... unbuttoned. I wanna wear some bump-flattering maternity attire that will still make me look chic but I haven't got the time to shop. One time, I went through Sears maternity section and nothing fits me! Even the XS is still too big for me. I wonder where do Asians shop here.  


For now, I am still wearing my normal clothes while I still can. Just to make me feel good in my bloated condition,  I went to the hair salon to get some prenatal pampering.  Babymoon is still a no-go ( time and cash-wise), so I had a cheaper alternative---hair cut and highlights. My head feels lighter and I looked like a soccer mom ( hear ye Vanessa Hudgens, you are not alone). Damn, never trust auntie-looking hairstylist. To top it all off, shorter hair is too much work. Really too much work that I have to bring hair straightener to work! 

Oh well, fall is here. I can always wear my River island beret..

Week 14: LEMON

Yay, I'm on my second trimester. Although the heartburn/queasy stomach is gone, I'm feeling hungry all the time. As in ALL THE TIME. I was supposed to gain my energy back.. I said supposed to because till now I still feel soo lazy and sleepy. I hope things will change in the next few weeks because I do need my exercise!

My bubba is now the size of a lemon. Yes, that yellow sour thing called lemon. He/she is doubled in size and probably sucking his/her thumb and wiggling his/her toes.

And... finally I had my long overdue first prenatal visit. My appointment was at 11:30 am. Both hubby and I were working and we took early lunch break thinking that it will not take an hour for the first visit. So we drove to Boyd Medical Clinic and filled out some forms. Then I was introduced to my OB-- a lady OB. The medical assistant took my blood pressure and weight. The she told me to take off my undies and lie on the bed with stirrup. uhm.. I didn't expect this. I've never been to an OB before... never experienced having pap smear whatever in my life so this is another first.

Then I undressed, slip into a lovely backless gown and wait for my doctor. I avert my eyes to a lot of information posted on the wall and I can't help but say too much information makes you paranoid.

Soon, OB came in and introduced herself as Lisa. She looked so young. She asked a couple of questions to me and my hubby. She was so businesslike and brisk.. like straight from a textbook. Then she figured out how old my baby was.. which is no news coz I've known it from self-computation and of course with Google's help. Before the doctor did the pap smear, she asked us if we want to hear the heartbeat. I was TOTALLY?!? So she applied some gel on my tummy and glided the fetal doppler. We were so anxious.. what if there's no heartbeat .. all those things crossed my mind. Lo and behold... it sounded like a galloping horse! I'm not "emo" that day as I was laying there panty-less but we were  sooooooo happy. Indeed, there's really a baby growing inside of me. It's not just my imagination, our baby actually EXISTS.

Week 13: PEACH

Yay, finally the last week of the first trimester and we did it!. They say, no more nausea... or may be less nausea and heartburn, my body will be able to adjust to the hormonal changes. Phew, I have completed the toughest part , well other than childbirth itself. I have yet to see my OB and I will be more relieved.

My baby is now the size of a peach! This time, he/she has vocal cords, teeth and teeny weeny fingerprints. Yehey!

My mother in law said, that I should divulge my pregnancy after the first prenatal visit.. But what can I do? Soon as we found out, we were so elated that everybody in my "social networking" world knew about it. And that includes my boss, apparently...

So I have been thinking of how to drop the bomb.. like hey boss, i know you just hired me but here it is.... im pregger. But God made it easier.  One afternoon, I was at my desk, he came to me and ask how i'm doing. I was like.. uhm.. I'm okay. But he looked like he was fishing for something so I blurted out I'm pregnant. And he said, I know.. from facebook!

I totally forgot that he is one of my friends... duh?? But then, it took a load off my mind. I don't have to worry if I strut my baby bump to work in the coming weeks :)

WEEK 12: Plum

It's all about plum baby :) Even if my baby is as big as a plum, I am starting to show. I kept on asking my hubby, do I look fat? At least this time, he would say... well you're pregnant. What can you do eh?


So I bought a weighing scale because I was concerned of my weight gain. Holy smokes. It says I'm 130 lbs. I was like, what the heck. I don't think I gained this much in my life. I talked to some people and it may have something to do with my sugar intake. You see, I eat rice everyday, if it ain't rice, it aint nice. hahaha. But its just not right. 30 lbs is not right.

So I took my weight again and I realized that my analog weighing scale was set to 20 lbs. Phew. I was so relieved there. I'm just 110 lbs. Just 10 lbs more.

WEEK 11: Lime

Lime. One of my favorites. It is called kalamansi back home and it has myriad of purposes. But the best purpose, it whitens your underarm. Ingenious isnt it? So the books are telling me that my baby is now the size of a lime. The good news is that the most critical part of my baby's organ system development is over. By the next week, it will double in size YET i havent seen my OB.

As I mentioned, I didn't have any morning sickness. Its that feeling of nausea that usually occur in the morning at the onset of pregnancy. However, mine is different. I get nauseous every after meal. My appetite has never been this big but I always ended up throwing up. I tried to eat in small meals but it is just not possible for someone who has a very erratic work schedule. I can't be so excited starting my new job next week so I will own my time. Customer service is not for me, especially a no no for pregnant women.

Everyday it's getting more and more uncomfortable. My clothes are getting snugger by the minute, I get cramps, heartburn, headaches, upset stomach, you name it. And with all of these, you can't take medicine. What a bummer.

After gearing up for weeks for my appointment, my doctor cancelled me out. I fought my heads out to get me on schedule. So I am going to have a new doctor. I couldn't wait for that day for the doctor to tell me that, indeed I am pregnant and that  he/she can hear my child's heartbeat. I hope I will get lucky and get a sonogram and ultrasound too.

Week 10: PRUNE

PRUNE. Prunus domestica. For this week, my baby's size is that of a prune. According to books, this week marks the beginning of a critical period of my baby's development when all the vital organs have formed and are starting to function. I am almost at the end of my first trimester and sooner I will start to "look" pregnant.

My clothes are starting to feel a little snug, well partly due to bloating gained from hormonal changes in my body. My hormone level is rising and so are the side effects. I have constipation, indigestion, nausea and worst of all my body is in general malaise. With all these, I have to keep myself awake at work as I am always drowsy and sleepy. Good heavens, I'm robbed off of my energy. I had to drag myself to work.

On a positive note, my cousin sent me a pregnancy journal and that bestseller "What to Expect when You are Expecting". I've read from ew.com that a movie version is in the works with JOE MANGANIELLO as one of the expectant fathers. wowza. The journal is much like a day to day info on  my baby's development. The best part is the "about your pregnancy" section as a prologue to the journal. I'll share some of the questions with my corny/mushy answers here.

ABOUT YOUR PREGNANCY

Was your pregnancy planned or a suprise?
It was planned, but 'surprisingly" it came too soon :D

When did you suspect you were pregnant?
When I didn't get my period after a bottle of beer . ( tsk tsk , i know i know)

When your pregnancy was confirmed, how did you react?
Stunned, surprised, anxious and happy <<< in this order

How long did it take to become pregnant? Did it seem quick or slow?
Very very quick *wink

What is the best thing about being pregnant?
Other than tax deduction? kidding aside, the idea that I have a functioning ovary!! seriously, to experience motherhood.

What challenge did you foresee with this pregnancy?
adjustment when winter comes, cold turkey'ng coke and coffee and telling my boss that I am pregnant.

What are the most important qualities you can nurture as a parent?
Fear of God, respect for parents and elders and perseverance

Have you picked out any names? What names would you consider?

Boy: Zigmund Seth ( hubby picked this)
Girl: Sophia Leigh ( i am open to more suggestions)

Week 9: GREEN OLIVE

Hear ye hear ye, my baby is now the size of a green olive. Gosh, I only like green olives on my martinis. Other than that, its vile.

My baby green olive has graduated from a mere embryo to a fetus. Like its now starting to look like a.. b a b y. Too bad I wouldn't be able to hear his/her heartbeat yet as I am not slated to see my OB till August.

On the other hand, my waistline expanded! Although I still don't look like pregnant, but I feel like I have this muffin-top figure already. or may be i'm exaggerating. Also, I feel tired easily, like i ran a bloody 20-mile marathon. My sibs and mom used to call me a sloth but pregnancy made me even more lazy. I just had enough energy being glued to the couch with the remote on my hand. If I'm not at work, I usually list down the things I need to do. But it's now a feat  if I scratch at least two items on the to-do list these days.

While I lay aimlessly on the couch, I couldn't help but cast my eyes on the carpet and how I want to vacuum the bedroom. But on top of low energy, my smell is soo uber keen like I thought i've metamorphosed into a bionic woman. I can smell every freaking bloody stink. Hence, the Lysol obsession.

so much for "joys" of pregnancy. oh well, just enjoy the ride I guess.
i need my rest. ciao for now.

WEEK 8: RASPBERRY

As I've said in my previous post, you get all imaginable produce compared to your baby. This week , its the size of a RASPBERRY.

I had all these abdominal cramps and a massive heartburn. I have a history of GERD but this is different. I tried on taking some TUMS but it says the maximum I can take is only 3 tablets. 3 tablets! I was supposed to watch HP-DH2 on its opening day but maaaan, my heartburn cancelled out my plans.

Then I got a call from the medical clinic that my OB will not be around by August so they have to postpone my appointment to a later date. This irked me coz its too late for my FIRST prenatal. So I argued and got a new OB. The price of free healthcare.

WEEK 7: BLUEBERRY

One thing I've noticed, pregnancy apps and websites compare your baby to all fruits/produce imaginable. For me this week 7 :

Baby's now the size of a blueberry!
Baby's brain -- both hemispheres! -- is growing fast, generating about one hundred new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place.
 


AS IF I didn't have any nocturnal peeing problem already,  my blueberry makes me pee a gazillion times more in a day!  There are 3 things working here: 1. my HCG ( pregnancy hormone) level increases blood flow 2. my kidneys are more efficient coz im peeing for two and 3. the growing uterus is pressed down on my bladder.

Oh well, consider this the joys errr juice of pregnancy.

Week 7: Pregnancy Workout Video

Weeks before I found out that I am on the way, I saw on TV the Insanity Video by Shaun T. Back in the Philippines where you can buy any dvds that you want, I had a copy of the Hip Hop Abs of Shaun T. It has hip hop movements and without bent-knee curl ups!

I've downloaded the Insanity workout video and tried it. The video assures you that: If you commit yourself to the workout regimen, you will have "insane" abs bod. On top of that, the video came with a nutrition guide and diet plan too-- cool eh? 

BUT. I got pregnant and it would be "insane" to use that workout video. It's scary to think of miscarriage and split abdominal muscles. So I surfed and found this Teletubbies-looking fitness guru Kathy Smith back in the day.

Essence of a Woman

I am running out of time. I gotta catch the bus at 13:14. Transit buses here are on time ALWAYS. So cant mess with it otherwise, have to wait for another 30 minutes.

So eversince I found out I'm pregnant, I'm reminded of Sushmita Sen. I was still 13 years old when this pageant was staged in the Philippines. Back then, I didn't get what it REALLY means.

Prenatal Vitamins

A pregger co-worker told me that she is taking Materna vitamins. I was  looking for a prenatal vitamins and I have no idea what to get. I am currently taking Vitamin E and this is for my skin. As they say, we have to take care our skin as gravitational pull ( aka wrinkles) comes with age. I found out Materna is by Centrum and it prevents Neural tube defects. Honestly I never heard of this birth defect so i consulted google and found out it occurs when tissues of the brain and spinal cord fail to develop properly. damn scary eh.

So here's what Materna got for me:

Beta-Carotene (a source of Vitamin A)	2500 IU
Vitamin A (Vitamin A as acetate)	1000 IU
Vitamin E (dl- tocopheryl acetate)	30 IU
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)	85 mg
Folic Acid (folate) Learn more	1 mg
Vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate)	1.4 mg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)	1.4 mg
Niacin (niacinamide)	18 mg
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)	1.9 mg
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)	2.6 mcg
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)	400 IU
Biotin	30 mcg
Pantothenic Acid (calcium pantothenate)	6 mg

MINERALS

Calcium (calcium carbonate)	250 mg
Magnesium (magnesium oxide)	50 mg
Iodine (potassium iodide)	220 mcg
Iron (ferrous fumarate)	27 mg
Copper (cupric sulfate)	1 mg
Zinc (zinc oxide)	7.5 mg
Chromium (chromium chloride)	30 mcg
Manganese (manganese sulfate)	2 mg
Molybdenum (sodium molybdate)	50 mcg
Selenium (sodium selenate)	30 mcg

Pretty neat huh? Now on to my eating habit.

My Pregnancy Checklist ( thanks to thebump.com)

Estimated Due Date: February 18, 2012
Days left:  227

My current tasks:

1. Schedule first prenatal check-up.
2. Get eating on track.
3. Start prenatal vitamins.
4. Start or continue exercising.
5. Pick up some books on pregnancy.
6. See baby's heartbeat on ultrasound.

Week 1: ( or so I thought)

Its the nicest time of the year here in Winnipeg. Its summertime. If you've lived in Asia like me, this is no big deal. However, for people from here: frozen tundra, its a cause celebre'. For me, it feels like 'home'.

Having been here for 4 months, we had a lot of plans to do for the year. There's painting the house with green ( ha! this is my house too), renovating the kitchen, road tripping to the nearest US state and watching concerts.

We went for the U2 concert and had so much fun. I had taken on a job which still makes me talk and talk some more but its not the kind of talking I used to do. Whenever I go home, it wiped me out that I had forgotten to keep track of my period. So I said to my hubby, after 15th of June if I will not get it, I will buy a test. He said it will be a waste of time since we were not even trying. I know we are going to have a baby at some point in the future, especially when people keep pointing out that I am already 30, I thought it might take a while. SO we didn't really concern ourselves of getting pregnant right away.

We found a sale on patio set from WalMart. Because it was new and we're cool like that ( haha), we dined and had beer ( yes I had beer!) in our backyard , one beautiful evening. I usually drink beer whenever I feel bloated and it follows that I get my period the next day. I don't know any scientific explanation for that or may be it just has a placebo effect on me. But a week after that dinner, I still didn't have my period and I started to notice that I had been having frequent trips to the bathroom.
This is it, I gotta get that test. I passed by Rexall drugmart on my way home. I chose the cheapest pregnancy test because I'm frugal like that and in case it's not positive then I wouldn't throw away $20 to the trash bin.

They said, for best results, you have to do the test early in the morning but I couldn't wait. The moment I got home , I went to the bathroom, did the test and took a deep breath. It was the longest minute of my life as the stick starts to form one........then two lines. The second line was kinda faded. My mouth was dry, eyes grew in disbelief. Voila, there's  a second line. Since it was a buy one take one test, I took the test again. But even Maths will tell you that two positives do not make a negative. I AM FREAKIN PREGNANT!

When hubby got home, I told him the news, he was sooooo happy like he just won a lottery. On the other hand, I was like " it was just a one shot deal". Uh uh. And then I recall my new bike, my new 5-inch heels and the plan to go NYC. Erase, scratch, erase, scratch. Thanks to two lines on a plastic stick, my life has been changed in less than a minute. I AM NOW A MOMMY. me a mom?? so surreal. im freakin out, its sooo surreal.


I instantly went online,  looked for OB-GYNE clinic and scheduled an appointment. They will not take me in till the first trimester. I had to wait till August 10 to see an OB doctor. I TAUGHT DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY for quiet some time but I felt like I have to learn all new stuff again. It's a monumental obligation to really carry a life other than your own. I told family and friends about this new "development" and whenever I'm asked how far along am i, I don't have a clue.

Thanks to google. I was reminded that we count pregnancy not by months but by weeks. Pregnancy will lasts for 40 weeks and that countdown started on the first day of your last menstruation ( uhm... weird isnt it). Technically, it's just 38 weeks since it will take 2 weeks for the ovulation to occur. I did the Math and I am on my WEEK 7!

Now this means a lot of things.
1. No Caffeine and that includes coffee and coke. The two beverages I drink other than occasional water.
2. Stop the Insanity by Shaun T workout  that I just started.
3. No less bike rides.
4. Drink Milk. yuck. milk. but yah HAVE TO.
5. Eat veggies.
6. Worry-free, stress-free life.

Here's to a new adventure! ( drink the champagne for me :))