Avery's Birthing Story

I regret not writing about this sooner.  I could’ve done so during my maternity leave, but no.  Fail.  So much has happened since, and at that time, I couldn’t find the energy and will to do it not because it’s unimportant for me but simply because there was no extra time on my hands to compose a cohesive post.  I was a scatterbrain after the delivery of my third child. Three kids vs. me and my husband.  We officially got outnumbered!

But here I am, finally sitting down and writing about it.  While it has been a couple of years after his arrival, I do think this is the perfect time to reflect on the beautiful birth of our youngest who finally fulfilled our dream of a family of five -- an ode to an unexpected baggage in Europe that tuned out to be our lives’ most pleasant surprise. 

Unlike my two other deliveries, Avery’s birth is planned.  It was not a C-section but an induced delivery, and for the second time around, a natural birth was in the plan.  A couple of weeks before the D-Day, my OB had fixed the schedule for my delivery at Mediclinic City Hospital with him ringing the maternity ward himself.  It was set on 3^rd April, a Friday. 

My last day at work before I went for maternity leave was the 31^st March.  As soon as I was done with my handover, my mind shifted automatically to Mommy-mode.  I checked every bit of stuff I needed at the hospital for me, hubby and the baby.  I spent a good amount of time with the two older kids, too, and made sure they had a lot of cuddles and kisses from me as I know I would be away from them to spend a couple of nights at the very least in the hospital.  When Friday finally came, I was prepared and ready to welcome a new baby. 

Hubby and I left home at about 7:00 am to get to the City Hospital by around 7:15 am.  Dade & Lexie were left with their grandma to sit and wait for news about the arrival of their new baby brother.  I had a light meal while the midwife hooked the fetal monitor and IV and ensured that I was nice and comfy as I settled in for the delivery. 

A couple of hours later, Beth came to check on me and take photos of Avery’s arrival.  My OB was pretty much familiar with her as she was also there when I delivered Lexie.  

Everything progressed so fast.  Before 3:00 pm, Avery was out! It was the easiest and fuss-free delivery among the three.  And because it was so quick, my bestfriend missed it because she left for a while expecting that I would take longer like the others. So much for her bringing her camera & gear, haha!

Avery was such a beautiful baby.  So calm and peaceful.  Latched so quickly, didn't fuss a lot, and was just a cute bundle of joy that we couldn't stop admiring.  And even though he did develop jaundice like his big sister, Lexie, we didn't spend that long time in the hospital. Two days worth of photo therapy and he was cleared for discharge.  No dramas & definitely no tears for this tired Mom of three.  He made it so easy!

This last delivery, uneventful that it was -- thankfully, is something I would remember forever.  Avery coming into our lives completed my & Ryan's dream of a family of 5.  We cannot be happier!

Passed!

It is that time of the pregnancy where I had to have my Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.  I had to endure 10-12 hours of fasting plus two hours of blood drawing and icky orange juice drinking last Saturday at my OB's clinic.  It wasn't really as bad as it sounds but the most challenging part was finding a vein for the nurse to extract my blood from.  My veins were hiding underneath my fats, lol!

I wasn't worried that I won't pass because I never had gestational diabetes with the first two pregnancies.  But still, I was conscious of the result just in case. Thankfully, all went well and that the results came back normal (my favorite adjective whenever my doctor or nurse talks to me!) 

And to treat myself, I had this for dessert last night.  I had to wait until the kids were asleep because sugar is not good for them before bedtime (spell H-Y-P-E-R!!)

It was so satisfying I am thinking of getting another tub for tonight.  Eeepp!!  Must. Resist. Temptation.  

First Gift for Baby A

As the Dubai Shopping Festival is now in full swing, we have begun buying stuff for our home that we actually need.  We patiently waited for the start of the promotions to be able to buy them at cheaper prices.  We had on our list a heavy duty home/office printer, a transformer (from 110v to 220v), a mouse to replace my busted one, and a new bread toaster. 

As we were at the mall looking around for some really good deals, I chanced upon this baby carrier in Mothercare slashed at 50% off its original price:

I couldn’t believe my eyes as I know ErgoBaby Carrier is a bit on the expensive side.  They sell for USD 115 on Amazon, and locally, Mumzworld sells them for AED 425 at their online shop. It was just the right timing as I was planning on getting a new baby carrier with better user reviews.  I immediately sent a question to the Mommy forum where I am a member of (n@wie here!), and got good feedback so off we went to buy the original carrier last night.  I did change my mind, however, after bumping into another Filipina Mom at Carrefour wearing the Sport one with her baby as she did say the Sport is a lot lighter and is more appropriate for the climate here in the Middle East.  I dashed back to Mothercare and had it exchanged, and luckily, the last piece of Sport was still there!

red is a good, happy color!

The thing I liked most about ErgoBaby Carrier is the comfort it provides the baby and the wearer.  Its signature padded shoulder straps and waistband guarantee the most comfortable ride for both parent and baby.  The baby can also sit on the carrier safely and easily without his/her legs dangling from the carrier, and his/her weight is evenly distributed to give the parent a much easier time moving about (and less backaches, too!)  The carrier can also be used in 3 positions (front, back and hip) and when used in front allows the Mom to nurse discreetly. 

The best news of all is that dear bestie has paid for the carrier, and it is officially the first present our little one has ever received.  The only thing we need to buy now is the infant insert which I can locally source or purchase from the US at USD 25.  Hubby tried the carrier last night with Lexie, and here they are modeling our new baby carrier:

my little ones super excited with the new contraption :)

We will now ditch the Baby Bjorn which we’ve used for Lexie.  I plan on selling it through Dubizzle to at least get a portion of my money back.  

Preparing for Baby # 3

I have adamantly told friends and family that I don’t want a baby shower for this pregnancy.  First of all, I find it tacky because this is our third and we still have the things we need to care for a baby.  Having another party to welcome gifts doesn’t sit well with me, and I am embarrassed just by the thought of it. Besides, Ryan and I have invested on sturdy and long-lasting baby stuff knowing that we planned on having more than just one child.  The furniture that we have are still very much intact and solid. 

Having said that, I am more open to celebrating when the baby is out though.  And celebrating for me means having a private get-together at home after delivery where we could have a few drinks and nibbles to welcome the newest member of the family.  That appeals more to me!

With the third baby, I am still inclined to buy a few new pieces here and there so as not to dump all hand-me-downs to our precious one.  The new baby is as important as its big bro and big sis so I am still thinking of getting brand new items for its use.  On top of new mittens, booties, bodysuits and PJs for the baby, I have a few things in mind that I'd like to get for our wee one. 

My first purchase was actually a pair of tops from H&M.  I will not post the photos here because that will give away the gender.  But they are super cute, I tell you!  :) My second purchase was a new set of cot bedding from Pottery Barn.  They are currently on sale and luckily, they have included some items that I am eyeing for baby popcorn on their marked down section.  I got a new crib bumper, a matching pillow sham and a fitted sheet.  I will have the pillow sham embroidered with the baby’s name once it’s out.

**Photos courtesy of Pottery Barn website

I have also just recently bought a crib bale for the baby which I scored at Babies R Us.  We still do have the yellow safari design we’ve used for Lexie but thought I’d get another one. No photos available, too, as it will reveal the gender, haha!

The only major thing that we need to purchase is a new electric breastpump.  Even though this is the last baby we intend to have, I still want to get a dependable breastpump especially when I head back to work.  I have asked my fellow n@wie sisters for their opinion and was suggested that I go for this:

**Photo from Medela website

Thankfully, father dear had promised to get me this as a present to the baby.  Such a big relief especially since this machine does not come cheap!

I also intend to try the Earth's Best toiletries for the baby, which by the way are now available in town through Life Pharmacy.   I plan on giving this organic brand's body care line a shot.  I'll use it on the new baby, as well as with Lexie because until now, she is still using California Baby which is hard to source as it's only available in the US.

**Photo from Earth's Best website

I have also grabbed a bottle of Mustela foam shampoo for newborn which I swear works on cradle cap based on our experience.

**Photo from Musetela USA website

For our baby swaddling needs, I am thinking of getting a 3-piece set of Aden & Anais muslin swaddling blankets.  Hubby and I are into swaddling, and I am excited to try this product for our third.  We did get a pack a few days ago from Baby Shop that are also made of Muslin and are 120 cm x 120 cm in size.  For its price & quality, it seems like a good buy.

While going through Babies R Us, I also chanced upon Koala Baby which quite similar to the quality of Carter’s apparel.  I am a huge fan of Carter’s and both Dade & Lexie used them when they were babies but they are just so expensive now.  Luckily, Koala Baby has the same make, material and style as Carter’s (Carter’s dupe, I say!) and their 4-pack onesies are currently on sale at AED 20-27 ($5.50 to $7.50) each.  Even their washcloths are amazingly priced at AED 20 ($5.50) for 12 pieces, and are made of the same terry cloth material as those of Carter’s.  So yes, Baby A will be strutting with new stuff, too. 

Of course I haven’t forgotten to look after myself so I did write down a few bits and bobs for my post-delivery needs.  First on my list are a few pieces of nursing bras from Bravado.  It was a toss between Bravado and Mamaway but the reviews of Bravado are quite stellar so I am giving the brand a shot.  Plus a lot of breastfeeding celebrities swear by it so I thought I’d purchase at least 3 pieces – 2 Body Silk seamless nursing bra and 1 Women’s Bliss nursing bra.  The ones I’ve used before didn’t really live up to my expectations & were very uncomfortable so even if each bra would set me back to at least $50, I would still make the investment.

In addition, as I plan on getting a Freestyle breastpump, I will get myself a Simple Wishes hands-free nursing bra from Amazon.  With a newborn to look after plus a pre-schooler and toddler to care for, too, I would need all the hands I could use to juggle all my Mommy tasks.  You wouldn’t believe who found this one of a kind and highly rated nursing bra to suggest to me.  Yep, it was my husband who is my biggest cheerleader and breastfeeding supporter.

As I plan to be fit this time around after delivery, I will also invest on a good belly binder that will help me get back into shape (or at least help me reduce my tummy’s size).  My first on the list is The Cinch Belly Wrap. 

**Photo from Cinch Tummy Wrap website

I also intend to get a Wink Shapewear for when I need to step out of the house.  I promise to be diligent in wearing a belly wrap with this last delivery -- it's either now or never!  The belly wraps are a bit on the expensive side, too, so that will encourage me to use them to justify their costs.

Other than these items, I cannot think of anything else to add because as I’ve said, we do have everything we need for the baby. 

After the shopping spree is over, the next thing on the agenda is my maternity photo shoot.  Now that will be super exciting!

Gender Reveal

At 20 weeks, people have started hammering us with the question, “Is it a boy or a girl?” every so often because around this time of the pregnancy, we should've already known the gender from the fetal anomaly scan.  I hate to break the news though that hubby and I have decided not to disclose the baby’s gender this time.  And for reasons we hope our families and friends would understand.

Before we conceived our firstborn, we prayed so hard for a baby after having gone through miscarriage.  Dade came as an answered prayer, and we found out we were pregnant with him at the most unexpected time.  We were in Manila for our annual vacation, and we had family members around us who were the first to hear of our good news.  What perfect timing!

After 2 years since Dade’s birth, we planned on having a second baby (and was crossing our fingers for a girl!).  We even asked for prayers through our friend Shelly who went to the Holy Land for pilgrimage.  Just a couple of months after, we found out we were infanticipating again, and the news also came at the right time -- just a day after my maternal grandmother passed away.  It was a little piece of good news that I brought home with me when I flew home for her funeral.   Lexie is also an answered prayer, and a dream come true for us as we really wanted a girl.

Now with my current pregnancy, everything was completely unforeseen.  Because of all the stress I had at work and with our Euro Trip, I ovulated late and didn’t realize I was fertile when we did the deed.  We traveled for our much-awaited Europe Trip this summer, and found out towards the last leg of our tour that we have a little hitchhiker onboard.  I already had a feeling that we may be pregnant but was in denial for days until I decided to take the home pregnancy test kit to get it over and done with.  Funny how I was telling Ryan when we got the PTK in Vienna that it better be worth its price as I had to cough up EUR 12 for the pack!  I actually meant that it should be accurate and wasn't exactly hoping for a positive sign.   

When the PTK confirmed my suspicion, my initial reaction was shock.  I showed the test result to Ryan who also had the same reaction, and none of us had the same jolly expression on our faces when we found out about Dade’s and Lexie’s conception.   Looking back, it makes me feel guilty that our little one wasn’t welcomed warmly like its siblings.  We were not fair as parents, and it sucks to remember that point in this pregnancy.  Sorry baby!

In addition to the not-so-happy reaction of ours, I also had a very challenging first trimester with all the symptoms and hormonal changes that I’ve gone through.  I had horrible all-day sickness that lasted for weeks followed by severe tooth and gum aches.  I also contracted conjunctivitis towards the tail end of my first trimester, which was really a pain.  My boss teased me that I was falling apart as I couldn’t complete an entire week in the office!

Last October, we had a serious health scare with the baby, and it made us reflect on our priorities as a family (more on this in a separate post).   After going through that hurdle, it made me realize how much I am taking this pregnancy for granted and how ungrateful I was of this beautiful gift to our family.  God blessed us with a wonderful year, and the least I could do is be more accepting of His shower of love. 

I thought of ways to make it up to our unborn baby until it dawned on me that keeping the gender of the baby until the delivery date will keep us and the people around us excited about its arrival.  Ryan welcomed this idea, too, which is great!  You see, our loved ones and friends are all excited to know the baby's gender, and holding off such information makes them extra giddy.  Everyone is now looking forward to the d-day!  I cannot wait to video tape their reaction when they come see us at the hospital :)  

We already have a boy and a girl so whatever this baby's gender is does not really matter as long as it's healthy and normal.  What we want is another baby to love, to play with, to cuddle, and to smell (ooohh, angel's breath again!)  It doesn't matter if it's a he or a she.  After all, my husband said that God does not give anything that isn't perfect :)

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!  :)

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.

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.