Housewarming Parties

This weekend is gonna be packed for us! Tomorrow and on Saturday, we will be hosting two housewarming parties. The first day will be attended by my Pinoy colleagues while the second day will be attended by our college friends, Dubai w@wie friends, former room mates and cousins.

We’re so excited already! Although we know that hard work awaits us when we get home tonight, we’re sure it will be all worth it. The house will be filled with people for a change. It’d be nice to have others surround us over lunch.

Speaking of lunch, hubby and I brainstormed on what to serve our guests. Instead of hiring a caterer to do everything, we thought it would add a more personal touch of we would whip up the dishes ourselves. The menu is not flamboyant – just the usual Pinoy food you usually expect when you attend a gathering. I'll be preparing one dish only lest I summon any kitchen disaster thanks to my ever increasing clumsiness. The rest will be prepared by Ryan and my Bessie B.

I’m looking forward to loads of fun this weekend. Will be sharing pictures next week :)

Abandonment

This morning, I read this piece of disturbing news from Gulf News online:

Man leaves family behind at airport to avoid paying fines
By Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff ReporterPublished: May 26, 2009, 23:09

Dubai: An Egyptian abandoned his wife and two young daughters at Dubai airport recently, Gulf News has learned.

The mother and daughters' visa had expired and the man did not want to pay fines for their overstay.

The man left for Cairo last Wednesday. Later immigration officials detained his family. The woman has to pay a fine of Dh100 per head for every day that the three overstay.

The woman and her daughters - aged two and three - were in Dubai on a visit visa while the husband is a resident here.

The woman and the girls were taken to a deportation centre.

They need new tickets to fly as their old ones are no longer valid.

The woman said that she does not know anyone in the UAE.

How sad, di ba? I cannot believe how heartless that man is for leaving his family. he fled and saved himself at the expense of his own family.

I wonder if he will ever get any sleep at nigh knowing that he had left his wife and young kids to a country alien to them. I pray that the abandoned family’s consulate will help them get back to their homeland, and hope that the wife will never take his cowardly husband back.

The Diaper Bag Hunt

…is now over!

At last, I can heave a sigh of relief because I have finally found the perfect baby bag for us. While doing my search, I was keeping an eye on something that’s trendy, functional and can be worn by the husband without feeling too awkward with the bag’s style and print design.

To be honest, I was this close to buying this Coach Diaper Bag:

our nappy bag choice

But decided, despite the manic impulse, against purchasing it because 1) it doesn’t fit my budget, 2) Ryan will not be caught dead carrying it, 3) I will have a hard time keeping it clean, & 4) it looks more fitting for a Mom who has a baby girl.

After hours of resistance and debating with myself, in the end, I settled for this bag:

Thanks to Nikki’s post about baby items, I had an idea of what diaper bag to get. This Le Sportsac Liz Baby Bag is unisex, funky and practical – just the right one i’m looking for! It has a removable/adjustable strap, rolled handles and lots of pockets, both inside and out. But I was mainly sold to this item because of the diaper changing mat that comes with it. It’s got a soft pillow to support baby’s head and looks real comfy for a baby.

To make sure I’m getting the coolest design among the choices, I even asked my team mate, Tim, to check it out just to get a guy’s perspective. He voted for this design, hence, the choice. After that, I immediately made the purchase at ebay (Thanks to my wonderful seller, Virginia! Credits to you for the photo) using my remaining funds from paypal. Another purchase from my windfall money so this is definitely a winner!

Story of The Month

We have a newsletter at work that’s being circulated on a monthly basis. A lot of interesting and useful articles are featured there plus quizzes that you can answer where you can get a chance to win vouchers to one of the biggest malls here in the UAE. As I never win in these contests, I just decided to submit an article for the ‘story of the month’. It was the same contest I joined where I won myself an Apple iPod Nano a couple of years ago.

And what do you know, my article got accepted and now I’m expecting a prize of around USD200 worth of shopping vouchers. Isn’t that cool? Hmm, I wonder what I will spend my vouchers for :)

Awards Night

We had an office event last night at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel. It was an opportunity for us to glam up a bit as we walked on the red carpet and mixed and mingled with our colleagues across the centre. It was an important awards night, and despite not being shortlisted as nominees, a lot still went and showed support. It was a pleasant evening as the Godolphin ballroom was filled with peals of laughter courtesy of the comic host and presenters of the awards. It felt like we were in the Oscars!

Here’s a snapshot with my Pinoy friends in the company after having dinner. See my very relaxed sitting position? It was past my bedtime already, hence, the look. I was pretty happy that a lot had complimented me that I don’t look pregnant at all when my back is turned. Yeah, yeah – not pregnant looking…just fat! Haha!

Two Down, One To Go

Yesterday was my 28th week, and I am happy to share with you that my check up went really well. Baby’s doing alright and his heartbeat is excellent!  His position is also great according to the doctor.  I was supposed to have a scan but my OB had an emergency C-section to do so my check up was delayed for half an hour and was rather quick as the doctor had to rush to get back to the other patient. He promised though that I will have the scan on my next visit, which is in two weeks’ time. He even asked the hubby to bring with him a memory stick so we can save the pictures.

I’ve gained about 5 pounds since my last check up. the OB didn’t say anything about it so I assumed that’s still a respectable amount to gain. I’ve discussed my numbing right hand issue which is giving me sleepless nights, and was told that it is all due to water retention. He assured me though that it will go away once I deliver *can’t it be sooner? huhuhu!*

Now that I’m on my last stretch of pregnancy, I’ve noticed that Baby D’s kicks are now accompanied by jabs, pokes and squirms. It has started to feel painful but it doesn’t matter – this pain I welcome with open arms! He is more active now and is starting to recognize my voice. The reading sessions are still on every night, which I never miss, however sleepy or tired I am. And it’s amazing how the little boy makes a movement every time I talk to him! So sweet!

My diet is still the same – breakfast, heavy lunch and light dinner. I can barely finish a full meal anymore in the evenings. Like last night, I just had a cup of yoghurt and a glass of water for dinner. Maybe because I’m snacking in between that’s why I need not eat a lot come supper time.

So what are the other changes I’ve noticed now that I’ve officially entered the third trimester? One is the numbing of my other hand, too (yes, after right comes the left). Another is the appearance of a few stretchmarks on my lower abdomen despite my diligent slathering of Mustela 9 Months. I’ve also observed my feet looking slightly swollen in the morning *yikes!* my gingerlike feet are now starting to look like balloons stuck on the floor. Getting the right sleeping position has also been a challenge at night apart from getting up for the frequent trips to the bathroom to pee. A lot of the aches and pains are surfacing now but just thinking of how soon I’ll finally see my little boy makes it all worth it.

Daddy-to-be is now more excited than ever. I just love how he showers my tummy with kisses every night before going to bed. I can just picture in my head the kind of bonding they’ll have once Baby D is out. I’m sure they’ll make a terrific tandem to torment the poor Mommy…haha! :)

I cannot be thankful enough for the positive notes on my pregnancy. I fervently pray that everything continues to go well until I give birth.  All we ask is for baby’s good health more than anything else. Please continue praying for us, ok? Thank you!

Loot for Baby D

Indulge me my friends for sharing these goodies that I recently got for our baby. I’m just ecstatic because these items were bought courtesy of my sideline earnings, and they've finally reached the UAE shores to be included in our little one’s growing number of stuff.

I ordered these stuff from Diapers.com and had them shipped to my cousin, Lorina, who’s based in San Diego, CA.

These shoes were ordered from Robeez courtesy of my friend, Nick, who shipped the pairs to my cousin so that they can be included in the box for shipping.

Imagine my delight when I opened the box yesterday and found these extra goodies:

Thanks a ton to my Aunt Malou, and cousins Lorina & Mharla for these cute items for the LO! Love ‘em all!

In addition to these items, I also asked my Mom to buy some newborn clothes from Manila, which will be sent through my cousin, Sarj, who’s currently on holiday back home. Just a handful more stuff and we’re all set for the baby’s arrival. Well, almost. Ryan still has to find time to set up the nursery, which will be done after he sets up his entertainment system.

Mother’s Day Treat and Reflections

Last night, the husband took me to dinner to celebrate Mother’s Day. Although I'm still a Mom-to-be, he thought it would be nice to celebrate. After all, I'm already feeling the little boy move around my tummy like a spinning top these days so we know for sure that someone is out there :) It’s just a matter of weeks before the precious one pops out.

He chose The Lemon Grass, which is my favorite Thai Restaurant in town. Of course I had a free reign on what to order so I chose the following delectable dishes:

Lemon Grass Set for appetizer
(spring rolls, fish cake, noodles and chicken in pandan leaves) 

Talay Pao
(grilled tiger prawns and squid)

K.P. Goo
(stir-fried prawns in garlic sauce)

The weather’s a pain these days so to feel refreshed, I ordered an E-san (strawberry, watermelon & lime smoothie). Divine!

We gobbled down everything in just a matter of minutes. After the meal, hubby and I both felt so stuffed, especially me that I thought I would throw up everything I ate. I felt a lot better when we got home. We capped the night off by watching the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy *love the twist, by the way!*

To my dear husband, thanks so much for the treat! Next time pwede may gift na? LOL!

Despite the distance, I also phoned to greet my Mom & my sister a happy mother’s day. When I called, they were on their way to La Mesa Ecopark to have a picnic. I also spoke to my adorable niece, who greeted me Happy Mother’s Day, too. Oh, how I miss my family! I suddenly felt the urge to go home and be with them.

I didn’t forget to greet my MIL, too, who’s been very sweet to me since the beginning, and is always asking me how I'm doing with my pregnancy. I sent her a simple but heartfelt message, which says how blessed I feel to have her as a 2nd mother. Whenever I think of other women I know who go through rough patches with their MILs, I always feel a wave of happiness and relief that I am blessed with a caring MIL who accepts me and appreciates me for who I am.

The past Mother’s Day made me feel all the more excited about Baby D’s arrival. I can’t wait to be a Mom soon and start this exciting chapter in my life. I know motherhood entails a lot of hardwork, patience, and lots of sacrifices but I was told that it’ll be all worth the trouble when see your child happy and contented. My only hope is that I’d be able to provide what’s best for my offspring and raise him into a God-fearing person who knows how to appreciate life and live it the Christian way. With this, I pray to God for guidance and wisdom.

Clumsy Mumsy-to-be

One of the not-so-nice symptoms of pregnancy that really peeves me a lot is my clumsiness. I know, I know, it’s scientifically proven that pregnant women tend to be clumsier in this stage of their lives due to the loosening of the joints and water retention, but I just can’t help but feel oddly strange with the fact that I am dropping more and more things everyday. Sometimes I tend to wonder if my hands have become soapy or oily because I could never grip things the way I used to!

Not only are my hands not so reliable these days but also my peripheral vision. I miscalculate my steps, overshoot my mark, over and under exert effort on mediocre tasks, and a lot more! Most of my minor accidents happen in the kitchen where I love to stay at these days. How ironic because I’ve never been this passionate about cooking before but everytime I spend time in the kitchen, I almost always never leave unscathed. So far, I’ve already gained a number of small cuts, bruises, booboos and slight burns on my hands, arms and legs. They’re so unsightly they make me wince with annoyance!

Then last night, I found myself waking up in the middle of my sleep with a tingling sensation in my arm. It was as if a thousand pins were pricking my forearm down to my fingers. I’m afraid I have a case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a common pregnancy induced problem due to fluid retention. I already suspected that it’s the culprit because for a week, my right hand (I’m a righty, btw) feels different. It’s painful when I write, hence, my revolting handwriting these days. I cannot grasp firmly to things, and when I clench my fist, my fingers couldn’t bury deep in my palm unlike with my left hand. There’s always this feeling that my forearm and hand are so tired from carrying something heavy. My interim solution to relieve of the tingling and numbness sensation is to shake my hand and arm, which apparently, was the right thing to do.

I’ve yet to see my practitioner next week but I’ve made a note to discuss this with him. I hope it’s something that will go away after I give birth and won’t require me to undergo surgery unlike the other cases I’ve read. I can deal with a splint but not anything that requires me going under the knife - God forbid! Now I really, really need to stay away with salty food.  Must eat healthy!

The Shoot

The same day I had my dizzy spell, I had my first maternity photo shoot courtesy of our pro-photographer friend, K. He wanted to rehash his skills on indoor shooting so he asked me to be his guinea pig while he played with the lights in the studio. He just advised me the day before so I didn’t have time to prepare – not that there is much preparation to do anyway :)

So now I am sharing with you pics of my first maternity photo shoot (first because there will be a 2nd part when my tummy is a lot bigger – around 8 months or so). I wish I'm as gutsy as Che who had amazing pics taken by her hubby but we’ll see how it goes the next time. By the way, my bestfriend, B & bestcuz, Sarj were with us, too, during the shoot. They also posed as models for K, so you’ll see their faces, as well, in the following photos.

the Mommy-to-be

with my dearest girlfriends

laughing my heart out

me & my belly

subdued

product of love

Adidas-billboard wannabe

You may be wondering where Ryan was during the shoot. He was inside the studio the whole time helping K move the lights. He promised though that he will participate in the next session as I have a few things in my mind as poses for a couple in anticipation of their little one.