Tag: pregnancy

Week 28: What To Expect When You’re Expecting

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It’s like, better than horoscope! Not that I read or believe in horoscope—I don’t, let me make that one clear. It’s just that.. it’s cool how this website (and its tiny iPhone app) knows exactly what I’m going through in my pregnancy, sometimes even predicting what’s going to happen in the next couple of days.

This is what WTE tells me this week:

This is it — you’re two-thirds to the finish line at 28 weeks pregnant, as you enter the third trimester! And what a difference a trimester makes. Gone, most likely, are the days when you could call pregnancy “comfortable” (that is, if you ever did). These days, your baby’s kicking (or lack of) is keeping you up at night and worried during the day, your feet are swollen, you’re getting tired all over again, and your backache is a pain that just won’t quit. And even though he or she hasn’t started crying yet, it may seem that your baby’s getting on your nerves already — literally.

As your baby gets settled into a proper (you hope) position for birth, his or her head (and your enlarging uterus) may rest on the sciatic nerve in the lower part of your spine. And if that happens, you may feel sharp, shooting pain, tingling, or numbness that starts in your buttocks and radiates down the back of your legs — otherwise known as sciatica. The pain of sciatica can be quite intense at times, and though it may pass if your baby shifts positions, it can also linger until you’ve delivered.

A heating pad, a warm tub, stretches, or just some self-imposed bed rest can help with the discomfort. So can some complementary and alternative therapies.

What do you know, I’m now in my third trimester. And I’m feeling… everything WTE says I should be feeling. Except maybe that part where the fetal movements should start getting in my nerves by now—they don’t, really. In fact, given all the pregnancy pains and woes I’m feeling right now, it’s surely the best times of my day when the babies move and kick and have a little party inside my womb! :)

This morning in the train, one of the twins kicked from within the side of my belly and the lady who was sitting right next to me felt it! She gave me a smile and a “WOW”.

Well, WOW indeed.

A little less than three months to go. Please say a little prayer for these two little kickers (and their clueless Mommy & Daddy) when you have time.

Week 27: I Stand With Arms High and Heart Abandoned

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This one is for keeps: My little family, all four of us, (my husband and I and the two little worshipers inside of me), leading worship at our church‘s Cell Leaders’ Conference. At 27 weeks.

I’ll let you in on how it’s like to lead worship with a pregnant tummy.

It’s extra-challenging, like any other task that requires you to stand for a period of time as you feel the additional weight that hangs around your belly. You have to maintain self-control whenever you feel like dancing or jumping, which can be a little frustrating when you see everyone else dancing and jumping the way you can’t do.  You have to stop in the middle of songs to catch your breath. You feel some leg cramps and back pains but you soldier on anyway.

And then you start feeling fetal movements and some kicking inside of you, and you smile at that thought that the babies are most likely enjoying the drum beats and the music, and hearing their Mommy and Daddy’s muffled voices.

And could it be they’re worshiping too? :)

So you lift your hands and sing your heart out, short of breath, tears on your cheeks, muscle pains and all, heart abandoned to this awesome God—the Giver of life, your Source of strength, your Reason for living, your babies’ Creator. And you know you’re doing exactly what you were made to do.

And that.. is one of the best feelings in the world.

Canyon Woods Batangas Baby Moon

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From our anniversary weekend. Here’s more, just because we have tons of them. :)

The resort was huge, and we had it all to ourselves! Because the place was so huge (Have I said that yet? Oh yeah.), we had to take a shuttle to go around from our cabin to the clubhouse to wherever in the vicinity we want to go.

The clubhouse. We had meals at their empty lounge, with a beautiful view of pine trees and the sky. The food can be pricey in the lounge though, so we had one of our lunches in Tagaytay proper, more or less a 30 minute drive away.

The casitas. Although the rooms and the facilities are old and a little worn out, I think it adds to the rustic and country-feel ambiance that Canyon Woods is all about.

And I just looove the floor-to-ceiling glass doors/windows!

The indoor pool. The highlight of our stay has got to be the indoor pool, which we had all to ourselves! They turn on the heater only in the weekends though, so if you’re planning to come here for the indoor pool, definitely schedule your trip on a weekend.

Say hello to my huge belly, at 26 weeks. :)

I think swimming really did me well, especially for my muscle cramps and back pains. 

The outdoor pool. It was pretty much ours during our stay, too. Although it wasn’t heated, the sunshine on our backs evened out the cold water, which made our outdoor swim a really nice experience as well.

Canyon Woods is always mistaken to be in Tagaytay, but it’s basically in Batangas already. We love it and we definitely recommend it! Like I said, we seemed to be like the only guests at the time, but they’re not under-staffed and we were taken care of really well.

A tip: Best if you go there with coupon deals, we got ours from Cashcashpinoy. ;)

I’d love to come back soon, but my tummy is getting bigger and bigger, and we’re getting closer and closer to our due date. I guess this is my last trip, at least for now.

Week 24: August is Made for Beautiful Weddings

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So we went to this beautiful wedding last weekend and love was definitely all over the place. I’ll post more photographs later, but for now, here are some instagrams:

Just some of the things I loved about that night: (1) the beautiful flowers; (2) the smorgasbord of yummy desserts; (3) the couple’s beautiful love story; and (4) my charming date who seemed to have enjoyed getting a chance to wear a suit ala Harvey Specter, at least for a night.

(Top-right photo: no cocktail drinks for the preggy though, I’ll have water thankyouverymuch.)

Thankfully, I didn’t see anyone wearing the same dress. I wore it proudly with my huge bulge, went back and forth the buffet and dessert tables with no guilt whatsoever (what, I have to eat thrice as much!), and danced the night away with everyone.

While it was my friends’ wedding, my husband and I couldn’t help but have our own sweet moments here and there, remembering how it was like a year ago, also on a rainy August night, when it was our turn to tie the knot. We’re celebrating our anniversary in less than a week! How time flies.

Week 23: Found the Perfect Maternity Wedding Dress

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So we’re going to a big wedding this weekend, and last night, I found the perfect dress to wear to the occasion.

I love it! It fits me like it was tailored for me and my huge bump! I’m surprised I could still fit in a small-sized dress, by the way, when I weigh about 130 pounds by now. The length, the style, the fit, the fabric, the color—everything is just so right, even better than what I was looking for. My only worry is, I got it from Forever 21, and you know how Forever 21 mass-produces every piece of clothing they have, yeah? Well, Jasper & Darlene, the couple who’s getting married this Saturday, has about 500 guests—can you picture how huge a crowd that is? So now I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t bump (pun intended) into someone, out of those 500 people, who wears the same dress as MY perfect dress. We’ll see.

In other news, we’ve moved in to the new apartment, and everything is still a mess. I reckon it will take us this whole month to get our stuff out of moving boxes and put everything in its place. I’m trying my best not to stress out about it. I’m glad that my husband and I have learned to make a home out of whatever space we have, wherever we are.

It’s around this time too, last year, when we were so busy preparing for our wedding and settling down in our first home. July 30, 2011 was the date stamped on David‘s one-way NYC-HK-MLA plane ticket, and I still remember that night in the airport, exactly a year ago, when we were reunited once and for all.

So we’re celebrating a lot of anniversaries this whole month. And we’re making the most out of our time together, just the two of us. Coz soon enough, two kiddos will be sharing our space, and our days, with us. And nothing will ever be the same again.

Oh. boy.

I mean, girls.

Week 22: When I’m with You, I Feel Old

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So I spent one Tuesday afternoon with my girlfriends, and I’ve had these photographs waiting in my drafts for days, short for words as always. But I was positive that one of my girlfriends would blog about it soon, so I thought I’d wait so I can just link it up. I was right.

Thanks, Mae, for doing the honors.

Now all I have to do is to post more photos. :D

And can I just say, in my best Carrie Bradshaw impersonation, “I died and went to cake heaven?”

My friends did this pregnant woman a favor by choosing to hang out at Conti’s that afternoon. They all ordered a slice of cake each, while I had a slice of cake PLUS a plateful of yummy beef lasagna. Pregnancy has its perks. ;)

To end, I’d like to steal her words, because I couldn’t say it any better. Sometimes, life surprises you and gives you family who are like friends, and friends who are like family. Not everyone gets to be blessed with both, but I’m just so thankful that I am.

With these girls, growing old doesn’t feel too scary after all.