The Most Important Document of Your Baby

After giving birth, you get tired, exhausted, and at the same time you get happy, excited, and may even be so overwhelmed! All your attention is on your baby - you get visitors, you try to squeeze in some rest time, you watch your baby sleep for x number of hours, you nurse, you cuddle with your baby, and the next thing you know, it's already time to go home! It is so easy to get lost in the moment (who wouldn't, right?) that you might forget the most important document you need to file - your baby's birth certificate!

As soon as you give birth, please make sure to file it! They say it may take weeks but really, it varies. The important thing is, you get it done right away! All the other documents (SSS, Philhealth, BIR, etc) depend on it.

You'd think I would be an expert especially after 3 baby boys; I guess, all that epidural has kicked in some memory loss. ;) I only remembered about it when we were getting ready to go home. Since we filed it late, it took around 2 weeks before we received it. That caused a lot of delays in applying for my baby as my dependent. So believe me when I say, get it done right away. :)

Here are instructions from Makati Med's Birth Certificate Form:

For Normal Delivery, the minimum stay in the hospital is 2 days. But your OB may advise otherwise. As soon as you get some rest, ask a companion to help you fill out and submit the form. :)

Oh, and one more thing. In case you are not married, here are the additional requirements that the father has to bring and present:

This is for the back part which is the Acknowledgement of Paternity. You only need 1 from any of the above proofs mentioned. 

I cannot stress enough how important it is to get this done right away. Again, processing time varies. Sometimes it may even just take a few days. You'll never know. :) So please remember: give birth, rest, submit the birth certificate! ^___^

Let me know how long it took before you got the birth certificate, ok?

Mix Feeding

After 7 months of being purely breastfed, Mikolo had his 1st taste of formula this week. *sob* I've been having a hard time supplying his feeding needs. Even after being together the whole time during my 2-week holiday vacation, I still wasn't able to increase my breastmilk supply. Sadly, I really had to give in to formula milk.

Although this is the longest I've done (Uno and Matteo were only purely breastfed around 5 or 6 months), I am still sad. The good thing though is Mikolo's transition wasn't difficult. In fact, the nanny said he enjoyed it! His 2 older brothers didn't like the taste of formula at first and it was a struggle, but Mikolo just drank it in one sitting, or sipping rather.

If you need to mix feed your baby (while you're at work or out of the house), here are a few transition tips:

1- squeeze in the formula milk in between breastmilk feedings
2- formula feeding can also come in after all the breastmilk has been consumed
3- use a feeding cup instead of the regular milk bottle with teat
4- whenever you're together, make sure your baby still feeds from you
5- and last but not the least, if your baby is 6 months old and up, mix his mashed fruits/veggies with milk

I hope these tips help.

If you have other tips, please let me know. :)

Walkers

No, this is not about zombies... ;)

Just wanted to share pics from Tuesday, January 7th.

First up, my baby boy who's turning 7 months this Friday has officially started using a walker! 

I was estatic! Well, I still am! And although I wasn't able to capture it in the pictures, believe me when I say, he was happy, too. Very.

Why all the hoopla? His brothers didn't use a walker until they were around 10 months. Not sure if it was just me, but I just didn't think they were ready when they were this age. What is the best time to use a walker anyway?

Coincidentally, I decided to use the S Health app that came pre-installed on my Samsung Galaxy S4 on that very same day.

Although I am too thin for my own good, I still think I need to get some exercise - any valid form of exercise. So whenever I work from our Makati office, I park at the main office because 1- parking is free and 2- I'd be forced to walk. 

First time to try it and I would have to say,  I am happy with the results.

The right half shows my stats from when I walked to the other building. I didn't know that alone was almost 1000 steps! Wow! And yes, you might say that I didn't reach the suggested goal of 10,000 steps, but reaching more than 50% is good enough for me! To think, I didn't even have my phone with me the whole time!

Why 10,000 steps? According to Wikihow, counting steps is a better motivator for people to squeeze in exercise (walking, in this case), in their daily routine compared to having a mindset of "I need to have a 30-minute exercise everyday!" And I absolutely agree! I think it's more fun this way. Plus, having a 30-minute exercise mindset might just hinder you since you may initially think, "Where do I find the time to exercise?" Wouldn't you agree? :) 

As a mom, walking with my kids is good exercise for us and it's bonding time as well. Walking around the village or the park makes them excited and happy! :) Same effect on me... And we all get to squeeze in a little workout. *wink* (I don't make them walk 10,000 steps, of course!)

10,000 steps may sound like a lot but I really think it's doable. Wikihow shares how this can be achieved with tips and tidbits, too! 

What are you waiting for?! Let's walk!

If you have other tips on the 10,000 steps initiative, I would love to know! :D

brushing made easy

are you having a hard time brushing your baby/kid's teeth?

does s/he always "put up a fight?" or cry everytime you brush his/her teeth?

do you wish there was an easier way?

if you answered yes to all 3, then read on!

i brought matteo to a children's dental clinic just after new year coz he had green stains on some of his teeth. as soon as the dentist opened matteo's mouth, she confirmed that some of his teeth were starting to get cavities and a few already had cracks. i was sad. she even told me we would need to put pastas (just on the top part, no drilling necessary) to prevent further decay on 6 of his teeth and so he wouldn't lose them early. i was all for it of course but as soon as i found out that it would cost around 1-2 thousand pesos per tooth, my jaw literally dropped and when i recovered, all i could say was "wow!" i'm still scouting for a more affordable dentist and hopefully i can find one soon. 

we didn't leave the clinic with just a check up, of course. matteo's teeth were cleaned and flouride was used too. oh, and because matteo's teeth are weak and matte-like (not glossy like the healthy ones), this needs to be done every 3 months. that procedure alone costs 1,800 pesos and it didn't even last 5 minutes. good thing i was able to take advantage of their promo and paid 999. but then the next visits would be at the regular price. oh my.

the dentist did tell me that if we didn't do those things she may have to do some drilling and possibly result to using a sedative. or that matteo might grow permanent teeth even before he turns 9. now who would want any of that?!

so going back to my questions earlier, if you said yes to all of them, here are a few  valuable things i learned from the dentist (and from my experience after that visit):

- if they cry, let them cry. after brushing their teeth, they'd be their usual self again. brushing is not painful to them, they just don't want it. so just let them cry.

- for kids aged 2 years and below, it's best to use a toothbrush that has a circular and smaller shape. i believe these are the end-tuft toothbrushes. the clinic carries the tepe brand and they cost 200pesos each. still on the lookout for a more affordable one though.

- milk is the number one cause of cavity. so if you could get them to lessen their milk consumption (to 2 glasses per day), then please do. unless their pedia says otherwise. :)

- brush their teeth at least 2 times a day (seems like 2 is the magic number). ideally, it should be every after their milk consumption but you can start with 2 then 3, etc.

- now how to brush their teeth? there should be 2 of you (that number again, i know) so get someone to assist you. sit on the edge of a bed and get your helper (spouse, partner, mom, or anyone who's willing) to sit in front of you on a chair.    as much as possible, your laps should be on the same level. if you're the one doing the brushing, have your kid sit on your helper's lap facing him/her. then slowly let your kid lie down on your lap so you can have access to his mouth. (his upper body should rest on your lap and his head should just be somewhere near your crotch area.) although this position won't guarantee that your kid will cooperate and just say "ah!" this makes it easier to brush the teeth once you are able to open his mouth. believe me, in this position, it's not difficult to open their mouths even if they're crying. try it! i tried it on uno and matteo, and so far i've had a 100% success rate. ;)

i hope these things help. we often tend to overlook teeth but what we may not realize is their teeth is also essential for their growth and development. and self-esteem too. so let's take care of their teeth early on!

let me know how it goes! :D

updating your tax status

i went to bir the other day to finally get my tax status updated. matteo and mikolo are now my dependents and my tax status is now s3. woot! and guess what, it was such a breeze!!!

here are my tips for you when getting your tax status updated:

1. if you had a previous employer, go to their rdo branch so you can transfer your records to your current employer's rdo. don't make the mistake of having to wait at your current company's rdo only to find out you were supposed to do something else first.

2. make sure to get an authorized person to sign your form 2305 on behalf of your current company (usually someone from hr). and make sure your company's details at the bottom part are filled out and updated. you can download the form online if your company does not provide this.

3. prepare 2 copies...always.

4. get the birth certificate/s photocopied and authenticated. most government offices don't require nso copies or original ones. 

5. come in around 4pm. bir closes at 5 and when they see it's near closing time, that's when they start picking up pace. i got my tax status updated in less than an hour.

6. as per our payroll team, wait for september to get your tax status updated. that way your tax returns are higher. unless of course you give birth past that month, then update it right away.

7. if you can pay someone to do this for you, then do it. let him/her take care of all the other documents like sss and pag-ibig so you can just spend time with your baby. if your hubby can do it, that's better. ;)

i hope these tips are helpful for you. do you have other bir tips? :)

the unusual stuff to teach your kid: facial hair

this is a series of posts intended to advise all dear parents out there on the odd things kids might do and need to be cautioned on.

to start off, tell your kids (or tweens for that matter) the entire face should not be shaved. oh yes. i know of 1 who wanted to shave his growing mustache but then thought he didn't like to have a hairy face and decided to shave it entirely. and so what he didn't want to happen was exactly what he got.

although his face may not resemble a werewolf's, when you touch it, you'll feel his facial hair. it's like touching your arm when you're having goosebumps. and when sunlight hits his face, his hair shines like edward cullen, minus the glitter. lucky him his hair is thin.

so moms and dads, if you see your young man with a shaver, help him out coz he might end up lookin' like chewbacca. :) 

lucky me

i went to the department store yesterday to get new bottles for matteo. i just found out that the avent classic bottle also comes in blue and pink - the special editions. i was already decided on getting the blue version of course even though i had not seen it.

as soon as i grabbed a pack, the saleslady right away informed me that it was on sale. *grin* the colorless classic bottle is actually cheaper but the sale price of the special editions make it more affordable. yipee!!! good timing, don't you think? 

the special edition bottles are on sale while supplies last. hurry! ;)

and in other good news. i am extremely happy i was able to wear my stilettos aaaaaaaaaand skinny jeans again! oh, yeah! *giddy*

sooooooo lucky me! ;)

3rd charm

wow, it's been 2 weeks since i gave birth and i'm only able to blog about it today. for some reason, i'm having a difficult time adjusting to my baby's needs. you'd think i should already be used to it since this is my 3rd, but i'm struggling. maybe coz it is already my 3rd and i have 2 other boys to take care of, yeah? ;)

i gave birth on june 10 at 11:30pm to a 6.5 lb baby boy, measuring 18.5 inches, and with a 9 apgar score. i was 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant :)

the other attendants in the delivery room said my baby was good-looking. my ob agreed and said all my boys are good-looking and that i have good genes... and that's why i always get pregnant. she was tryin' to be funny of course, but i know she wants me to stop already, haha!

here's a pic of my beautiful baby boy a few minutes after i've given birth to him:  

and here's a pic i took this weekend:

isn't he a cutie?

sigh. time flies by so fast. next thing i know he's already a month old, then 2 and my mat leave is over. i just really need to make the most of it.

and while i'm on leave, i really hope i can blog more. lookin' forward to sharing my labor and delivery experience and other pregnancy stuff that i can impart to first-time moms. 'til my next post! :)

pre-natal check-ups

i just had a check-up last wednesday and it's soooooo good to know that i didn't gain weight. whew! i've been gaining too much - around 5lbs every 2 weeks and my ob says i really need to control my food intake. but i'm still happy to know that my baby boy's estimated size is still ok. whooopee!

i'm usually in a dress + cardi outfit but when i have a check-up, i make sure to wear separates. why? well, for pre-natal check-ups, it's best to wear a top + bottom 'coz most definitely your ob will check your baby's heartbeat. and it would be embarrassing (well, at least for me) to have to pull up your dress just to show your baby bump.

i also make sure to wear shoes that are easy to remove so when i lay on that "check-up bed" it's less hassle and quicker too.

here's what i wore to my check-up:

33 weeks and 4 days

 top: forever21 | leggings: forever21 | bag: parisian

sandals: solemate x sm | belt: cotton on

see, with separates, you only need to expose your tummy. ;) but even if you wear a dress to your check-up, your ob will still cover you up down there, but again, it would take time and it's a hassle. 

so always make sure to wear separates so it's more convenient, quicker, and less embarrassing.

just wanted to share what i wore that week:

33 weeks and 2 days

dress: market, market | cardigan: cotton on

sandals: payless

33 weeks and 3 days

dress: st. francis square | cardigan: landmark

sandals: payless

33 weeks and 5 days
dress: redhead x sm | cardigan: cotton on
sandals: solemate x sm

since i wasn't able to take pix all throughout my pregnancy, i aim to take pix daily/regularly just to chronicle everything and take outfit photos. too bad i wasn't able to take a pic last friday. it was such a busy day that i forgot to ask someone or even take a selfie. oh, well.

oh, and nope, i don't have a new gadget yet... still contemplating on what to get. hopefully within a week. :)

boy, oh boy

it's been months since i last posted again. things have been crazy! and quite frankly, i did miss blogging. i sure hope i get to blog more often!

so why, after all these months that i've been quiet, i am back?! well, i am pregnant again with my 3rd baby! surprise, surprise! and, it's another boy! my 3rd baby boy! can you imagine?! wow, how productive of me, haha!

i'm actually already on my 8th month. time flew by so fast... i haven't even had the chance to get myself photographed. sigh. so many things to do, so little time!

i hope i get to blog more. i'm planning to get a tablet or any new gadget to help me post about my pregnancy and other oohmomma adventures. i just hope i get a new one, stat! any suggestions?

that's all for now. looking forward to using my new gadget for my next post (crossing my fingers)... ;)

milestones | sept 2012

wow, i've missed a few months! it's been a looooooooooooooong time since i've blogged about my boys' milestones. will make it quick... :)

uno's been very hyperactive lately and i've seen him show signs of jealousy toward his baby brother. but he's very, very sweet too. he's now 2 years and 5 months old and here are the things he can do:

• yesterday, my brother let him listen to his ipod. it was the first time he heard the song good time (owl city with carly rae jepsen). the 2nd time it was played, uno was already "singing" words like good time, oooh wo oh. cute!
• he's still afraid of his potty trainer but there are times he removes his diaper and says "wee wee," then he goes to the bathroom to pee...on the floor. crazy! ;)
• he mimics almost everything he hears and sees! my dad loves watching sports on tv and uno looks like he's been playing tennis, golf, and boxing. my sports buff in the making!
• uno can "play" yes-no-maybe. he pretty much says no to everything! and when he's the one asking, well, pancit and tennis are part of the categories. haha!

as for my baby dragon, oh wow! he's 7 months and 6 days old and the things he can do are just so wonderful.

• matteo can now sit for long periods of time. he'll just sit and play with his toys or observe. 
• can stand on his own (supporting himself by holding on to the sides of his crib).
• he's really now very familiar with food especially his milk. there have been instances while dining, he'd grab our plates or spoons. hungry baby!
• he likes playing with mobile phones and my laptop. maybe he should create his facebook page already, haha!
• although he does not cry a lot, i notice that whenever i take something away from him (say he's been playing with my phone), he'd cry really loud. he knows which "toys" he wants to play with and does not want them taken from him. hmmm, what do i make of that?

those are the things i have from the top of my head. hopefully i get to post regularly. things have been crazy especially since i'm working in the graveyard shift and i don't get to spend more time with my boys on a "regular" basis.

i miss the morning shift...and sleeping with my boys the same time they are asleep. oh well... gotta go, the dragon looks like he's about to wake up. 'til the next!

milestones | june 2012

wow. been very busy with work that i forgot to post the milestones of my boys. although i was busy and all, things have been very exciting (and funny).

today, matteo is 3 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days old. at this stage, oh wow, he has surprised me with the things he can do. check 'em out:

• can turn to either side
• grip is tighter
• laughs and smiles a lot (as in really a lot)
• can hold his feeding bottle
• answers to questions (with baby talk of course)
• enjoys hand sucking

aren't those exciting? for a 3-month old, i'd say absolutely yes! ;-) here's matteo holding his bottle:

and at 3 months, he's still purely breastfed!

now on to kuya uno's antics. today, uno is 2 years, 1 month, 3 weeks, and 5 days old. and here are some of his funny stories milestones:

• 2-jun-12 - he was eating nova (multigrain snack) and i asked him if i could have, he said "wala na laman, no more" and when he said that he did a corresponding hang gesture. i know it was not a very nice thing to do, but i found it funny and clever. (the first phrase he said is 'no more' in filipino). 
• 2-jun-12 - matteo was on my lap and uno was playing with him. i held matteo's arm and did "punching" movements and said, "punch kuya uno, punch kuya uno.' all of a sudden, uno stepped back, sat and lay on the floor in one fluid motion. what an action star! haha! 
• 2-jun-12 - uno wanted to throw matteo's soiled diaper. so i said, "ok, please throw." i wasn't able to thank him immediately when he got back coz i was busy cleaning up matteo. uno blurted, "thank you kuya uno." i guess that's his way of letting me know i forgot to thank him. hehe.
• 1-jun-12 - was lying in bed when uno went inside the room, looked in the mirror and said, "pogi yun o!" (that's handsome!") hahahaha! when he saw me laughing, he ran to me, hugged me and blurted, "nanay, love you much!" i think he was embarrassed.
• 26-may-12 - without telling him what to call his new nanny, he just started referring to her as "ate" (big sister). awesome, right? 
• 13-may-12 - was surfing the net and uno was just watching. then all of a sudden, he says, "nanay, lie down tayo, off na." (mommy, let's lie down, turn it off). after he said that, he wanted to close my laptop. i think he was too bored just watching me surf. hihi.
• 7-may-12 - uno looked at matteo after i carried the latter out of the carrier. he then climbed on top of the drawer connected to the full length mirror. i thought he was going to look at himself in the mirror again, but he just increased the speed of the wall fan. so sweet!
• 7-may-12 - this was a wonderful morning to wake up to. uno woke up to matter's cries. i changed the little one's diaper first. so, by the time i was prepping him up for feeding, he was really, really crying. uno approached us, tapped matteo's legs and said, "it's ok, it's ok. tama na." (it's ok, it's ok. stop crying.) isn't that absolutely adorable?

did you enjoy those stories? i know those were not really milestones, but it shows uno's cleverness and grasp for what's happening around him. i think he's still advanced compared to most boys his age. and i find that amazing! :D

work and breastfeeding has really taken its toll on me. i've lost so many pounds and most days i only get to eat one meal. i've been getting fever on some days. i'm now down to 98lbs, which is really underweight. i hope workload gets lighter so i can go home to my boys right away, play with them more and breastfeed matteo more. so, here's hoping to more time with my boys! 'til the next milestones update... :D

milestones | baby dragon and kuya tiger

today, matteo is 2 months and 4 days old.

even before he turned 1 month old, he could already lift his head high whenever he's lying on his stomach. His other milestones to date:

• smiles back
• responds with sounds
• weighs 11lbs

for his 2nd month, we celebrated with 2 dozen kk donuts! ;-)

as for kuya uno, i'm happy that he can now speak in complete sentences. but most of the time, it's in filipino. i need to talk to him in english more since everyone else in the house is using the vernacular. here are a few of uno's antics:

• my underwear was on my leg and uno accidentally kicked me (he was playing with his shoes on). my underwear got dirty and i told him, "i won't bring you with me to the mall anymore. say sorry." he replied with, "sorry panty." hahahaha!
• i was wearing my heels and looking at myself in the mirror. when uno saw me, he blurted, "wow, sexy nanay!" hihihi... (nanay is mommy in filipino)

looking forward to more wonderful milestones from my boys!

my only concern is, uno's getting jealous of matteo lately. i've been giving them equal attention, but it doesn't seem to work. uno wasn't like this, only started last week i think. how do i address this? any suggestions?

oh, and yes, i went back to work last monday. i'm happy to say, matteo is still purely breastfed. hope i can keep this up for the next few months! :D even though i'm only getting around 3-5 hours of sleep, my breaks are for "harvesting" milk, i only get to eat 1-2 meals a day, and i'm sleepy and tired all the time, i know my hard work will pay off big time. so i guess, this is also a milestone for me. :) oh yeah!

uno turns dos, part 1

for uno's 1st birthday, i originally wanted a pool party but i had a difficult time looking for a place. so we ended up celebrating his birthday at lazer extreme in market, market. 

i contemplated on whether or not it is wise to celebrate uno's 2nd since i just gave birth last february and i'm on a really, really tight budget. but i thought, the next time his birthday will fall exactly on a weekend is when he turns 7. that was my deciding factor. silly, i know. ;-) so with only 2 weeks left before the big day, i put my party planner hat on and frantically figured everything i wanted in my head.

the place

i've been googling pools for rent since forever, when all this time my mom knew about this place just a few blocks away from our house. pictures of pools from google looked ok, but this is by far the best i've seen.

first off, there's a lounge area with super comfy seats, colorful stools & pots, paintings, and cool furniture.

this was a day before the party. wasn't able to take 

better pix, sorry. see the pink cloth on the left? 

those are the seat cushions when not in use.

look how thick the cushions are! i swear, they're  super comfy! 

given the chance, i would sleep on them. :)

here's a view of the lounge from the pool.

(above pic was taken by my sister, trisha)

now for a kiddie party, the pool is huge!

shallowest is at 4ft (left) and deepest is at 12ft (right). 12 feet?!?!?!?!

coz there's a diving board on that part, that's why. :)

here's a view of the pool & lounge near the entrance.

and from the opposite side, here's a look at the entrance gate.

i hope you're getting an idea of what the place looks like. from

this angle, the lounge and pool are on the left, while the garden

is on your right (behind these wooden benches).

garden?! yep, there's a garden where you can do different kinds of activities.

from the entrance, this is a view of the garden.

(can you picture what the place looks like now?)

i only had around 50 guests and i can say this can easily fit around 100 people. i've been told this has been used for a debut and even a wedding! can you believe that? how awesome is this place! :D (nope, not getting paid to praise and sort of advertise this venue...hehe)

if the pix are not good enough for you to choose this for your party or event, below are a few more reasons i can give:

1. you can save on decorations since the place is already full of colorful stuff - the tables, chairs, pots, etc.

2. speaking of tables and chairs, you can use them if you're not getting a caterer.

3. it may not be obvious but the garden has trees. and these trees i believe are a big help in keeping the area cool.

4. it's not far. here's a map just to give you an idea.

blue dot is the venue.

5. and last but not the least, rent is not expensive. (but i think it varies on the # of guests you have)

the only problem i have is there's only 1 shower room. although i didn't hear any complaints about that.

so there you go, i hope those helped. :) i won't even think twice in renting this place again. an officemate is thinking of using it for team building; my niece has suggested it to one of her classmates for a teen party; and if staycation is your thing, why not bring your family here? :D

will tell you more about uno's party in my next posts. ;-)

baby dragon

wow, it took me more than a month to say that i've already given birth. having a toddler and a newborn can really get your hands busy. but i'm lovin' every second of it. ;-)

if you noticed  my new tickers, one of them indicates my baby santino matteo is now 1 month, 1 week, and 6 days old. time flies so fast and in a few weeks, i'm going back to work. bummer.

i barely have time to update this blog, so this is just going to be a quick post. take a look at a few pix!

i gave birth on 18 february 2012 at 8:25am. santino matteo weighed in at 6lbs 8oz and 

was 51cm in length. (he's heavier and longer than his kuya uno!)

here he is after a week - tanned from all that sun-baking. :)

matteo getting a kiss from kuya uno on his 1st week. <3

this i can truly say is a priceless photo. i was just taking pictures of us and in this one,

he was smiling with me. cute!

and finally, here's a pic of my tiger and dragon catching some zzz's.

<3 <3 <3

that's all for now. need to catch up on some sleep to. this weekend is going to be busy as i'm preparing for uno's 2nd. yipee!

diy photoshoot

like any other pregnant mommy, i'd want a professional to capture images of me and my tummy. but, i thought to myself, why not make my own photoshoot? 

so i did. :D and you can do it yourself, too!

here's a list of what you need:

a good camera
tripod
room with wide windows
time (between 9am-11am)
cloth (big enough to use as costume)

cloth (bigger enough to use as background)

masking tape

and last but not the least, an assistant a.k.a. your photographer (in my case, my niece - who was also my hair stylist)

i fixed my room a bit and turned it into a makeshift studio. prepped everything then worked on me - took a quick bath, put on make-up (while my niece was braiding my hair), wore my bandeau and cycling shorts, then figured out how to wear the cloth.

one quick tip before you do this: check out some pegs. i didn't get to see any inspiration before we started so it was pretty much an anything-goes shoot. but it turned out great! i just need to install photoshop and edit the pix.

check out the unedited photos from my diy shoot!

and here i am with my niece ayel, who was really helpful and game!

the pix just need editing and they're good to go! whatcha think? :D 

total cost: php20 for the white cloth (the bigger cloth is a blanket, hihi).

keep walking

no, my post is not about drinking and getting drunk (although it is the tagline of one popular alcoholic drink). i literally just want to remind all pregnant women out there to keep walking!

walk! yes, walk! it's the simplest and can be the best form of exercise for pregnant women.

i am on my 32nd week and i weigh 117 lbs! i've only gained around 20 lbs but guess what? my baby's weight is in the average range. ;-) everything is a-ok!

one thing i track whenever i walk is my sweat. weird? well, it's just that i make sure i walk a lot but not to the point i'll sweat or tire myself out. i'm pretty much following what the doctor ordered: walk as tolerated. 

although i feel hot a lot, i just find it easier to walk even with a big belly. my balance is not off unlike my 1st pregnancy where i had to walk like a duck. haha! plus, i don't easily get tired.

since i missed being "tall", i wore wedges today at work (and i just wanted to show off my legs, hihi). a lot of my colleagues were protesting but i assured them i'd be ok.

 i don't know what i was doing here, but i'm posting it anyway. hahaha!

 

super adore my new shoes! 3 and a half inches, i think - and i never wobbled! balance. balance. balance! thanks to minutes of walking. wanna see a close-up of my shoes? :D

so again let me say to you, keep walking! 

but please, don't walk to lose weight, that's a big no-no during pregnancy. unless of course your ob-gyne gave you the go signal. in any form of activity, always get your doctor's green light. :)

wear it proud

when i was pregnant with uno, i bought several pieces of clothing from different maternity stores. BIG mistake! looking back at how i dressed up then, i feel like i missed out on a lot. i should have showed-off my tummy more and let others see that pregnant women are sexy!

i also realized that the items i bought were actually expensive and they were really unflattering! that is why with my current pregnancy, i only have 1 piece of maternity wear - the 1 pair of jeans i bought during my first. yep, recycled. but i don't think i'd even wear it again. i remember the garter to be really annoying and itchy. so it's probably just going to hang in my closet, hehe.

one thing that my friends noticed about the way i dress now is that i almost always cinch my outfit with a belt. like i said, i want my tummy to be the focal point of my get-up. so belts play a big role in emphasizing my tummy. ;-)

most of my "maternity" clothes were bought from regular women's stores... some even from the teens' department. haha, oh yeah! the top i'm wearing today can actually double as a dress, without the preggy belly of course. that means after i give birth, i can still definitely use this top. 

all i do is just get 1 or 2 sizes higher. i'm a size small, so i just get either a medium (if from a lady's store) or large size (if from a retail store for teens). but you'd be surprised! there are times i can still get away with a small sized item. like the dress i was wearing in this post or the dress i wore to our year-end party:

 

 i was 28 weeks at the time of the party and that's a size small. nice, right? rockin' mommy, rockin' body! woot! lol

so you see, you don't really need to spend on maternity clothes. buy regular clothes that you think will grow with you and your tummy. make sure to get ones with stretchy and cool fabric. i say, a pair of maternity jeans is not really necessary. leggings are more comfortable for me and less-straining.

and don't forget that comfort is always the key. if you're not comfortable with an item or let's say it's tight, don't bother. you might end up not wearing them...until probably after you give birth. or even a few months after you give birth. ;-)

i'm back with a bump

happy new year!

wow. it's been how many months since i last posted something. but i am now back and yes, pregnant again!

i've been quiet about my pregnancy but when i finally announced it, here's what i posted on my facebook account:

i am actually already towards the last stretch of my 31st week. whew! time flies by so fast and i only have a few more weeks to go before the big day!

can't wait to post a lot of things about my 2nd pregnancy. although, i feel bad about not being able to post about uno's milestones. :( i'll squeeze in as much info as i can.

all i can say is, things are a lot different compared to when i was pregnant with uno. and one of them is my new motto: say no to frumpy clothing! haha! i mean, seriously. i was heavier with uno and my clothes were totally unflattering. so this time around, i want that sexy-preggy look. in fact, i actually feel sexier with my tummy and all. so why not flaunt it, right?

most of the time, i make sure my tummy is the focal point of the outfit. that equates to tight clothing - but not too tight that my tummy (and baby) can't breathe.

 

ain't it more beautiful when you're just loud and proud of your tummy? :) my friends refer to it as my "traffic power." hahaha! it's 'coz i find it easier to cross roads with my preggy belly protruding and all.

oh, let's not forget the other elements of the outfit: accessories. i just feel naked without them!

sorry about that doorknob. hihi...

well, what do you think? (also, would that be my official pregnant pose? "turn to the side and put one hand on your waist, the other supporting the belly." hahaha! too early to tell, maybe. we'll see...)

dressing up for two doesn't mean having to wear frumpy clothes. i say, wear it loud and bring on the bling! ;-)

that's all for now. i hope i get to blog daily. i've got a lot of things to share about this 2nd pregnancy, so watch out for that!

 

but before i finally go, here's a glimpse of my little water dragon:

 

 





nice nose, right? =D and yes, his chinese zodiac sign is the water dragon, which is said to be very lucky! uno's a tiger and my 2nd baby's going to be a dragon. my own version of: crouching tiger, hidden dragon. haha!

more of my tummy, being a mommy, and my babies in my next posts. please stay tuned!