Lately, I've been...

- getting a triple venti extra hot caramel macchiatto with one splenda at starbucks. every day. either i need a vacation or six STRAIGHT hours of sleep.

- delighting at Lucia's milestones. Clapping. Waving bye-bye. Babbling mama. taking her first steps. and making faces. that last one is a bonus. even faith didn't do faces at almost 10 months. it's really impressive. and super funny!

- singing the Cookie Monster song ("...c is for cookie, that's good enough for me..") in opera. never fails to get lucia's attention. and makes the hubby crack up.

- feeling depressed every time i enter a clothes store. need. to. lose. weight. easier said than done.

- thinking about my pilates instructor telling me she's going to make me hang from a bar with my legs and arms hooked on restraints. it is very, very scary.

- wanting to go to divisoria to get a wading pool and those giant water guns at outrageously cheap prices. then have a water fight with the kids this summer.

Books into movies...I never learn. The books tend to be so much better than the movie. And so is the case with Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief. What a disappointment. At least Joshua liked it. Faith was covering her ears while I covered her eyes almost the whole time. I told her I wouldn't bring her to those kinds of movies anymore. Only Disney cartoons for her from now on.

Lately I've been thinking of a way to wean Lucia from nursing before going to bed. It's been really difficult because, well, I'm not producing any more breast milk so what she does is more for comfort or a sleep aid than anything else. Second is because the little gremlin likes to bite. She gets a kick out of hearing me yell in pain. I know because she smiles every time she does it, the little imp. So I put her in her crib, she screams bloody murder, I pick her up after a few minutes and she roots in my shirt then we start the process over again. It's exhausting. And very painful. I've tried giving her a pacifier but she just plays with it for a while, then starts rooting in my shirt. Giving her a bottle also doesn't work. And she only does it with me. Not with my mom and definitely not with the hubby! ha ha! Someone help me please!

So many movies, so little time!

Lot's of movies opening this Valentine weekend. Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief and Valentine's Day. I was supposed to get free tickets to the premiere of Percy Jackson but declined it because it was for two people only and I wanted to see it with the kids. In case you're not familiar with the movie, it's based on a series that's a bit like Harry Potter but based on Greek Mythology. It's a great series and I loved reading it. But since it's opening weekend, we'll pass on this one and probably watch it next week. Joshua has long tests scheduled next week and has to study.

So that leaves Valentine's Day. We'll see if the hubby and I can sneak in a quick movie date for this. And Faith still wants to watch The Princess and the Frog.

I'm also in the middle of the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth. I'm "in the middle" because I can only watch one hour increments when I get home from work. So I watch it while I rock Lucia to sleep. Not a bad way to unwind after a tiring day.

Tomorrow's a busy morning for me with Pilates class and a doctor's appointment for Lucia. I hate waking up early on weekends but I'm really trying to make time for exercise.

Meanwhile, I am going to spend the remainder of the day going through book catalogues. Sigh! I love my job!

What the...????!!!!!

Serves me right for not checking my blog. Imagine my surprise at finding an ad by a presidential candidate in my ad sense below my last post. I immediately changed my ad sense settings. I have not decided who to vote for yet so I don't want any politically inclined ads in my blog.

Work is great! Busy, but really really interesting. Between work, a baby and two kids, I haven't had time for anything else. February's been a busy month and all our weekends are accounted for with school events and doctor's appointments. I've managed to squeeze in a trial class of Stott Pilates and enjoyed it. It's the perfect activity for my injured knee with the added benefit of hopefully making me lose the extra weight after baby number three. I can only manage a once a week class on Saturdays because of work on weekdays which means I'll have to supplement with diet and some cardio. I really hate the after pregnancy and delivery part! After three babies, it's sheer hell to lose the weight.

But Lucia is perfectly adorable. So totally worth the difficult birth and the sleepless nights. She's nine months old now and is equal parts angel and little gremlin. I love it. She's mastered cruising in her crib and is starting to stand up from a sitting position without support. Teething doesn't seem to be a problem except for the part where she likes to chomp on my shoulders and breast. She's got one little tooth poking out from her lower front gums.

And I know, I need to post pictures. Am probably the only blogger mom who rarely posts pictures. I know it's easy but I don't have the pictures in my laptop. It's all stored in the laptop at home which I don't have time to open when I get home because Lucia latches on to me like a panda bear to a bamboo tree.

So all's well on the home front. I'm currently nursing a mild headache from coffee deprivation in the morning due to an early meeting. Figured I'd rush a quick post. Only two days before the weekend! Yay!

Contest!

Happy New Year everybody! Haven't made up my mind yet about new year resolutions to make. One of those will probably be to lessen the retail therapy. After yesterday's therapy at the Gap sale, what better way to start this by winning something for free?

Someone is giving away a whole slew of Kerastase hair products -- all you have to do is post in your blog or Facebook account.

Here's the link:http://hairinmanila.com/2009/12/30/new-year-contest-win-a-complete-kerastase-minis-set/

This contest isn't just limited to Philippine residents so go! :D

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.