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 :(