I hope you and your family had a great Christmas celebration. We spent ours the usual way with close family members. It was just dinner, then a rousing game of Guesstures (boys vs. girls -- girls won, of course!) followed by mass then more food and presents!

The kids were ecstatic -- Santa really followed thru with their wishes this year (yay mommy! he he). Below is a picture my cousin took of Lucia with her beanie and pink cape (it was a bit cool that night). Too bad the view's on the side. She's 7 and a half months old now and crawling pretty fast. She's also mastered pulling herself up (sometimes with her mouth -- ha ha ha!) and has taught us to get everything we don't want to end up in her mouth out of the way. This includes fingers and hair.



Now we have New Year's Eve to look forward to!

I just remembered I had a blog!

It's been ages and ages since I last posted. I wanted to at least post something before Christmas.

Lucia is 7 and a half months old now and is healthy, happy, super adorable and has everyone wrapped around her pinky! Including her older brother and sister who think the sun rises and sets on their baby sister. And still without pictures! he he. It's all in the digital camera or in the personal laptop at home which I never use because it's the hubby's and I really don't have time to touch it when am home with the baby. Soooooo, no pics. Unless my hubby finds time to download everything in my notebook, hint! Hint!

School's out for the holidays, and the weather's nice and cool. Unfortunately, the change in weather also means sniffles and the like. Joshua is just now recovering from a very bad case of tonsilitis, Faith, I just learned this morning, has a low grade fever -- she's been nursing a cold the past few days. Thankfully, the baby has been spared -- lots of scolding not to go near her of course because they cannot help it. Am hoping that everybody will be ok by Christmas eve. It would be a bummer if any of them will still be sick.

This Christmas is probably the first time I finished my shopping waaaaay ahead of schedule! It gives me a lot more time to spend with the kiddies. Only ones left to buy for is the hubby, my mom and my sister who opted to wait for the Zara sale for their presents from me. The hubby I will take shopping for a much needed wardrobe upgrade. What can I say? He trusts my taste. :D

The only downside this holiday season is i have to forfeit my usual two week holiday because I'm new at work. Though, seeing as I am surrounded by books at work, it's not much of a hardship. I am LOVING the new work environment! There's nothing better than being surrounded by and having access to books for a bibliophile like me.

I hope you all enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones!

Movie Talk

Sometime last February 2007 I posted about how I loved reading The Time Traveler's Wife. Last weekend I saw the movie and fell in love with Henry and Clare all over again. I am such a fangirl.

I'm not so sure the movie did justice to the book (they almost never do, 'cept for the 1st Harry Potter film) but I liked it just the same. I thought they did a good job with the casting -- Eric Bana was the perfect Henry and I loved the little girl who played Clare. And all the naked shots of Eric every time he travels didn't hurt, ha ha ha! Now if I could just find my copy of the book I'm going to reread the whole thing. And get the DVD. In blue ray.

Since it was a long weekend, I also got to watch The Proposal with my mom this time. It was a fluke cause we were supposed to see this Filipino film (And I Love You So) but it wasn't showing at the SM Malls. I'm the only one who sees local films with my mom, I see it as a bonding opportunity. So rather than go home, we just saw the Sandra Bullock film. It was ok, nothing spectacular. Except for Ryan Reynolds. Scarlett Johansson is one lucky girl.

Next movie in the to watch list is Up. it's another long weekend and we're seeing it with the kids. I can't wait.

You know you have to get a mobile for the baby when she starts talking to the dangling ribbon from a bookmark. My poor baby! Absolutely shameful, I know. But I was expecting to unearth the old crib mobile which I swear I put away from Faith's baby days. It's been three months and still no mobile.

Lucia's 14 weeks old and is charming everybody in the household. Her smile lights up her whole face and makes it impossible for you not to smile back. Our life with three children has settled into a sort of controlled chaos which I have grown quite comfortable with. It's still a struggle especially when we have to go out but nothing that a bit of planning ahead can't solve. You could say we've sort of hit our groove.

The two older kids are doing surprisingly well. No jealousy over the new baby. I have never seen such total adoration. It's been nonstop fights though -- they fight over everything from who gets to sit/lie next to the baby to why the baby doesn't look at him/her. Sometimes it drives me crazy. There are times when I just want some space -- just me and Lucia, with no cartoons blaring in the background or fights to referee.

Nowadays I treasure weekends when the baby and I can lie in till 8 or 9 am. Joshua and Faith are both early risers but they're old enough to get out of the room by themselves and eat their breakfast. Most times when we finally get up, I find them peacefully finishing their food while watching cartoons. They are also considerate enough not to make noise (most of the time) so we won't wake up. That's when it hits me that they're no longer babies and are perfectly capable of fending for themselves for an hour or so without needing mommy so much. Sniff!

And when I look at my newest baby, I feel a certain kind of sadness at the certainty that this will be the last newborn that I will hold and cuddle. The way my Lucia is growing so fast makes me want to hold time still so I can enjoy her babyhood for a little while longer. But the excitement of knowing what she'll be like as a toddler and little girl sometimes makes me wish she'd grow up faster.

I'm schizophrenic that way.

Bits and Pieces

Since I have a few minutes to myself again (Lucia is with Grandma!), just a few things I thought I'd post:

My new toy:

I love, love my HP Mini Vivienne Tam edition! Don't you think it's gorgeous? And it has the same features as my old IBM Lenovo T60 without the weight!

Zara sale has started and I had a chance to visit the store yesterday when I was out for a meeting. Sadly, it's not the same as being there the first day. I spied a pair of shoes I wanted but there was only 1 shoe left. The supposed pair was a different size. Sigh! Maybe next year. Treated myself to a Krispy Kreme donut instead. Ok, it was actually two Krispy Kreme donuts. I was hungry!

Breast Milk Envy

Yes, I've got it. I'd stare in envy at the milk coming out of mothers pumping it out in the breastfeeding room at the hospital. The lot of them filling up 6-8 oz at a time, some of them the color of ripe mango shakes. Talk about colostrum overload. While I struggle to produce 1 measly oz of milk for my baby.

Sigh. I obviously have issues. I've tried everything to increase my production -- natalac tablets,drinking more than 3 liters of water everyday, trying to eat right. Heck, I'm even taking anti vomiting tablets because the pediatrician told me one of the side effects is increased lactation. Lucia's just not getting enough judging by her grunts of frustration when she's been at my breast for some time. I can tell. And I feel so guilty for not being to provide enough for her.

So despite my best intentions of pure breastfeeding for Lucia, I've caved in to giving formula. I don't think it's evil like a lot of pediatricians do (thank goodness mine doesn't). I just believe in the good effects of breastmilk. I still put Lucia to my breast first before giving her breastmilk. It makes me feel a lot better plus it keeps my meager supply running, so to speak.

I resign myself to the fact that I will never be able to pump like those mothers do. I'm just glad that Lucia continues to thrive and gain weight. Now excuse me while I go take my Plasil tablets.

At lunch yesterday....

Someone wanted to play games on a cellphone and wasn't allowed to.....

Meanwhile, here's me with Lucia in her orange sling given to me by my good friend Melay. :D

I wish I could carry her in a sling all the time since it frees my hands but it's just too hot at home. This is only possible at the mall or restaurant but since we've refrained from going out with her (too scared of the swine flu that's going around), I've only been able to carry her this way a couple of times. Mostly to restaurants that are stand alone and not crowded and never at the mall.

I've got a slew of pictures we took at lunch yesterday (my dad's birthday) but I don't have them all in my laptop yet. Maybe next time.

My Miracle Baby

Finally got around to posting some pics of my baby Lucia. Not everyone knows (at least, those who aren't in hubby's facebook circle) what happened during the birth.

We got a nasty birth surprise called Placental Abruption -- below is the wikipedia entry:

Placental abruption (also known as abruptio placentae) is an obstetric catastrophe (complication of pregnancy), wherein the placental lining has separated from the uterus of themother. It is the most common cause of late pregnancy bleeding. In humans, it refers to the abnormal separation after 20 weeks of gestation and prior to birth. It occurs in 1% of pregnanciesworld wide with a fetal mortality rate of 20-40% depending on the degree of separation. Placental abruption is also a significant contributor to maternal mortality.

It was a very scary moment -- they couldn't find Lucia's heartbeat while I was writhing in pain at the delivery room. As a result of this, her Apgar score was only 3 and she hardly breathed when they finally got her out. She had to stay in the Neonatal ICU (NICU) for 10 days before she was well enough to come home. There were other conditions that she was being treated for but I don't really want to go into all that. Suffice it to say that we are very thankful that she (and I!) survived the trauma and what could have been a very tragic event had a happy ending.

Here are some pictures of Lucia -- pardon the poor quality as these were taken thru our cellphones:

Here's one taken at the NICU while doing kangaroo care. I loved kangaroo care.

Taken at home -- around 3-4 weeks old.

This was taken last night at just about 6-7 weeks old. She's filling out! :D

I've popped!

Yes, I've given birth and there's a story to it (not a very happy one) with a good outcome, thank goodness.  But, between changing diapers and feeding Lucia, I hardly have time to really sit down and put it all in writing.  So thank you to all the well wishers and please know that I really appreciate your kind words (in this blog and in Facebook and emails and text messages).  I will try to update when I have had more sleep, when Lucia loses a bit of her pre-occupation with me (and my breasts) and when I have more time than the bathroom breaks I allow myself due to necessity.

Some random stuff I want to throw out:

- Why doesn't anyone make strapless nursing bras??  Why? Why? Why?  

- Why do nursing bras have to be so darned ugly?  Isn't it enough that you have a post pregnancy belly to deal with?  And now you can't even have decent underwear.  

- Babies poop a lot, I get it.  But why does Lucia have to do it in the middle of a feed?  Every.single.time.

And hey, people don't really need to sleep.   I know, cause I'm still alive aren't I?

Distractions

Well I didn't win the make-up brush set, too bad.  I probably wouldn't know what to do with those brushes anyway.  

Anyway, I've been trying to distract myself from the aches and pains.  I've just ordered a couple of books from Amazon and had it sent to Johnny Air Retail which I learned about from Chuvaness' blog.  Great alternative to paying the enormous international shipping fees!  They charge $6.00/lb + $5.00 handling fee.  And you don't have to wait for weeks for your shipment -- it arrives in 6 days.  Perfect for when I'm already on maternity leave.

I'm off to check out the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam edition!  Some women get jewelry when they give birth, I get techie products!  (I got an Ipod when Faith was born).  Then we're watching Wolverine.

Have a good weekend!

36 weeks and 4 days

Me modeling my new dress in our messy bathroom.  I figured I might as well take a picture for posterity.  

I just realized how huge my tummy is.  

Just a few more days!!!!  Bought a crib yesterday and I think we're ready.  

But I haven't packed for the hospital yet! 

Shu Uemura Make - Up Brush set

I was never a make-up sort of girly girl until a few years ago.  I was just an Ivory soap and water kind of girl when I first started working.  I remember one job interview when the

 interviewer (female) even advised me to wear makeup because I looked too young.  

Fast forward to 2009.  I have since learned the merits of a good moisturizer especially if you have no plans of resorting to plastic surgery (or botox!) in the future.   I now have a more than passing acquaintance with makeup thanks to fashion magazines and a gay friend who taught me the basics. I still don't know what color eye shadow to use except neutrals but 

I can at least apply foundation and blush!

Which brings me to why I am writing this post in the first place.  Some generous soul at Beauty for a Living is giving away a free set of Shu Uemura brushes in a very pretty Mika Ninagawa kit.

According to the blog: Shu Uemura describes this super pretty set: "Carry your brushes in a portable Mika Ninagawa work of art! Purple on the outside with a special Mika red rose photograph lining the inside, the limited-edition brush case includes a set of four Shu Uemura brushes, each handmade in Japan by professional artisens for optimal makeup application for the face, cheek, eye and lip."  The set includes 4 brushes: goat brush for the face, pony and squirrel brush for cheeks, sable and kolinsky brush for eyes, and sable brush for lips.

Now all you need to do is write about the contest, link the author's post and leave a comment on her blog that you've posted about the contest.  It's open to all (not just the Philippines) and she will ship anywhere in the world.  

Just because I'm pregnant and about to pop doesn't mean I can't still be vain, right?

What's on TV?

It's a rare night when I can watch tv uninterrupted.  Most days it's all you can watch Playhouse Disney channel.  Tonight I'm left behind as everyone goes to my brother's exhibit.  

Right now I'm watching Gordon Ramsay yelling at some General Manager on Kitchen Nightmares. First time I've seen this show and I am loving it!  I've been enjoying Nigella and Curtis Stone earlier.  And also seen Sex and the City on DVD.

On the Tyra Banks show, they were talking about how this "expert" can tell whether a couple is likely to get divorced or not.  Apparently, an example is how couples can still be positive while having an argument.  Upon being asked for an example by Tyra, he said that some couples can sit back from an argument and say something positive like, "I like the shoes you're wearing tonight." WTH!!!! So next time you have an argument with your spouse or significant other, take a break and say something nice about their shoes...or hair.  Whatever.

I think I still have room for some Disney cartoons.  They make more sense to me.

Sunday scare

Quite possibly the most frightening thing that you can think about happening when you're pregnant happened last Sunday morning.

We were spending the weekend at the Mandarin Oriental and we were going to have breakfast downstairs.  So after extricating myself from Faith's death grip on my neck, I went to the bathroom.  (Warning:  TMI!!!)  Imagine my horror when I looked at the toilet bowl to flush after peeing and seeing blood.   Lots of it.  I actually had Jun take a picture so we could show it to the doctor.  And no, am not going to post it here to spare you the gory details.

I made a frantic call to my OB and was instructed to head straight to the Delivery Room.  I called up my parents to pick up the kids at the hotel and bring them home then we hurriedly packed and checked out.  

I was immediately hooked up to a fetal monitor and sure enough, I was having contractions although there was no more bleeding.  They gave me a shot of medication to make the contractions stop and kept me there for a while.  So, long story short, I am now under instructions to stay in bed for a week with a follow up check up with my doctor on Saturday.  

It's been two days and I never thought I'd say this but it is soooo boring.  The grass really is much greener.  If I was at the office, I'd be wishing I was at home.   But, there is only so much tv and reading you can do before you get a headache.  Plus I have a bad cough and cold too.  The kids, meanwhile, are very happy I am home.  My mother hardly get to see them which is probably a welcome relief from being with them the whole day while I am at work.

Anyway, Lucia seems to be allright.  I am hoping there will be no repeat of the Sunday morning episode for the rest of the week.  I would like to get back to work to finish commitments so I won't have anything hanging over my head while I am on maternity leave.  

Meanwhile, I'm just hanging around our room, watching endless Handy Manny and Ben Ten cartoons with the kids.  Oh, and eating belgian chocolate covered raisins.  Yum!

35 Weeks and counting

At 35 weeks....

- I cannot stop eating chocolate.  Ever try Royce's Nama chocolates in Cacao?  To die for!  But since they are ridiculously expensive, I calm my cravings with Maltesers.  Anyone who comes close to getting my precious maltesers from me has to be very brave.  Except my fellow chocoholic Faith, of course.

- I keep dreaming about Tsunamis.  Small ones, not the gigantic Deep Impact movie kind of thing. Totally weird.  And going to Sydney. 

- Every morning when I wake up, I say hello to my feet.  It's the only time I see them normal looking.  Most of the day I have bloated little sausages that pass for toes.

- I miss -- my nose, wearing high heels, being able to carry Faith, sleeping on my back, wearing my wedding and engagement rings.

- The other night I had to go pee three times in 5 minutes.  That must've been some sort of a record.  

Quick update

I have just passed the 34 week mark in this pregnancy and now I just cannot wait until this baby pops out!

The heat is killing me!  I can't sleep anymore, turning over is a major undertaking, walking is torture and my feet are HUGE!  I've been going to work wearing birkenstocks as these are the only things that fit anymore (can't wear flipflops to work).  

So far, everything is ok based on the ultrasound and Saturday morning check-up with my OB.  I just really have to wait and keep my cool until I get to meet baby Lucia.  My ob has tentatively set my CS procedure on the 16th of May -- just four more weeks.  The kids are very excited to meet their little sister and have been heard arguing about who's going to get to push the stroller.  

I still have tons to do at home.  Still have some baby clothes and stuff (burp cloths, cloth diapers, bibs and towels) to get, work is still hectic and I'm too tired all the time.  

Oh, and the million dollar question from Joshua:  "mommy, will you still have time for me and Faith when Lucia arrives?".  You gotta hand it to the kid.  Gets straight to the point.  

What a busy morning!

Ran out of the house today at just before 10am just to get a replacement for a leaking bidet which flooded the upstairs bathroom.  The planned 20 minute errand run morphed into something else entirely.  

I decided to nip by Beauty Bar to find a replacement Tweezerman for the one that mysteriously disappeared from my vanity.  And of course, my inner Becky Bloomwood "forced" (ahem) her way out.  I got out of there with facial cleanser (which I was about to run out of! Swear!), facial blotting paper (45 bucks for a hundred sheets, sheesh!), and bronzer (um....have no excuse for this one).    Off to the hardware store then!

Every time I wander into a hardware store am amazed at how much interesting stuff there is.  Who'd have thought?  Anyway, got the bidet replacement in under three minutes then decided to move around a bit.  Ended up with two plastic storage cabinets which were on sale -- one for the kids' clothes for when I have the time to organize their overflowing closets and another small one to hold the junk in our bathroom.  And plastic shoe boxes for 60 pesos each.  

It's the drugstore next for Joshua's vitamins, then I dropped off a dress that had to be shortened, picked up the dry cleaning from the cleaners and then went grocery shopping.  Last stop was the hospital to pick up some lab test results from yesterday's test.

I did all this in two hours.  Was back home in time for lunch.

Anyway, it's been a very busy past few months for me.  Work has been hectic but hopefully will slowly taper off by end of the month so I can focus on the things I need to transition before I go on maternity leave.  

The pregnancy's going well so far.  I had another ultrasound yesterday just to check the baby's weight and my amniotic fluid levels (all ok! whew!).  Then had my Oral Glucose Challenge Test where they make you drink a disgustingly sweet orange flavored glucose conconction to check your glucose levels.  This was also ok according to the result I got earlier.  

So then, I believe I am going into my nesting phase where everything at home is driving me crazy because of the mess and I AM ITCHING TO ORGANIZE EVERYTHING!!!!!!!  

I just FREAKING HAVE NO TIME.

Am supposed to finish some work today but the bedroom's still a mess, the stuff I bought has to be put away, kids need to have a bath, have some washing to do and I can't close Faith's drawers properly.  

Which is why I am in front of my laptop, posting this, going through my reader and checking facebook.  I need to calm myself.....

Check your child's homework....

Got this thru email from a friend today........

(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day)   
Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.  
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit.  I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it.    Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole.  It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in. 
Sincerely,
Mrs.Smith

You just gotta love kids.  I sometimes live in fear of what mine will eventually reveal to their respective teachers/classmates/etc.  Faith just loooooves to draw.  The other day she drew a picture of me...with boobs clearly depicted the size of which is clearly not in proportion to the reality.  I found it really amusing.  Now I wonder where she put it.

Aren't you just happy it's Friday???  I know I am. :D

Boy, it's been a while. It hasn't been the easiest of pregnancies which I attribute to my age (ugh!). I spent Christmas Day curled up in bed all alone while everyone went the rounds of family reunions due to a premature labor scare. Guess I kind of overdid it with the driving and walking around. So I've mostly spent the past couple of days resting and taking things easy.

It's been a different Christmas altogether. Not much of the rush since I finished shopping early and didn't really go to a lot of parties. I've kind of relished the alone time - the kids are old enough to amuse themselves most of the time with their Christmas loot. And I keep thinking that when the littlest one arrives, there's not going to be too much of that.

Highlights of the season for me were the looks on the kids' faces when they opened their presents from Santa. Joshua got the coolest Optimus Prime and Megatron robots (which I got on sale!!!!!). Should have captured on video the way the hubby and my brother got so engrossed with transforming the robots I had to put a stop to it at two in the morning. Faith got Princess Liana and the guy doll partner. I just had to laugh when I heard her say, "Wait a minute, you mean this (man) doll doesn't do ANYTHING??? It doesn't even sing???"

I also got to spend the day with a beloved cousin from Sydney whom I seldom talk to except for the occasional email. I had a lot of fun just catching up and shopping with him. Am still waiting for the pictures he took of our day together.

Oh, and I got to hear Charisse Pempengco sing live at mass last Saturday night. She is phenomenal! No wonder they're getting her to sing in Obama's inauguration. Or so I heard.

So anyway, we're gearing up for the New Year's Eve celebration later tonight. The hubby is getting the kids' baths and naptime going while I quickly finish post off.

I hope the new year brings peace and joy and a lot of good possibilities and opportunities to everyone. Happy New Year everybody!

It's Friday night and I'm bored (and nauseous)...

Thought I'd post some new pictures from a new batch of photos we had taken recently. My kids look all grown up.

This one is mischievous as ever. Saucy and sassy and sooooooo naughty! She's doing great in school though she still misses going to school with her brother.



And this cutie has been getting tremendously high grades in school -- math, science, english, etc. He's a candidate for a first honor award in October. If that happens, someone's going to have a Star Wars Light Saber before Christmas. :D


Please forgive me if I'm less chatty lately. Not feeling too good (translation: I feel like death) these days. My gag reflex is working overtime -- every time I smell something, I gag. Even water has a smell.

Baby number three's gender remains a surprise for now. I'd be happy with either but I must admit to having a preference. I'd kind of like to have another girl. So she and Faith can talk to each other while growing up. Because, you gotta admit, you don't tell your mother everything.

I'd like for them to have someone to confide in, assuming they won't want to constantly kill each other like some siblings I know.

Anyway, I'm being maudlin. Excuse me while I gag.