Strike a pose

Last Wednesday, I met up with three of my closest friends from high school. We discussed the group photo shoot we'll be having this Saturday over bowls of halo-halo and platters of pancit. Originally, the shoot was supposed to be for Keith alone with Eisilane as his makeup artist/stylist/photographer (she's our all-around artist). But since Olga and I couldn't bear to pass up on an opportunity to heckle the bakla to death, we said that we'd tag along. Eisilane's hubby then suggested that we turn it into a group thing with him doing the photog work instead.

I've never been the subject of a real photo shoot that's why I'm feeling a bit apprehensive. I don't want to end up looking like I tried too hard. However, knowing my friends, I know it's going to be a riot on Saturday. Plus I'll be getting an impromptu lesson on taking portraits from Elaine. :D

Anyway, I hope all goes well tomorrow. If it does, I'll try to post some of our behind-the-scenes photos next week. And if it doesn't, at least I'm sure we will have had lots of fun trying. 

Posted with Blogsy

Read More

His second name is "Sugar"

Yesterday morning when I brought Jeolo to school, his K1 teacher told me of what happened in her class the day before.

The kids' break time had just finished but most of them refused to settle down even after she repeatedly asked them to go back to their seats. The boys were especially rowdy while the girls chatted with their friends. She suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed and sat down on her desk while staring at her class. Jeolo stood up and approached her.

J: "Teacher Rica, what's wrong?"
TR: "I want to go home, Jeolo."
J: "Why, Teacher Rica?"
TR: "Because I have a headache."
J: "I'll give you a hug."

And he went and gave her a hug. Then, Jeolo asked:

"Tighter?"

She said she couldn't help but laugh and be touched. :)

I have the sweetest and most sensitive little boy. I'm very blessed. <3 

Read More

LOL for the day

I guess you can gather from my last post that I was quite in a bad mood yesterday which extended up to this morning. Fortunately, I spent the rest of my day with a toddler and two preschoolers who were busy watching videos and playing games on an iPad and they managed to distract me from my murderous rage.

Here's my favorite exchange from today:

Kloe: Tita, asan yung tooth fairy (referring to a video my son played earlier) dito?
Me: Andyan lang yon, hanapin mo lang.

After a few seconds...

Kloe: Tita, wala yung tooth fairy dito.
Kishi (2 year old): Eh di toothpaste na lang!

Mood Music: Laughing at Life by Billie Holiday

Read More

falling in love for the third time

Two weeks ago, on August 24, I had another prenatal checkup with my OB. She saw me at around quarter to one in the afternoon and after doing an internal exam, we found out I was dilated by 2cm. She sent me home to get my stuff and asked me to return ASAP for admission.

By 3pm, I was in the labor room. I'd started to feel mild contractions but didn't really expect it to progress very quickly since it took me 20 hours before my firstborn came out four years ago.

But by 4:30, my contractions became stronger and came closer together. After that, everything seemed to whiz by in a haze of pain and by 6:10 that evening, the newest addition to our family was born.

I'm pretty much zombified at this point but I'm not complaining. I've fallen in love again and having three wonderful men in my life is just awesome.

Read More

Waiting

Last week, I noticed that I could breathe easier again but, in exchange for this minor relief, I began to feel pain and pressure around my pelvic and suprapubic regions that has made sleeping and turning in bed an ordeal. I had a feeling that my baby had already dropped and on last Wednesday's checkup, my OB confirmed it. My baby was engaged and I wasn't even on my 37th week yet. 

It made me a little worried because Jeolo's birthday is coming up and I don't want my two boys to share the same birth date or even the same birth week. I voiced my concern and she told me to take it easy and be less active if I wanted to delay the inevitable for a few more days. Done!

The whole thing has made me anxious though and the very frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions I've been getting for the last two days have not helped. I'm still hoping that I'll be able to get through next week without popping the bub out. I'm really excited to see him though and hold him in my arms and nip those little feet that have been torturing my poor ribs. :D

Anyway, please send me your positive vibes and prayers that I'll have a safe delivery and a normal, healthy baby. Thanks!

Mood Music: Waiting for Baby by The Soft Eyes

Read More

my pregnancy lifesavers

Since I'm now on my third trimester of pregnancy, the dreaded discomforts like hip and back soreness caused by my heavy belly and loosening pelvic bones, itchiness, inability to get a good night's sleep and occasional leg cramps (my first time to experience it!), have already began bothering me. And in the search for some relief, here are a few of the things that have become my staples for the time being.

Maternity Belly Support. 

RelaxMaternity Silver Productive Girdle

I actually bought this when I was pregnant with Jeolo. I had no idea about its supposed protective benefits, etc. All I wanted was something I could discreetly wear beneath my clothes yet would still provide me with adequate support to take some of the strain off my back. Thank goodness it still fits me!

Pigeon Maternity Adjustable Belt

I also needed something I could wear around the house or when I went for my walking exercise and I got this from Baby and Co. in SM. I love how it firmly but comfortably supports my tummy. It makes everything feel several pounds lighter which makes my hips and back sing "hallelujah!".

Palmer's Tummy Butter. 

Palmer's Tummy Butter

I'm thankful that I seem to have inherited my mom's genes when it comes to developing stretch marks because I barely had any during my first pregnancy and, so far, I've only noticed one that's appeared on my butt. My skin does feel very dry and itchy though probably from all the stretching it's going through and this product soothes it in no time. I'd also like to believe that it has helped keep those ugly marks away.

Comfy Shoes.

I didn't want to wear flip flops my entire pregnancy so I was lucky when my SIL sold me this pair of ultra comfy flats she got from the US. The faux suede material is very soft and has a little stretch to it that's why my preggo feet are very happy. :D

Bananas.

I didn't experience any leg cramps with my first pregnancy but found out how painful it was with this one. I've had them thrice so far. To avoid any more episodes, I made an effort to include bananas in my daily diet and it has worked. I did have to increase my water and fiber intake though, hehe.

Wedge Pillow.

I remember how my big tummy used to bother me especially during the third trimester when I was having Jeolo. Aside from it being difficult to move around on the bed, I also felt like my tummy was hanging in midair and it put additional strain on my back, too. This wedge pillow I bought from Mothercare helps me get a better night's sleep by supporting my below while I'm lying on my side. I do have to make a conscious effort to take the wedge with me when I change positions at night. It's also great as a back support when I'm sitting on a chair or in the car.

Classical Music.

No, I'm not a sucker for the classical music = smart baby theory although it wouldn't hurt if studies later manage to unequivocally confirm it. But I find it very soothing and relaxing to listen to classical music and I do believe that a cool, calm and collected mommy = a happy baby.

And these are some of the things that are helping me through the last leg of my pregnancy journey. :)

Mood Music: Pachelbel's Canon in D Major (Piano)

Read More

my baby's tears

My little boy is very close to his Tita Cake (it's actually Kate but he insists on calling her "Cake"). She was his unofficial yaya during the first four months of his life. She was there in the delivery room with me when I gave birth to him. She was the one who gave him his baths because her long fingers and experience working in the nursery made the procedure look so easy. On those days when I was near out of my mind from exhaustion and lack of sleep, she took care of him without complaint.

When she decided to work in the same hospital where J works in Riyadh, it was a blessing because Jeolo had someone else to visit him, play with him and, unfortunately, spoil him. They'd play so roughly that you'd think Jeolo would end up crying all the time but he, in fact, enjoyed every moment of it. He clearly adored his Tita and always looked forward to seeing her.

Since we came back home a few months ago, he's had to deal with being separated from his Dada twice already. He actually came home to QC for about two weeks last May, just a month after we left Riyadh, to be with us. Good thing he timed his return to the MidEast to coincide with my sister's arrival for her annual vacation so it helped buffer my son's sadness and longing for his dad.

But today, the inevitable end to her vacation began and she left for Manila at noon for her flight back overseas on Friday. We didn't expect him to cry as much as he did when she said goodbye earlier. It was so hard to see him bawling and calling for her to come back. None of us had really expected it but almost everyone teared up because it was heartbreaking to listen to our original baby asking his favorite aunt not to go. :c

I can't help but wonder what effect these separations from the people he loves will do to him in the long run. All I can hope for is that I'll be able to provide him with all the love and support he needs to deal with these experiences for now.

Mood Music: Next Year by Foo Fighters

Read More

keeping you posted

I know, I know... it's been weeks and weeks since my last update. Let me fill you in then on what's been going on in my life since we got back.

Husbo Blues. A month after we left Riyadh, J came home for a quick visit. Initially, he was only supposed to get a week's leave but his colleagues were nice enough to let him "borrow" their days off at work and he was able to stretch his leave to two weeks. 

We spent week one by going out every day even if it was only to the mall or grocery. I'd put off buying Jeolo's school stuff so we could get everything together. At least, even if J wouldn't be here for our baby's first day in school, he did get to shop with us and share in the excitement somehow. Unfortunately, Jeolo came down with the flu at the beginning of the husbo's second week and we ended up staying at home for the rest of his brief vacation. Saying goodbye again was hard but we comforted ourselves with the thought that he'd be back again this September.

My Pregnancy. I'm currently on my 27th week now and have gained about 15 lbs total. I had an ultrasound when I was 21 weeks where I found out we were having another boy. Initially, I felt a little disappointed because I'd been hoping for a girl but then I quickly got over it and went back to being very excited about the coming addition to our family. We've already begun preparing for his arrival and the husbo has also gone a wee overboard in purchasing some stuff, hehe. 

I expect to deliver our little angel around the first week of September.

Little J. Our baby started Nursery last week, yippee! I'm so glad that he's had a very regular sleeping routine since he was about a year-and-a-half old because I've had no problems getting him to wake up in the mornings. He's also been quite cooperative in getting ready and having an early breakfast, thank goodness.

In school though, as we expected, he's having a hard time staying put in his seat for longer than 10 minutes. And he thinks everything's still a game. He loves participating but doesn't know how to wait for his turn. I'm not worried though because I know he'll eventually settle in. Beginning tomorrow, parents won't be allowed to hang around anymore. We're only to bring them to school then come back to fetch them at dismissal. I'm hoping that Jeolo and I will be able to skip the whole crying-for-mama thing when I leave him. Wish us luck! :D

Me. I enrolled in graduate school again.

When I was fresh out of college, I immediately went for a Masters in Nursing degree with a major in Psychiatry. Unfortunately, after a year, I couldn't keep up with school work while also being employed as a nurse at the same time so I gave it up. This time, I chose to take up Master of Arts in Nursing with a major in Nursing Management. It's a thesis course but it will enable me to shift from bedside nursing to the administrative side when I'm done. Admin nursing pays better and I'll only have to work the morning shift which is ideal for a mommy like me. With God's will, I'll be able to graduate after two or two-and-a-half years.

For now, I was only allowed to take two subjects since I'm pregnant but I plan to catch up during the second semester. I'll be having classes every Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30 in the evening and our first meeting will be held this week. I'm both excited and nervous since I've been out of school for 15 years already.

That's about it for now, I guess. I do hope this means I've got my blogging mojo back because I have missed it terribly. I'll also try to do some blog-hopping later on and visit some friends. :)

Mood Music: Guess I'm Doin' Fine by Bob Dylan

Read More

keeping tabs

I've been trying to be extra conscious about what I eat since I found out I was pregnant. Using my hormone-induced cravings and hefty appetite as an excuse to overindulge is a no-no. But with so many things going through my mind these days, I can't seem to keep track of how much and what I've eaten. And I hate feeling guilty each time I pop a Hershey's Kiss in my mouth or munch on a handful of chips, thinking I've had way too much of the "bad" stuff already.

The solution I came up with? Keeping a food diary. I found a simple app on iTunes that I could use to help track my daily food intake and downloaded it to my phone. Now, every time I eat or drink something, I immediately note it down. At the end of the day, I look at my list and I can tell if I've been eating right. It's also helped lessen my paranoia and guilt... what a relief!

Now, if I can only keep my diet controlled and healthy until the baby comes out. :angel

Mood Music: Happy Meal by The Cardigans

Read More

Top that!

I recently wrote about Jeolo's new book, Guess How Much I Love You, and answering it immediately turned into a game for him.

This evening, he managed to best the final answer of "I love you right up to the moon and back." His retort? "I love you up to the SUN!" :h

Photo Credit

Mood Music: Butterfly Wings by Owl City

Read More

funny hubby

I'm finding the husbo very amusing lately. We've gone shopping for some pregnancy stuff a couple of times and that includes clothes that can accommodate my burgeoning tummy. What's funny is that he's been so involved in choosing the stuff I'm going to wear. He was the same way with me when I was pregnant with Jeolo but never when I was baby bump-less.

The last purchase we made was a short empire-waisted, spaghetti-strapped casual dress that's perfect for the summer from Pull and Bear but something he wouldn't be very comfortable seeing me wear under normal circumstances. When I commented on his enthusiasm in letting me wear something like that, he said it's because no one's going to hit on a pregnant lady anyway. :r

Dada, you're so funny sometimes! :P

Mood Music: Sorry for Laughing by Josef K

Read More

Guess how much I love you?

I've been searching for a copy of this book since last year after a blog friend mentioned it in passing in one of her  posts. Luckily, I spied one copy left last night at the bookstore and immediately grabbed it. I do wish it had been the pop-up version but it's still a gorgeous little book with a most beautiful story that's perfect for Jeolo's bedtime reading.

The story is about a young bunny named Little Nutbrown Hare and his indulgent parent, Big Nutbrown Hare, who's actually the dad. Since their names are such a mouthful, I changed the names to Jeolo Bunny and Mama Bunny to make it easier for my son to understand while I read it to him. 

The little bunny is searching for words to tell his parent just how much he loves him and starts out by asking, "Guess how much I love you?" His parent says he probably couldn't guess it and the little one replies with his arms stretched as wide as possible, "This much."

Daddy bunny then ups the ante by spreading his much longer arms and say, "But I love YOU this much."

The game goes on and on as the little one tries to outdo his dad until he finally becomes very sleepy. But before he finally slumbers off, he manages to come up with the sweetest and dearest line for his dad: "I love you right up to the moon."

His dad then settles him into his bed of leaves, leans over and kisses him good night. After the little bunny is fast asleep, he then whispers: "I love you right up to the moon -- and back."

I love how this story affirms a parent's everlasting love for his child. And I love that Jeolo and I now have a new game to play right before he dozes off at night which also helps strengthen the message of how much we love each other. 

Tonight it will be Dada's turn to read this to him. :rainbow

Mood Music: Brahms' Lullaby by Jewel

Read More

craving for a cuppa

I've always said that I'm not much of a coffee drinker. I don't enjoy the bitter aftertaste or the coffee breath I get after sipping through an entire cup. I only indulge when I feel like it and usually pick the iced variety because the chill and whipped cream help mask the coffee's taste.

But then I found myself madly craving it these past 8 weeks. I want to smell it and savor it. It's crazy! I've had to give in three times now although my concoction was more latte than caffè. And it did appease my spirit for the moment.

I really hope I don't end up yenning for it my entire pregnancy because there are already so many other things that I have to exercise control over especially when it comes to food and drinks. 

Coffee, coffee, coffee. *sigh*

Mood Music: Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee by the Fred Waring Orchestra

Read More

a song for our "baby tummy"

I unexpectedly came across this song while browsing mommy forums and it's so apt for this period while we wait for our second baby's arrival.

Little Little 

by Jenny Morris

Pulsing away, just like thunder in your little ear
Be brave, it won't be long till you meet us

My blood is your blood
I'll feel you till the day I die
Dear little little, sweet little little

I love every little thing about you
Even though I can't see your shining eyes
I can tell I'm gonna love you
By the way I love you now

And it's your little little kick down below
Makes me feel the strength of a hundred forces
I never felt the power of a love like this before

Noises from outside, you hardly hear at all
Your lifeline pulses with anticipation

No dark and dim thoughts
Confound your little head
Floating in paradise
Remember little little little

I love every little thing about you
Even though I can't see your shining eyes
I can tell I'm gonna love you 
By the way I love you now

See what you can do
And you haven't even showed your face to the world yet
You've got power we've forgotten
Everybody's born with, but they lose it

I love every little thing about you
Even though I can't see your shining eyes
I can tell I'm gonna love you
By the way I love you now

And it's your little little kick down below
Makes me feel the strength of a hundred forces
I never felt the power of a love like this before

And I love you little little
I-I love you little little little

Mood Music: Little Little by Jenny Morris

Read More

back on my feet

I'm finally into the much-awaited second trimester and I'm feeling loads better. My belly has started to show at 15 weeks, much earlier than with my first pregnancy. I wasn't able to shed off my holiday weight gain because we found out I was pregnant a week after we got back so I'm carrying that along with our baby, pffft. The nausea has almost totally abated, the dizzy spells seem to be gone, and my energy levels are up again. Weird thing is that I feel sleepy at the oddest times during the day but have a hard time falling asleep at night. Hormones, you literally drive me nuts!

This early, I've had to do some shopping for new clothes since wearing my regular ones, especially my jeans, have become quite uncomfortable. I can't find any shop around here that sells a Belly Belt or else I could still hang on to my regular jeans for a bit longer. I'm happy though because I haven't had to hunt all over for cute maternity clothes because H&M has an entire line of comfy yet still fashionable outfits. Hurray for that! :D

Anyway, I'm thankful that "baby tummy" and I have stayed quite healthy so far. I pray that the rest of our remaining, more or less, 25 weeks will stay as worry-free. And I hope I manage to keep the pounds in check, too, because I'd hate to look like a whale by the time our angel's ready to pop out.

Mood Music: Strawberry Swing by Coldplay

Read More

bye-bye nappies!

When Jeolo hit the age of two, I started worrying about toilet-training him. I felt a little pressure from well-meaning family and friends who'd point out how their own kids stopped wearing diapers by the time they became toddlers. I decided to do some research to get some tips on how to go about the entire potty-training business and was relieved to find several articles such as this from BabyCenter which put my mind to ease. I followed the advice to wait until I felt he was ready.

After we came back from vacation last January, I gave it another go. I'd already noticed that he'd sleep through the night without wetting his nappy and would only pee into it once he got up in the morning. He'd also get up and stand quietly in a corner whenever he was going to poop during the day and would sometimes even tell me. So, on our first day of training, I made him wear cotton briefs and asked him to tell me if he wanted to pee. I'd already made him observe for a few months how his Dada would pee so I wouldn't have to teach him how to "point-and-shoot" when the time came. And, guess what? He did!

On our second day, I asked him to let me know if he wanted to poop but our first three attempts during the day were unsuccessful because he didn't have the patience to sit for long on the toilet. On our fourth try, I brought a chair with me into the bathroom and told him I'd hold his hand while we waited for his poopoo to plop. We sat in there for nearly 20 minutes before I finally heard that magical sound. We had done it!

Since then, we've only had about five "accidents" where he peed into his pants and mostly because was too engrossed playing that he delayed going till the very last minute. There was even one time that he was running to the toilet while peeing all over the floor. :r

This chapter in my little boy's life has merely enforced my realization that I shouldn't hold him up to other people's standards. Every child moves at his own pace and when the time is right for him to achieve a certain milestone, he will. :)

Mood Music: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship

Read More

of fathers' names and angry birds

One of the joys of having a young child is that you never know what they're going to say or do next.

Yesterday morning while practicing with some basic personal questions with the kiddo:

Me: What's the name of of your father?
Jeolo: In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.


Then, in the afternoon, he asked to watch some Angry Birds videos so I did a search on YouTube and let him choose. After about 2 minutes of viewing them, he suddenly burst into heart wrenching sobs.

Me (alarmed): Why are you crying?
Jeolo (in between sobs): Angry birds is crying!

He cried for nearly 10 minutes because he was so affected by this video (from 0:09-0:15).


Mood Music: You Are My Sunshine by Boxcar Willie

Read More

sugar and spice and everything nice

Well, I reverted back to one of my old blog themes because I got the intense urge to go with something more feminine. Since we found out that we're expecting again, the husbo and I have been hoping that we'll be having a girl this time. And after my second ultrasound this morning, where we were able to finally see and hear our fig-sized angel's heartbeat, I can't seem to stop myself from dreaming of everything pink and purple.

Of course, if the Lord blesses us with another boy, we'd be just as happy. Jeolo actually wants a baby brother and he's already baptized his future sibling as "baby tummy". The most important thing to me is that he or she is going to develop normally and will be as healthy as he/she can be.

I'm looking forward to my next ultrasound because maybe we'll be able to find out by then what gender our newest addition to the family will be. Care to make a guess?

Mood Music: Baby Mine by Allison Krauss

Read More

looking forward to better days

I've been meaning to update my blog for more than a week now but my pregnancy's kind of getting in the way. I'm having a slightly different experience this time around with lightheadedness and nausea constantly plaguing me. The combination makes me feel awful and kills whatever blogging mood I may have. :~

I can't wait for my first trimester to be over.

Mood Music: Better Days by Eddie Vedder

Read More

preggy and healthy

One of the things that's getting me down on this pregnancy is that I'm 10 lbs heavier starting out than with my first. I forgot all about portion control and eating healthy while we were on our vacation and indulged heavily on rice and pork-based dishes. I told myself that I'd whoop my ass back into shape once we got back but since I found out that I'm expecting, intensive workouts are no longer an option. Instead, I'm going to concentrate on eating right and not gaining any more excess pounds aside from what a pregnant woman should normally gain. I don't want to end up looking like a beached whale by the time I reach term.

I know it's going to be a bit of a challenge but I was able to successfully do this during my first pregnancy so I'm confident I'll be able to pull it off again. I already enlisted the husbo's aid to help me stay away from sugary and from salty food. We also went grocery-shopping last night for fruits, skimmed milk and skimmed yogurt so I could prepare my favorite pregnancy snack: fruit smoothies. And I'm going to allot 20-30 minutes everyday to walking on the treadmill to stay fit and to keep the edema away. I still need to plan my daily menu though and will try to accomplish that today.

Here's to a healthy eight months ahead for this preggo lady... Cheers!


Mood Music: Amazing by Janelle

Read More