Quick Hello

Friends, you may have thought that this blog has died a natural death because I abandoned it for 6 months.  That's not the case.  It is very much alive albeit quiet and i am still publishing and responding to comments. It's just that I lost my blogging mojo and the drive to write because I've been very busy living my life.  Yes, in as much as I wanted to document my life's special and not-so-special events, I decided to put this blog on the back seat and spend real time with people that mean to me and make memories rather than capturing them.

Now that the year is about to end in just a few hours, I thought I'd make a short note on my blog to wish my faithful readers and friends a very happy new year.  I also promise that I'll be back next year to rekindle my love affair with writing.  I feel it is rather unfair that my little princess didn't get as much limelight as her brother so next year, she will definitely be in a lot of my posts.

So yeah, so long, 2012!  2013, bring it on!  Have fun tonight, everyone and keep safe in ringing in the new year!

My Successful VBAC Birthing Story: Lexie's Arrival

They say having a princess in your life is one of the sweetest things that could ever happen to you.  And now that I have one in my arms right now, I couldn't agree more.

Our little girl was born on a beautiful spring day here in Dubai.  A few days prior to that, Easter Sunday to be exact, I lost my mucus plug.  I was at the office that day, a rare occasion since I am always on leave for every important Christian holiday.  In one of my frequent trips to the loo, I found myself getting excited over the sight of something red and gooey floating in the toilet bowl (I know, TMI!).  I called my OB's office and spoke to his nurse, Angie who advised me to monitor my contractions in case I feel any.

I was full of anticipation that I will deliver that day.  When I told my team mates about what just happened, they immediately sent me home (for fear that they might have to deal with a woman in labor, haha!).  However, no contractions came so I decided to report for work the following day (much to my team's horror!) and wrap up my hand over.  On April 10, I filed for my 16-week maternity leave, bid a temporary farewell to my colleagues and went home around midday.

While at home, that was when the antsy feeling started to kick in.  I was so hoping I would deliver because I didn't want my leave days to go to waste.  I knew that after the loss of my mucus plug, I can either deliver within the day or in the next coming weeks.  It was an agonizing wait, I tell you!  I went walking with my boys for an average of 2 kms per day by the corniche, talking to the baby in my belly to come out.

My next scheduled check up with my OB came around and by then, I was already crossing my fingers that the IE would be positive for me.  However, I was disappointed to learn that I was only 1 cm dilated (after all that walking, my goodness!!).  Nonetheless, I was ordered to do a CTG to make sure that we were not overlooking any real contractions as apparently, there are some cases where a pregnant woman is already in active labor but isn't aware of it.  Just as I expected, nothing was happening.  Jelly bean was still happily bopping in my hotel uterus and was killing us all with excitement.

Until finally, in the wee hours of the morning of April 17 at 5:10 am, almost exactly the same time as with Dade, I woke up with my water bag starting to leak with lots of bloody show.  It was bright red blood so I knew it was time to bring me to the hospital and get the bun out of the oven!  At last!!

I woke hubby up and then took a shower.  As soon as we've changed our clothes, we grabbed our hospital bags by the door and headed to The City Hospital, which was about 10 minutes away from our place.   Dade was in the meantime left with his nanny.

photo courtesy of Aecom.com

We were cheerfully welcomed by Cynthia, a lovely midwife who made me feel very much comfortable in the delivery suite # 4.  We wheeled in our stuff and gave my record from the clinic.  At around 7-ish, she handed me over to the next midwife in duty assigned to my room, a sweet South African midwife whose name escapes me.  As soon as I was settled in my delivery suite, we started texting and sending messages to friends and family via BBM.  I even managed to post my status on Facebook and Twitter ;-)

When I was IE'd, I was only about 2 cm that morning so I was told to head down to the cafeteria and have something light to nibble on while we wait.  After hubby had his breakfast and caffeine intake (he needed that major caffeine kick for what's about to come, you know!), we went upstairs to my delivery suite and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Until at some point, the midwife asked me to sit on the birthing ball, hoping that the bopping would help expedite my labor.  At around 9:30 am, I was hooked up to the fetal monitor, and by 10:00 am, I was finally given something to eat -- a piece of toast, scrambled egg, bran flakes and milk. Apparently, that was my last meal for the day.

bopping on the birthing ball -- all smiles pa!

puffy and hungry

The waiting game kept going on.  My cousin S and bestfriend B came at around noon to visit and show moral support.  The whole time, amidst the jokes, the contractions and the back-to-back-to-back episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians on E! (please don't judge me, I love them and Khloe is my favorite!),  I was praying and hoping for a successful delivery.  You see, part of my birth plan was to deliver via VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarian), a decision I have discussed with my OB several times, and which, to my relief, he also supported.  Yes, you read that right -- 'he'.

I have a male OB-GYN and I'm not ashamed of it :) A German middle-aged chap who has the best bedside manners, Dr. Christian Jozsa was the same doctor who delivered my first born.  When I found out we were having baby # 2, I knew I had to find him.  With the power of Google, I was able to track him down.  From American Hospital Dubai, he moved to Health Bay Polyclinic, a private clinic in Al Wasl Road, Umm Suqeim (now don't you just love Google?).  Anyway, during one of my consultations with him, he raised the topic about my delivery options.  I knew in my heart I wanted to try for a normal delivery after that frustrating emergency CS I had with Dade. I was aware of the certain risks with VBAC, but I had faith in myself that I could do it.  The success rate, according to American Pregnancy Association, is 60-80% which is a promising rate.  Besides, it's been more than 2 years since I had given birth to Dade.  I had more than enough time to heal.  I know that I am a good candidate, and this was highly supported by Dr. Josza.  I trust that he knows his thing and that he will take care of me and my baby.  He encouraged my birth plan, and I know that he will not do so if he cannot help me go through it successfully.

Going back to the D-Day, I was sitting on my bed for 7 hours already, chatting and exchanging jokes with my companions, complaining about my hunger and was still laughing despite the contractions.  At the back of my head, I was saying "wow, this is easy peasy!"  Hubby asked me a couple of times on what my pain management plan was but I kept brushing him off.  I was almost sure I could deliver without epidural (it wasn't covered by my insurance, by the way, so I was hoping I wouldn't need it)  That was until the Arab midwife came at around 4:45 pm and artificially burst my amniotic sac.  At half past 5 in the afternoon, my smiles and giggles started to fade away.  The contractions became stronger.  It felt like there was a wild horse kicking my lower back when it gallops.  I was asked to use the oxygen mask to breathe in but I felt that the effort only exacerbated the pain.  Plus my labor coach (dear husband) and my bestfriend were messing with my poor state.  I seriously had to snap for them to knock it off!

goofing with the husband

inhale all you want

At the eleventh hour, I gave in and asked for an epi.  I wasn't wailing nor screaming in pain, but I was desperately asking for help.  The anesthesiologist came, and with the help of the South African midwife (who just came by my room to wish me well because she was already off duty then), I was able to get some relief.  Looking back, I couldn't stop laughing at the sight of me embracing the neck of the midwife and earnestly begging, "please help me" over and over while the anesthesiologist was inserting that big of a needle down my spine.  That is what you get when you're too stubborn to make a proper pain management plan ahead of time.

40 minutes after the epidural shot, Cynthia, the soft-spoken night duty midwife who welcomed us that morning came back and IE'd me. Lo and behold, I was finally 10 cm dilated and fully effaced! Turned out the epidural anesthesia helped progress my labor but seemed to have also lead to a fetal distress. However calm and collected Cynthia was, I sensed something was wrong.

After she walked out of the room to consult with my OB over the phone, everything happened so fleetly.  Dr. Josza suddenly appeared in the delivery suite with Cynthia, while another midwife came on board as she was called in to catch the baby.  Before I knew it, my legs were already being propped up.  I was asked to take a deep breath while counting 1-10 in my head.  And then, i heard the magic word: PUSH!!  With my hubby's hand on my right, I pushed with all my might, despite feeling numb since I wasn't feeling the contractions.  I owe it a lot to Cynthia and the other midwife because they were the ones coaching me on when to take in that deep breath and when to push.  The more they tell me about my baby's head coming out, the more I was motivated to push amidst the weariness.

getting some support from dear hubby while i PUSH!

At 8:43 pm, Dr. Josza pulled out a beautiful baby and put her on top of my belly.  weighing 3295 grams and measuring 50 cm long, our darling daughter Lexie, with APGAR scores of 6/10 on the first minute and 9/10 on the fifth minute, has arrived!

and she's out!

After our wee one was cleaned, measured, weighed and checked by the pediatrician, Lexie was brought back to me for more almost an hour of very early skin-to-skin contact.

first bonding experience with my pretty princess

Oh, and did I tell you that my cousin S and bessie B were both in the delivery suite with us the whole time?  Cousin S waited by the other side of the curtain with the pediatrician while bessie B took pictures.  That's why I have these photographs while delivering our bundle of joy :) And yes, she saw everything.

I learned later on that Dr. Josza had to make it a quick delivery so he made it an assisted childbirth with the use of a forceps and kiwi omni-cup vacuum.  Because of the fetal distress, he had to swiftly bring the baby out, add the fact that I was losing a lot of blood and my blood pressure was critically down.  I stayed for almost 3 hours in my delivery suite before I was wheeled in to my suite because they were closely monitoring my blood pressure.  I had blood in my pee, as well, so they had to wait until it cleared up a bit before they could move me to the maternity ward one floor above the labor ward.  My pee was strawberry colored, like that of a Kool-Aid juice! :P

Before the day finally ended, baby Lexie and I moved up to our suite and saw this sweet surprise from S & B :)

all tucked in and comfy at our spruced up maternity suite 

happy to be together

When we finally settled in, the night duty nurse came to see if Lexie's already nursing to get the precious colostrum from Mommy.  Little girl couldn't latch properly yet so the nurse had to help me by hand expressing 3ml of colostrum from both my breasts.  During the first few squeezes, I quietly yelped in pain but decided to ignore the discomfort for my baby's sake.  In my mind, I was screaming "sh*t, I forgot how painful this is!  Waaahhh!!" Lol.

In the morning, hubby fetched Dade so he could meet his little sister.  The first time he laid his eyes on her, it was love at first sight.  When he heard her whimper, he said "it's ok, don't cry."  It was an "aaawww" moment!

Mom's little angels

Lexie had a present for her big brother Dade, which he opened quite excitedly.  Dade also made sure his little sister felt welcome so he also brought a gift which we picked out the day before I went into labor.

Kuya Dade's new garage -- dream come true!

gift from big bro to little sis

We were supposed to leave the next day but was told to stay for another night because Lexie's bilirubin level was slightly higher than normal.  She had to stay under the bililights for a phototherapy session, and thankfully, her bilirubin level stabilized so we were sent home the next day.  But Lexie's jaundice is a different story altogether which deserves a separate blog post.

We thank the Lord for keeping me and Lexie healthy and well.  Despite a few minor challenges during labor, we're extremely grateful for a safe and successful VBAC delivery.  We're also thankful to the people who have prayed for us and who kept us in their thoughts.

the de Gracia family (please pardon the Mommy's disheveled hair)

Wow, it feels great to now be called a family of four!  :)

She's Here!

Please give a warm welcome to the newest addition to our growing family: Calliope Yvaine Alexia.

Little Lexie was born last 17th April at 8:43 pm weighing 3.295 kg via VBAC.  Yes, I had a VBAC success story to share!

We are currently adjusting with our new life (family of 4 now) so please bear with me if I go on another hiatus.  There's so much to share so please watch this space :)

Still Here. Still Preggy.

Sorry for the lack of posts dear friends.  I've been so wrapped up with all the happenings at home and at work. Here are my updates in a flash, so pardon me if they're in bullets.  This is the best that I can do for now. 

Homefront
- Moved to our new apartment last 22nd March.  Yes, at 34 weeks, the preggy me survived a move from one apartment to another.  Crazy idea.  I don't recommend it.  Yes, it's doable but not for the faint-hearted.
- We're so thankful we hired professional movers this time.   Euromovers did a remarkable job!  Worth every penny we paid for.  
- Did I tell you that my new landlord is HH's brother?  Uh huh!  I so love our new place because it's well-maintained and the facilities are awesome.  Perfect spot to grow a family.  
- Little by little, we've been shopping for new furniture, as well because our hall is too big and our current furniture just don't seem to fit perfectly.  They look too small and odd. 
- The kids' room was already painted with shades of pink, baby blue & lime green by the ever reliable handyman in the house, DH.  Dada has to fix some more stuff before we can showcase what we've done.  I love how the colors turned out, that much I can tell you :) 
- The kitchen is super spacious!  I can fit a small dining table in the middle, seriously!  We have so much counter space so hubby is inspired to bake.  Since we moved, he's baked chocolate crinkles for our Easter Egg Hunt & my 7th anniversary at work, and some bread pudding from our stale bread.  In fact, we have our breakfast in the kitchen everyday.  It's our official tambayan at home, lol!
- We now have a nanny/helper at home!  Yes, after months of preparing for this, we finally have our helper who arrived last month.  Yaya M is a blessing to us!  Such a hardworking nanny who adores Dade.  I've never felt so pampered in my life now that we have someone to help us in looking after Dade and keeping our abode mess-free.  

Pregnancy update
- I'm currently on my 37th week.  Last Easter Sunday, I lost my mucus plug and had bloody show for three straight days thereafter.  So I decided last Monday to take my maternity leave for fear that I might scare the living daylights out of my colleagues.  I'm not sure if it's a good idea because when I had my OB check up yesterday, I was told that i'm only 1 cm dilated. That means that I may or may not deliver soon.  I also had a CTG before I left the clinic just to check if i'm having contractions that i'm probably not feeling.  Nothing yet.  
- I'm getting antsier by the day.  I've been walking since Tuesday last week for at least a kilometer but it doesn't seem to work.  Guess I'll have to walk more, like at least 3 kms per day.  
- Little girl's doing great though, and that is excellent news for us.  She's more or less 3 kg now and is very much active in my tummy.  Prolly enjoying hotel uterus so she's taking her time to come out and meet her eager family, haha!
- For months, my weight gain was pretty steady.  I loved how little I was gaining despite all the food I eat and liquids I drink.  However, on my 36th week, I got a shocker when I stepped on the scales and saw how much I gained for half a month.  From the usual less than a pound every fortnight, I gained 3.4 kgs!  No kidding, 3.4 kgs in just 2 weeks!  I don't know what I did or what I ate differently, but I was stunned when I saw the figures.  Been using the same scale for the past 7 months so I know it's not the scale's fault.  Since then, I took a wee bit of diet so I was happy to learn yesterday that I lost almost a kilo.  Whew!  We can't have a big baby when we're hoping for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarian).

Little Boy
- Dade's adjusted to his new yaya, which is a good news to us.  She's been teaching him, as well to prepare him for school this coming September.  The major challenge we are facing right now is how to potty train our little guy.  I guess I should take advantage of this leave to do this. 
- Speaking of school, our firstborn is already enrolled to FS1.  Yes, after careful thought and consideration, we chose a British Curriculum School that fits our budget.  It's located halfway from our apartment and my workplace.  Still can't believe though that my baby is about to go to school.  I can already picture myself crying on his first day :(
- Summer's here so we decided to bring him to Kiddy Couture Salon yesterday for a much-needed haircut.  We were surprised to see how behaved Dade was -- clippers and all.  The usual scene is a loud, crying boy but yesterday was completely different, and we couldn't be happier!  We will definitely bring him there again for his haircuts.  

busy little driver

- We're training the kuya-to-be to withhold using his stroller for short trips to the mall.  I told hubby I'm not sold to the idea of bringing 2 strollers whenever we need to go out, especially if one of them is a 10kg stroller that I can't even for the life of me take out of our crossover's trunk.  We survived yesterday when we went to Ikea for a few items.  That's a good sign.  

I have so much to tell but have to stop this first as Bessie B is about to arrive in a few.  She'll be spending a few days here with us to help out in case I deliver today, or tomorrow, or anytime this week.  

Tata for now!  I promise to be back ;-)

My Maternity Photo Shoot For Baby # 2

So happy to share with you some pictures of my recent photo shoot with my bessie B who arrived from a wedding gig a few hours before our scheduled shoot. Despite having no sleep, the pictures still turned out so beautiful.

Here are my favorite snaps, taken on my 31st week (warning, photo heavy post!):

Thanks again bessie B! Really, really love these precious pictures :)

P.S. Thanks to H&M for my mama jeans, white shirt & pink dress, Zara for my white top, LBD & 5-inch platform heels, and Nike for the sportswear & yoga mat :) The lovely hat is courtesy of my English colleague, Loopins.

My Nappy Bag Is Here!

After so much thought and contemplation, I decided to get this nappy bag for Baby L:

funky nappy bag

This bag has a funny story behind it that I'll share with you even though it's boring, to be honest, haha!!  It was on sale a couple of weeks ago at Katespade.com. It was a surprise 2-day sale, and I was almost sure I was getting the bag. When I was checking out and paying for my purchase, my UAE credit card was rejected by the website. I was heartbroken!  I hate you, Kate Spade!!  This is discrimination!!! Huhuhu!!! 

Anyhoo, my colleague, L offered to use her UK debit card but unfortunately, It didn't have enough credit so transaction was also rejected. I decided to just let go and move on by searching for the same bag on eBay. Patience is indeed a virtue as a week later, I got the very same bag for a little more than half of its original price. I was so thrilled when I won the auction. At only USD 220 with free shipping to NY, it was a steal!

I couldn't tell you how happy I was when Aramex came to our office last Thursday to deliver my new bag. I never thought she'd be so pretty in real life! Me happy preggy Mommy! :)

She's a striking bag that's so funky and feminine! Plus she's super spacious. Depth is 8" and filled with pockets and compartments. My Dwell Studio Large Travel Case fits her perfectly, and with more than enough space for more stuff.  I can easily throw in a blanket and toy for the little girl with ease.

Thanks to father dear for this lovely gift for me & Baby L.  We love you, Lolo Dad! Mwah!!

Baby Bedding For Baby L

Most people say that when you are having a baby girl, it is much easier to buy stuff because there are a lot more choices for you.  I thought it would be a breeze for me to pick out items for our little princess but ironic as it may seem, I find the items for baby boys much more appealing.  

As Baby L will be using Kuya Dade's cot when she comes out, it is only but fitting to get a special bedding that would fit a princess. After showing my 3 options to dear husband (he abhorred anything pink & brown for the nursery!!), the only bedding set that met his standard is this lovely warm pink, mint green and aqua blue (whew!):

bright & happy set of beddings

Ain't it super girly? Oh, the set would beautifully match the white cot from Ikea plus the letters I got from Pottery Barn that would spell out our little girl's name! I so can't wait to start decorating the nursery!

I tried to order it from Amazon the other day but was disappointed to learn that they were out out of stock. I was determined to get the set at no more than $99 so when I saw this being sold on final clearance at Babyviva.com, I quickly bought it without thinking twice. I got it for $79.99 + $13 Fed Ex shipping to my address in Aramex Shop & Ship NY.  It should arrive next week, and I'm super excited to receive it! :)

Little Mr. Independent

My young boy is such a fruit monster.  Never a day goes by that he doesn't get his hands (and mouth!) on fruits.  I think fruits are his first love.

One ordinary day after work, we passed by the nearby Spinney's to buy his fruit stash. as soon as he saw me put the bunch of bananas on the basket, he insisted on carrying it by himself.  Whenever Ryan attempts to help him out, he puts the basket down and shows his unhappy face.  He obviously wanted to be involved in picking out his fruits and carry them by himself.

taking the basket from Dada

Taking our cue, we went to the fridge next and allowed him to choose the fruits he liked. He took some honey due and some watermelon slices. It was funny how he was seriously contemplating on getting the huge, half cut watermelon over the slices! He was close to picking out the pineapple slices but decided against it, and then went over to check out the citrus section instead.  I was relieved he didn't pick any of the imported berries (expensivo!)

Here he is carrying his groceries.

proud baby boy

After we paid, he also insisted on carrying his bought goods. It was difficult for him to carry the bag, but he showed how determined he was to make it to the car without any help.  That's when i realized my little boy is no longer a baby, and somehow, it made my heart sink :(

Getting Ready

I have this list of baby items that I created based on what i've read and researched on.  It is based mainly from my culture as a Filipino, and at the same time, infused with modern ideas that I got from American and English cultures of raising a baby. The list I have has been passed on to friends and family, and even my pedia friend who's a first time Mom asked for a copy of it for reference. So yeah, I'm kinda proud of how that list was able to help other Moms-to-be.  It pays to be OC, you know! haha!

I was checking it out last night before hitting the sack when it dawned on me how little we actually need now for our second baby.  Thankfully, we didn't scrimp on buying baby stuff for our first born. It didn't matter that some of the stuff we purchased were a bit expensive than the other generic brands.  Because they're sturdy, we'll be able to stretch their use. That's a brilliant return of our investments, don't you think?

Anyway, I've divided the list into 10 sections:

- for sleeping

- for feeding

- for diapering

- for swaddling

- for bathing

- health, safety and grooming

- clothing

- for traveling

- accessories & footwear

- toys and other nice-to-haves

So far, we have almost everything we need. just a few more clothing of course since our stock are mostly for boys and there are very few neutral colored items that we could pass on to Baby L.

The other day, we were able to score this beautifully crafted crib swing from Mothercare which was on sale.

crib swing fit for a princess

Original price was AED 425 (USD 115) but we got it for only AED 190 (USD 51.65). Hubby's preference is the glider version but it wasn't on sale and they don't have stock of the white one.  I was pretty pleased with the purchase but was doubly stoked to find out that the mattress was being sold for only AED 50 (USD 14) and crib bale was on offer for only AED 50 (USD 14) from its original price of AED 150 (USD 40).  I really wanted to get this crib because I intend to have the baby sleep in our room during night time, and having a portable one that's within reach will make it a lot easier for me, especially as I intend to nurse again for as long as I can.

a cheery crib bale

Meanwhile, last Thursday was victorious for us as we were able to snag a rocker which was on sale at Babyshop. The last time they had a promotion about a month and a half ago, the rocker wasn't included so we were very delighted to see that during this DSF (Dubai Shopping Festival), their part sale covered this piece of furniture every Mom would love to have. We budgeted AED 650 (USD 176) for the rocker but got it for only AED 450 (USD 123) with free delivery.

As for the back-up breastpump, we decided to let it go for the time being since there was no mark down for the item.  Another sale is due around May (right before summer) so we'll just buy it then.  I have my trusty Medela Pump in Style Advance anyway so I'm all good.  Just need to replace a few parts and I can pump away again in no time.

I had a few hard-to-find-in-Dubai-items ordered from the US and shipped to my friend who will be going home for a vacation there next month.  Some of the items were:

boppy cover in a sweet apple & pear pattern

A boppy pillow cover that's suitable for a little girl.  We have limited options here from Babies R Us.

cute bunny cushy straps

Cushy straps from Kiddopotamus.  Sadly, they only sell the beige ones in our local Babies R Us and they cost a lot.

first choice for Baby L's shampoo & bodywash

lotion to lock that moisture in on our baby's skin 

sunblock for future swimming sprees

California Baby organic shampoo & bodywash, lotion, and sun block.  I checked the Cosmetics Database.org and found out that among the baby products available in the market, this is one of the brands that have the lowest hazard in terms of toxicity. Thankfully, Aveeno, the brand we're using for Dade comes very close, but I want another option that I can use for the wee one.

best. diaper. rash. cream, ever.

A tube of Desitin Maximum Strength Diaper Rash Paste that is the best one in the market -- hands down.  Unfortunately, it's not available here so I have to get it from the US, too.  We have a tube that we're currently using for Dade for when he gets all these nappy rashes but I just wanna stock up just to be on the safe side.

Meanwhile, I am taking advantage of my discounted lifetime membership in Aramex's Shop & Ship and ordered these items through Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk since they are out of stock here. When I calculated and compared the prices, I realized ordering them online is way cheaper even with the shipping costs.

oh, so soft car seat cover!

Maxi Cosi Cabrio Fix Summer Cover made of terry cloth is crucial in this part of the world.  I regretted not buying one for Dade despite hubby's prodding. Any parent would understand how uncomfortable the car seat cover is for babies.

super adorable travel case

I bought this Dwell Studio travel case out of whim.  I know, I know, I really don't need it but it's just too darn cute and my low EQ'd self couldn't resist! :P

By next month, I have to decide on a diaper bag so it'll arrive just before I pop.  I am not leaving anything to the last minute because with the upcoming move,  I know I'll definitely be very busy then and risk forgetting something.  Well, let's just hope I won't, cross fingers.

Baby # 2's Progress

It's about time i write more stuff about our little girl, Baby L.  I've been so wrapped up with all the daily juggling act I do that I tend to set aside the urge to write more about her. Anyway, she's due this coming May and we're all so thrilled!  Can you believe it, in about 3 more months, Dade’s gonna be a big brother?!!  Exciting times ahead!

During my last check-up at 24 weeks, doc gave me this beautiful 3D photo of our little jellybean.  Oh, she looks so precious, don’t you agree?  I really think she looks a lot like her big brother.   Just look at that button nose, haha!

pretty snapshot of Baby L

Baby L kicks and squirms a lot frequently now, and sometimes, I feel that she nudges my sides with her elbows, too. I get startled most of the time especially when I am sitting in a meeting.   No matter how much you anticipate these movements, you will still be caught off-guard at some point. Meanwhile, queasiness has finally left me alone so I can happily eat and not worry about hugging the toilet anymore. I feel great and energized these days. Thankfully, I passed my Oral Glucose Tolerance Test, which I did the day after we arrived from our holiday in Manila. Imagine the jetlag and weariness I felt that morning…whew! So yes, since my sugar is A-ok, you can pass me that bowl of white rice and bottle of sweetened pasteurized orange juice. Whoopee!!

Now that we are back in Dubai, we’ve taken advantage of the mall-wide sale and mark downs of baby stores here. Carter’s is on top of our list.  We, I meant I, almost went overboard buying all the lovely pink and yellow and orange clothing I could get my grubby hands on. So far, we’re covered until the 6^th month. I also bought ample newborn-sized clothing because I know how frequently they change clothes and I don’t want to make the same mistake of bringing “just enough” clothes in the hospital because in reality, “just enough” is never enough!

these clothes are just a few of what i recently purchased for the little gal :)

We will also be making a visit to Mothercare to check out their sale items, although I have to admit I’m more partial to Carter’s because they’re true to size. Mothercare, just like Marks and Spencer, have large sizes that don’t fit Pinoy babies’ shape and form. Babyshop is also on sale and we’re looking at getting a back-up breastpump that i can use.  I’m eyeing this BPA-free Avent iSis Uno, which I hope they’re selling at a discounted price.

Hubby also promised that this time, I’d have my own rocker to use when nursing the little one. It’ll also work great during my last few weeks of infanticipation when sleeping becomes more uncomfortable for me. Crossing my fingers that Babyshop still has some stock left.

i can already picture me & Baby L bonding in this comfy rocker

Here’s a photo of me of a not-so-little me at 25 weeks.  I know, I know…I look like a knocked up teacher here with my top and spectacles! Haha!

office toilet selfie

And yeah, for those who are wondering, we've chosen a name already.  Hubby got to pick the first and third names, while I picked out the second name and nickname :)