38 weeks today!
Posted on July 29, 2010
Today marks my 38th week of pregnancy. Despite my eagerness to give birth since last week, my doctor actually prefers that I give birth starting 38 weeks onwards. So I guess between the two of us, she wins 
Now that I’ve hit the 38th, I’ve been given the go signal to walk a lot if I want to (not that I haven’t been doing it since last week, hehe) and I’ve been doing stuff that would hopefully bring about labor: squatting, pelvic rotations, and other things I’ve read so far. My ob will be giving me Eveprim on my next check-up on Tuesday if Anika is still stubbornly staying inside me by then. During my check-up last Tuesday, my doctor noted that Anika has already started to drop into my pelvis because she’s way lower than a week before.
Expectedly, I’ve been lugging myself around like a huge walrus. I feel very fortunate though that despite my huge tummy and without any need for plus size lingerie, my husband still finds me sexy (or maybe he’s just saying that to stop me from feeling miserable, haha!). Still, I feel less bulky than when I was about to give birth to Mateo despite the fact that my tummy seems to be bigger now. Even Ramil commented that all eyes seem to be drawn to my tummy whenever they see me.
So I guess the waiting game is still on. I’ve been talking to Anika and telling her that she can come out anytime she wants and to please not overstay. I’ve been praying almost non-stop now that I have a safe, normal delivery and that Anika comes out a healthy, normal baby.
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car issues
Posted on July 29, 2010
In May last year, we sold our beloved red car. For many months, we were carless. We took the tricycle every morning and Ramil sometimes rode his bike to school. It was difficult at times but we also enjoyed many perks of being commuters: no parking, no maintenance costs, no driving, no gas.
When my dad left for another contract abroad this May, we were able to use a car again. Whenever he’s not in the country, we would be the ones using his Revo. Although we enjoy using it and the conveniences that it brings, we are also now putting up with the many hassles of having a car. The other month, its ball joint had to be replaced and we think it also needs a brake job. We know that it would regularly need maintenance and we’d always need to visit a place like a Dallas auto repair shop. Also, we’re experiencing a big burden on our budget because of the gas we are consuming. It doesn’t help that gas is so expensive.
We still think we’ll get our own in a few years or so. Ramil wants a pick-up like the Chevrolet Silverado though we realize how much of a guzzler pick-ups can be. I’d be happy with a small econo car for as long as the four of us and our things can fit inside.
For now, we’re grateful that we are able to use it especially since I’m just waiting to give birth. In a few months’ time, when we get to Brunei, we’ll be carless once again and we know it’s going to be difficult again but we’re ready for it.
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being on our own again
Posted on July 24, 2010
It has been more than a month now since we’ve left our rented house in Antipolo and one of the things that we miss the most is being on our own. When Ramil and I got married almost five years ago, we immediately lived on our own. We looked for a place we could rent, slowly bought things to fill up our place, and played house.
The whole set-up surely did not allow us to buy gold bullion because of the usual expenses of maintaining a house on our own but it sure helped us grow together as a couple and later on as parents. Despite all the money lost on rent and utilities, we will never exchange it for money saved because we chose to live with our parents.
Now that we’re not on our own anymore and living in my parents’ house albeit temporarily, we recognize and appreciate the benefits of starting like this. We now fully realize how much we could have saved. Still, despite all our realizations, we still miss living on our own.
In fact, we have become so independent in those five years that we are actually looking forward to starting all over again from scratch in Brunei. It’s going to be very, very challenging especially with a preschooler and an infant in tow but we know it’s going to be another learning experience for us.
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enjoying school and homework
Posted on July 24, 2010
After all my rants on the school where we enrolled Mateo, I never thought he would enjoy school AND doing homework after only a month. Right now he almost never complains anymore in the morning whenever we answer ‘yes’ to his question of ‘is there school?’ He even tells us that he’s sad whenever there is no school. He also rarely looks back whenever we bring him to school because he’s so eager to go inside his classroom and be with his classmates. Aside from these, he would even prompt me about doing his homework! I am now a believer of routine.
It seems that our little guy simply needed time to adjust and we are glad that he’s finally enjoying school again despite the fact that there are still soooo many things that Ramil and I do not agree with.
I think it is both an advantage and a disadvantage that we are both teachers because we often find things that we think should be done differently. We just make sure that we do the necessary corrections at home and we would like to believe that Mateo will still be educated the way we want to because we spend more time with him anyway.
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first complaint
Posted on July 24, 2010
Mateo just got his first complaint the other day. When I brought him to school, his teacher showed me a letter from the grandmother of Mateo’s seatmate. According to the letter, the seatmate is complaining that Mateo is always disturbing him. The teacher asked me if I could just talk to Mateo about it as well.
When I got back to the car and told Ramil about it, I already knew that he would find it incredulous and funny. See, Mateo is currently with the Kinder class which means these are 4- and 5-year-olds. There are no other 3-year-olds except for Mateo while there are some who will even turn 6 within the year. Include the fact that Mateo is only average for his size and it would be easy to imagine him reaching only up to the shoulders or ears of his classmates. Somehow, we found it funny that a boy so much bigger than him would complain of being disturbed by our admittedly energetic but sometimes rambunctious boy.
So anyway, we talked to Mateo about it and we found out that his teacher transferred him to the blue table (he was previously with the green table) which we didn’t mind because according to him, he likes it better in the blue table (we noticed that he has a preference for the color blue). We gave him instructions ‘NOT TO DISTURB’ his classmates especially if they are doing something or if teacher is talking in front. We were even strongly tempted to tell him not to talk to the said classmate and to just ignore him, hehehe!
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still here
Posted on July 21, 2010
I’m still here and I’m still very much pregnant. The most I’ve had so far are false labor contractions. Although I’ve been having more of them, my doctor prefers that I deliver at 38 weeks at the earliest. I’m at 37 weeks now so I just have a week to go before I can start walking around every chance I get or even running around (Ramil even suggests doing jumping jacks, hehe).
I’m very much hoping it is going to be an easier delivery than what I had with Mateo. If it’s true that second deliveries are easier then I won’t have to worry much. I just have to make sure that my body is prepared and ready.
On the financial side, we are now pooling as much of our financial resources as possible. Another reason why I’m hoping for a normal, complication-free delivery is so that we won’t be needing gold coins to pay for our hospital bills, haha!
I actually just had a check-up yesterday and I think everything is okay except that my doctor is still a little bit concerned with Anika’s heart rate. I actually underwent a non-stress test last week and it turned out okay. I guess Anika just really loves to relax and stay still? Anyway, I was advised to ALWAYS stay on my left side when I’m lying down and unfortunately, it has been giving me a numb left side whenever I wake up.
So I guess the waiting won’t be over for at least a week more. Everyone is getting impatient already, haha! Mateo was even insisting that he wants Anika to come out already. Right now, I’m just praying that I give birth to a perfectly normal and healthy baby.
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remembering our angel baby
Posted on July 11, 2010
The past few days, my mind has been filled with thoughts of our angel baby Vivienne. That was the second name we have picked while I was pregnant with her, without even knowing for sure whether she’s a girl or a boy. But during those three months, I was convinced she was a girl and she was Vivienne to us.
With every passing day bringing me closer to giving birth to Anika, my mind is filled with more thoughts of Vivienne. I don’t really know why. For the first time in months, I found myself shedding a few tears again the other day when I thought of her. Having another baby surely pushed away the longing and some of the sadness but I still felt my heart aching when I think of the baby that we’ve lost.
She would have been around three months old now but then again, we wouldn’t be having Anika if we didn’t lose Vivienne. So it seems that the emotional tug-of-war, the one that I had days and weeks after learning I’m pregnant again, is still not yet over. Sometimes it feels like a betrayal of our angel baby’s memory to be rejoicing about having Anika but it also feels unfair not to give Anika the joy, love, and attention that she deserves.
I’ve been telling myself that despite everything that happened my angel baby knows. She knows that she may not be with us now but she will always be in my heart, that although we only had a very short time with her, her place as our child is no less than Mateo’s and Anika’s.
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ready to go
Posted on July 11, 2010
I have just finished packing my hospital bag yesterday. Ramil has been bugging me for several days now that I should have a bag ready already especially since there’s a possibility that I could give birth already.
The only thing we’re lacking right now are a few papers from school as proof of his PhilHealth contributions. A friend has been telling me about her North Carolina health insurance and she was asking if I have some similar health insurance. Unfortunately, I don’t have a health card, not that it would cover maternity expenses anyway, and the most we have in terms of insurance is my PhilHealth coverage which would only cover PhP 6,500. Still, it would help out a lot. I’m not counting on my SSS coverage since I would only receive that at least a month after I give birth. Instead, I’m setting it aside as start-up money or airfare for me, Mateo, and Anika, just in case we miss Ramil so much and decide to go to Brunei without visas.
So right now I think we’re just about ready for Anika. Anytime you’re ready my baby girl
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growing old gracefully
Posted on July 11, 2010
Right now, I’m just a few pounds away from 150 so I’m not exactly talking about weight here Those numbers could keep me up all night. However, it does reassure me whenever I think that I am almost 150 pounds with almost 30 pounds of pregnancy weight. I only hope I get to lose all those 30 pounds and more in the next few weeks, hehe.
Lately though, I’ve been realizing how much me and my husband are growing old. I’ve been seeing a single white hair on my head for a few months now and I am calling it my Mateo white hair I might have another one in a two or three years and call it my Anika white hair. Anyway, the movie Nights in Rodanthe was on HBO last night and I can’t help but wish that I would look as old and yet good as her when I reach my 40s. She looks really great for a 40+ lady but she definitely does not look artificial. She has that youthful glow that cannot be manufactured by any cosmetic procedure.
I only hope I get to that age with that same glow and light. I am at least thankful that I don’t think I would worry about treating adult acne. I am eager to get back to being physically fit and having two kids at the same time. I am eager to go back to teaching to feed off young people’s energies and imbibe more of that youthful energy.
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hitting the 30s
Posted on July 11, 2010
In three months, I will be turning 29. Ramil will be turning 30 in less than a year. Time seems to be going so fast and hitting the big 3-0 is just around the corner. Sometimes I’d feel overwhelmed with how we are doing at this point in our life. Of course, things are a lot different now that 10 years ago or even just 5 years ago.
Five years ago, we were planning our wedding. We were excited, happy, had no need to diet pill reviews, and full of plans for the future. Comparing our 5-years-ago self with ourselves now, I am proud to say that we are just as excited and happy, and full of plans for our future. Sure, mindsets and priorities have changed but I’d like to think that the past five years have armed us with experiences and insights that would set us up for bigger and better things. So many plans and so eager to put them all into action. Life surely does not get easier but it does get richer and fuller for us.
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