Almost There

I'm on my 36th week right now, and d-day is fast approaching. I'm getting more excited each day and I can't wait to see my little angel. I was so giddy when we were buying his newborn clothes and items. Aside from the excitement that I am feeling right now, I am also getting paranoid if I will be able to take care of my baby properly. I can't stop browsing and watching those baby care videos like "Breastfeeding" and "Swaddling" 101. I am a believer of breastfeeding. I know it's hard and painful at first, but given all the benefits thatbreastfeeding offers, I am willing to learn all the techniques so that I won't have a hard time and get used to it in the long run. 

It's still 4 weeks away from my due date, but I chose to already start with my maternity leave. Aside from I can't bear travelling from  QC-Makati everyday, I also feel that I might give birth even before Christmas day. Contractions are getting more frequent and I just wanna rest in preparation for my labor and delivery.

I also can't help reading all the labor-related articles I find online so that I would know if I'm already experiencing true labor or if it's just false labor.

True Labor- Contractions gets stronger and closer together - Contractions are in a fairly regular pattern - Walking or changing position makes them stronger - Contractions are usually felt beginning in the back and moving forward - Cervix opens and thins 

Braxton Hicks or False labor- Contractions remain the same strength, distance, and length - Contractions may be irregular - Walking or changing position does not affect the contractions - These contractions may be felt up high in the front 

Signs that labor may be on its way Your body will usually give you clue that labor is beginning. You need to familiarize yourself with these signs. These are the signs that labor may be approaching, although they are not necessarily predictors of labor. They are good signs that your body is doing what is necessary to prepare for the birth. Some women notice them and others do not, either way is perfectly normal for you.

You should not worry if you do not notice these signs:

-	A sudden burst of energy or the "nesting instinct". This is an instinct in which the female of the species prepares the nest for the impending arrival.
-	Lightening or dropping of the baby (you may be able to breathe easier and urinate more). This usually occurs somewhere between two and four weeks before the onset of labor in first-time mothers. It is basically the beginning of the baby’s descent into the pelvis.
-	Sensations of increasing pressure in the pelvis and rectum. Persistent low back pain may also be present.
-	An upset stomach
-	Diarrhea
-	Bloody show (this may be the cervix beginning to open, or from sex or a vaginal exam)
-	Loss of your mucous plug
-	Rupture of membranes. Sometimes labor begins with the bag of waters or membranes rupture, however, this usually does not happen until very late in labor. If your water breaks you may notice a near constant trickle of fluid from the vagina or a sudden gush. You should talk to your care giver about when to call about your waters breaking, but you should definitely notify them if you experience the following: - Fluid is not clear, but green or brownish - You have a fever

Out of those signs, I think I already have the bloody show, lightening, increased pressure in the pelvis and increased lower back pain. I asked my doctor last week if my cervix is already starting to dilate, but after her examination, it's still closed. I was just paranoid cos of the bloody show I've had recently where you would see mucus secretions tinged with blood. Heh. That nesting instinct also explains why I am currently obsessed in cleaning the house and arranging the baby's stuff. I dunno, lol.

Also, did I tell you that I don't have gestational diabetes? Yay! I was so terrified when I've had my glucose test. Despite all the sweet cravings I've had during my pregnancy, my blood sugar is at its normal range. But my doctor as well as my mom advised me to watch what I am eating nowadays if I wanted to keep the size of my baby large enough to go on a normal delivery. With that, I already lessened my sugar and rice intake. I don't wanna go on caesarian section delivery but we'll never know till the big day comes. As of now, I am still okay for normal delivery. A lot of people also advised me to walk as much as I can everyday. It's a good thing that I live near UP Diliman. I hope it would stop raining so that I can continue my early morning walk again.

Ahh, a couple of more weeks and I can already see my baby! And it's just in time with my favorite season of the year!

Facebook Circa 2008

I joined Facebook probably around late 2008. A lot of my friends didn't have their accounts back then and I think that was the time before this social networking site became so popular here in our country. There was also a phase when I was addicted to Facebook games namely: Pet Society, Farm Town and Cafe World, and now I barely play any Facebook game.

Then I discovered Archivedbook.com. It's a site where you can look back on all the things that you had done on your Facebook account since Day 1. I can't help but reminisce especially when I saw those wall posts and status updates. Lol.

The first batch of wall posts

Status updates from 2009 lol. Look at those lines from Sara Bareilles's Love Song and Alesha Dixon's Breathe Slow

My Andrew Garcia obsession (American Idol s9) Lololol

Just when things were starting between me and the boyfriend. Heh <3 Also, I really love quoting HIMYM lines haha!

I was also trying to find those status updates during the time when I was left by my ex-boyfriend circa 2009 and I was full of rage ad bitterness (just for the lulz), but I guess I already deleted them! It's also funny that when I was reading all those status updates, I can't even remember the reason why I had put them on my wall.

31 Weeks

A few months ago, I was just telling the whole world that I'm pregnant, and now I'm just 9 weeks away till the big day. I am scared and at the same time looking forward on finally seeing my little angel. 

Well, in a nutshell, here's how I would describe the last quarter of my pregnancy.

• Back pain is becoming unbearable and that also leads to trouble sleeping. You know that feeling that you just want to hit the spa and have a body massage, but of course, I can't. I remembered that when I've had an ultrasound in World Citi Medical Center, I saw they offer a prenatal massage service but I am yet to ask my doctor about that.
• FEET EDEMA. During the 2nd quarter of my pregnancy, I've been advised to avoid salty food cos  of course, sodium retains water, and edema can lead to preeclampsia (prenatal hypertension). As months go by, I am trying to avoid salty food and doing all the things that could avoid edema, but it seems that my feet is getting bigger that usual. I can't buy new shoes and a lot of my shoes don't fit me anymore. I envy my sister who didn't experience this when she was pregnant. I can't bear looking at my feet cos they look worse than sprained feet. 
• I feel ugly. People say that  if you're carrying a boy, you would look ugly and if it's a girl, you'd look prettier than usual. Well, even my mom noticed the changes in my face, like my nose is getting bigger and there's something different about the way I look. And then yesterday, a technician in CD-R King asked me if I'll be having a baby boy cos it's pretty obvious. Thank you for rubbing it in, huh?
• From 131 to 150 lbs. I know, right? Well, it's still within the 15-25 lbs normal weight gain, but I am praying that I can easily lose the gained weight next year.
• It's amazing when you see your tummy wave because the baby kicks so hard. And sometimes, you would also feel some lumps that would go away when you touch it. Could it be my baby's feet? Knees? Heh.

The only baby stuff that I have right now are the ones my best friend gave me. She bought a lot of clothes for her son and she didn't expect that her baby would be bigger than usual so some didn't fit him. I am planning to stock on the basic stuff by the end of November (after the baby shower that would be thrown by my high school friends). I can't wait to do baby shopping!

Weekend Mini Haul

The rain had finally stopped pouring last Sunday—wait, not really— and I finally had time to hit the mall to buy some personal stuff (read: it's also the weekend after my pay day, lol). 

I haven't used my wedges for about 2-3 months now. I am such a clumsy walker, and with this condition that I have right now, I better stick with them flat shoes. And it's really nice that we can now buy chic and trendy shoes from Parisian Shoes at an affordable price! I got these for just P600! :) You can also get a pair of pumps for just P1000!

Infant clothes are on a marked down price so I couldn't resist buying a dress for my niece. My sister and her daughter would stay with us for a couple of weeks and it's fun having a baby around the house. And soon, I'll also have my own angel! Heh. It's funny that I'm asking baby care tips from my sister— who's 4 years younger than me! 

I got these books for just P164! Don't you love the feeling of leaving Booksale with such precious finds? Lol. I've been meaning to read Cabot's works since I am a fan of YA fiction books. We all love the film adaptation of The Princess Diaries, so this should be a nice read as well. And who wouldn't know Amy Tan— the author of the National Bestseller, The Joy Luck Club? I might be able to start with these books after reading the first book of Confessions of Georgia Nicholson— Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (you should watch its film adaptation, too!)

Milk Tea shops are everywhere! And of course, we just have to try this new store in SM North Edsa called Chatime. The place is so cozy and I am amazed cos this thing really lights up when your order is ready to be served. Lol. They currently have a promo of Free Upsize which would save you P10. And I think by next week, they'll also start with their Buy 1 Take 1 promo which would last for a couple of days.

Aaaaand who can resist Army Navy's Burgers and Burritos? Omnomnom~

I can't wait for the next pay day cos we might start buying baby items! Or is it too early for that? Heh.

Can't Wait For December

So it's the 2nd day of September and as we all know, the Christmas season is just around the corner. Lol, who am I kidding? It's 3 more months, but people already started to feel Christmas-y, and one of these days, we'll start to see Christmas decorations everywhere. 

Don't get me wrong, though. it's my favorite time of the year! I make it a point to create a Christmas playlist on my ipod— Nsync's Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays tops that list. And watch Christmas movies like Love Actually and Home Alone 1 & 2!

MRT Woes

Working in Makati while residing in Quezon City is such a pain in the ass. There are times when I miss my previous 15-min travel time to get to work, but I guess I just have to live with it. Lol.

Anyway, taking the MRT is inevitable— especially for me who can't take them long bus rides. And by taking the train 5 days each week will lead to endless bitching about the stupid people you'll find there. Sometimes, I need to put so much effort not to call someone out on her stupidity whenever I ride the train.

So let me tell you the things that irritate me whenever I ride the train:

• It's a good thing that I am taking the train from the Quezon Avenue station, but I also tried coming from Cubao station— and it's hella worse there. Women would really push you that you don't have to move your feet to be able to get inside the train. Then people would shout to stop pushing. Lol. You just have to wait for 4 more trains so that you could finally get inside— which would make you late for work.
• I really don't get it why people need to stay in the train's doorway, where in fact, there are a lot of space in the middle aisle. I would always make it a point to stay in the middle aisle (cos it's more comfortable there), then laugh at those who get squeezed cos of the people riding / alighting the train. 
• Those who won't let someone alight the train first, before going inside. Stupidity at its finest.
• Women who pretend to sleep or not care even though there is a pregnant / elder woman in front of them. LIKE, REALLY? Are you that blind to read the signboards found inside the train? I tweeted about this a few days ago, and a friend sent me a link about an old man in Singapore who posted in Facebook a photo of the man who refused to give up a reserved seat for him. 
• The MRT Ayala escalator. It's been a couple of months, and they still haven't fixed that shit.
• And speaking of escalators, I hate it when people push / make remarks cos they're in a hurry and you're blocking their way. If you're really in a hurry— TAKE THE STAIRS.

Would it be better if the MRT is as spacious as LRT 2? I'm pleading to the transportation gods for this miracle to happen. And to also not let any stupid cunt ride the train. Srsly!

Twitbook Medley

It's my brother who introduced me to these Fil-Am guys who do amazing covers on Youtube. Yes, it's also because of him why I am in love with Gabe Bondoc since 2009.

Anyway, here's another amazing guy on Youtube. He's the 1/3 of GLP— Gabe, Leejay and Passion— sadly, they had already separated ways. And from what I heard, it's because of Gabe. D: )

I really like his cover of Robin Thicke's Sweetest Love and BSB's All I Have To Give in this medley. But his original, Well Done, will always be my favorite!