♥ 27 weeks today ♥

In some pregnancy books, 27-28 weeks is the start of the seventh month. And the 7th month is the start of the third trimester. WOW! This second pregnancy of ours is sure is going fast :) Our EDD is early March 2012, 3 more months to go!

http://babyblues2010.blogspot.com/2009/11/pregnancy-breakdown.html

stretch marks galore! :p

It's not our second baby's fault actually. When I was pregnant with Iya, I got stretch marks in my belly around the 35th week. The picture at left was from my 31st week where I boasted I didn't have any stretch marks. As you can see my belly is smooth and oh-so clear :) A friend commented she thought she didn't have stretch marks in her first pregnancy too, that is until she gave birth and finally saw the marks on her flat baby-less belly. One month after her comment, I saw my first stretch marks, gahh!! Thank god the marks were small and stayed like that til I gave birth to Iya :) The marks eventually faded without any post-partum interventions (i.e. cream or lotions) on my part. Sad to say, the stretch marks came back with a vengeance now, in my second pregnancy.. *sigh*

What's more, unlike in my first pregnancy, I wasn't active in stretch marks prevention this time around. Before, I started my anti-stretch mark regimen after the first trimester. I rubbed on natural lotion on my belly every single night. My sister-in-law even suggested to use olive oil which she used and my mom swears my SIL has no stretch marks in her belly at all! I found that encouraging but I never got around to using olive oil as it is too icky for me :p Anyway, this time around, I haven't put any anti-stretch mark cream or lotion in my belly since the second pregnancy began. Hopefully, I can find the best stretch mark cream before I go into my third trimester (I'm on the 6th month now) and apply it on my belly like crazy til I give birth! Maybe I'll even give olive oil a try :p Hopefully it will discourage any new marks to appear (on belly, arms, breasts and thighs) and will help remove the old. Will probably write an update on this stretch marks affair after I give birth. Maybe even post before/after photos if my belly doesn't look too horrifying! Hehe!

baby in the bun! :)

As promised in the last post, here's my "official" blog announcement regarding our second pregnancy :) Sad to say, unlike our first pregnancy, there's hardly no documentation this time around :( With Iya, I made a baby blog and a Facebook album chronicling the 10months of carrying her to term. I just hope our second kid won't mind. It's been very hectic being pregnant while taking care of a very active toddler (I'm a hands-on mom, no nanny). And forget housework, I only get things done when hubby's off from work or when Iya is asleep -_-

Anyway, I announced my current pregnancy via Google Plus (G+) when I was about 5 1/2 months. If you want to follow my pregnancy updates, go here: http://gplus.to/melissasolito :) If there's one thing good with this pregnancy is the fact that I have G+ to stimulate my brain and have crazy fun! To those who say G+ is dead, you clearly don't know how to make your Stream interesting! If you're tired of the useless updates, gossip, spam and endless game notifications from Facebook, go check Google Plus! But don't blame me if you get addicted :p And yes, G+ IS addicting!

waiting for baby Iya.. =)

In two days, we'll be in our 39 weeks of pregnancy. Add one week to that and we'll hit baby Iya's due date (March 26). Already I'm getting antsy to give birth. I'm plain tired of carrying all the extra weight (13kg in my last weigh-in!) and of course, we wanna see our newborn already =) Waiting for baby Iya to come out is one of the longest wait that Labsie and I ever experienced. We're normally very patient persons but this time, we wanna see our princess already!! Guess most first-time parents are like this, hehe!

Anyway, we're all done with the welcoming-baby-Iya preparations. Our bedroom is optimized for baby co-sleeping, Iya's baby corner is done, I had my hair trimmed + manicure + pedicure, our hospital bags are packed, needed paperwork and money are all set -- we're practically 99.9% ready to welcome baby Iya to the world! Now all I need is for labor to start and find my beloved eye glasses! I have had my maroon frame glasses for the longest time (see it in action below, circa 2007) and two days ago, I lost it. I was just at home that time so I thought that with diligent search, I should be able to find it. Unfortunately, I had no such luck =( Today's my third day without my glasses and it really sucked watching TV coz I can't see clearly without squinting *sigh*

Right now I'm still thinking if I'll buy new eye glasses (which means I have to go the mall and I don't have that energy now) or just keep looking for my old one. I'm sure I won't be needing one when I give birth (it will just slide off my nose with all sweat during labor, hehe) but I will certainly need it when I go out of the house or watch TV or view far-away objects. Decisions, decisions! I certainly don't need this predicament right now, just when I'm focusing to give birth already! :p

in the last stretch of my pregnancy

Top view of my belly in the third trimester ;-)

It's been more than six months since Labsie and I officially found out we were having a baby. From looking for maternity clothes, pregnancy pants and baby layette, to attending childbirth classes and touring hospitals -- we are now finally on the last stretch. Soon, we will see our firstborn.. ^_^ But even though time did not fly by that fast and I had plenty of time to think about being a mother, I'm still finding myself not quite ready for the motherhood thingy. Truth be told, having a kid is not among my life's goals. All I ever wanted were:

1. become a licensed medical doctor (done last 2008) and help people
2. travel around our country (mostly done), the world (err, 1% done! LOL) and go into outer space (this is NOT a joke!)
3. live normally and happily with my family and loved ones.

As you can see, even having a wedding and marriage were not on my list! But right now I can honestly tell you that I'm loving married life with Labsie so I'm really hoping I'll learn to love motherhood too. I just hope our baby Iya will be a good girl and won't give us headaches, hehe! ^_^ On a side note, exactly today, I'm on the 36th week of my pregnancy. Yep, we're on the 9th month already! In just a few days, I'll be giving birth (normal and easy delivery please!) and married life as Labsie and I know it will soon be over. SO HELP US GOD!

pregnancy and sleepiness :p

For some reason, I’m always in the mood to nap during mid-mornings these days. It’s funny coz when I was young, I would thwart all the adults’ attempts to have me take my daily nap. I prefer to play all day long, rest not needed, lol! However, I noticed lately that I’m growing fond of sleeping during mornings which led me to sleeping late in the evening (or very early in the morning). I’m not sure why my sleeping habits changed — maybe its coz our lovely bed is very comfy and I just want to lie in it forever! Hehe! Or that the second trimester energy boost is gone and I'm now feeling the third trimester lethargy, ughh!

Today, I’m planning to work online whole morning and have my nap in the afternoon ;-) I’ll probably have a good 2-3 hours sleep before I need to cook dinner. I’ll wait for my hubby to arrive then we’ll eat then we’ll watch TV, talk a bit, and basically bond. Then it’s sleeping time again for me! Hehe! Sleeping in our comfy bed (even if its not one of our must-have dream leather beds) makes my day every night ^_^ However, with me being 8 months pregnant and all, having an electric adjustable bed will even be better. Yes, the ones used as hospital beds – it’s now going mainstream and is available to home owners! If only we could afford it.. :p The additional offender groans.

check out our baby blog!

It's been up for quite awhile but it's only now that I'm starting to promote it as it has lots of content already =) And to start off, here are our first trimester posts! Well, actually, it's below the ultrasound photo (our first look of our sweet baby!). We're on the sixth month of pregnancy and so far, me + hubby + baby are doing great ^_^ Enjoy the posts!

Weeks 1 - 6: The First 6 Weeks

Week 7: August 2 - 9, 2009

Week 8: August 9 - 16, 2009

Week 9: August 16 - 23, 2009

Week 10: August 23 - 30, 2009

Week 11: August 03 - Sept 6, 2009

Week 12: September 6 - 13, 2009

Science Stuff: First Trimester Recap

pregnancy aches and pains..

I'm nearly five and a half months pregnant, and boy, the weight I gained is taking a toll on my petite body! I gained a total of 6.5 kilos for the first half of my pregnancy and though my body mass index (BMI) is still normal for my height, this is the heaviest I've been my entire life! I've been chubby during my high school life and during summertimes but at most, I only weighed 47-48 kilos. The added weight plus my bulging abdomen have been killing my back, calves and feet! I badly need a full body massage and foot spa but I'm so lazy to get out of our house. As it is, I'm relying on hubby for mini-back massages and foot massages every day. He sooo good at it, especially with the foot!

Hubby's aunt (who lives in New York) even compared his "expertise" to podiatrists manhattan! =) I think Labsie's aunt compared him to Dr. Les Glubo, a leading podiatrist in New York who has been providing expert foot care for over 25 years. I've seen this foot doctor being interviewed in Inside Edition, Fox News and The Early Show, and I was impressed with his credentials and the wide array of foot services his office offered. Wish I was in New York and have my aching preggy feet pampered by him!

50% done with the pregnancy! =)

Yep, I’m gestating for 20 weeks today and that means in another 20 weeks, we’ll finally meet our firstborn! How exciting is that?? My only problem is that our Baby Fund is still zero, i.e. no savings yet. This pregnancy of ours caught us by surprise and most of our savings in our first year of marriage went into our second honeymoon (babymoon) last October. The trip was already booked months before so we can’t cancel and save the money for our baby. So now, with 4 months before my due date, we’re gonna save money like crazy! Or like those ants preparing for the rainy day.. ;-)

Maternity & Baby Stuff Wishlist

Sleeper Keeper Total Body Comfort Pregnancy Pillow

Smart idea, sensational results: Take the concept of a pillow, stretch it to an elongated curve, contour it to provide the right kind of support where it is needed, and make it flexible so the user can shape it as necessary. Voila! This pillow does the work of 5 and is great for back and stomach support during pregnancy.

Designed by a registered nurse to follow the natural shape of your whole body

Horseshoe-shaped head section allows you to obtain comfortable upper body position and height

Extra-long midsection is perfect width for complete back or tummy support

The slightly curved end tucks snugly between knees as it conforms to body's shape, keeping you cool and comfortable

Allows you to shift from side to side as recommended by obstetricians

Cradles your body for recommended side sleeping

Helps keep your hips and spine in a neutral position

Promotes better circulation by lifting and cushioning areas you choose

Relieves strain on stomach, back, shoulders, neck, hips and legs while sleeping

After your delivery, it's a perfect support pillow for you and baby while breast-feeding; Also a great support for infants sitting up

100% polyester fiberfill covered with 100% cotton flannel in a plaid pattern

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Gabriel Feeding Pad Break-Away

The Gabriel Feeding Pad Break-Away is a 3-in-1 product for nursing, burping or bottle-feeding! The Nursing Veil has finger loopholes to hold veil in place while minimizing infant distractions in public feeding situations, and end flaps that lift for mom-to-baby eye contact. The pad flips over to burp baby on soft fabric or to allow baby to rest comfortably on lap or shoulder. The bottle-feeding feature holds a 2-9 oz. bottle of milk and frees one hand while feeding baby upright.

Nursing Veil (the large denim cloth on left side, second pic) Features:

Lift end flaps for mom-to-baby eye contact

Small opening to view baby while nursing

Lightweight fabric for maximum coverage and air circulation

Pocket for nursing pads, toy or teething ring

Minimizes infant distractions while feeding

Finger loopholes keep veil from shifting and sliding

Burping Pad Features:

Soft padded back (white cloth on above right, second pic) for burping or resting

Protective barrier to prevent fluid penetration

Bottle-feeding (birth to 6 months)

Free one hand while feeding baby

Holds a 2-9 oz. bottle (bottle not included)

Pocket for bottle cap

Holds pacifier or teething ring

Contoured neck for comfortable fit

my weird cravings

One awesome thing when you're pregnant is that you get to have food cravings that you have to have at that moment. Not buts or ifs from the husband or partner -- he has to get the craved food asap or else all hell will break lose! ;-) I had my share of food cravings during the first two months of my pregnancy, the time when I was still blissfully unaware that I was eating for two. I craved for sour green mango with salty shrimp paste, sour oranges and apples dipped in plain salt, cheesy junkfood and steamed seafood. Sounds pretty usual for pregnancy cravings right? Well, my weird cravings are actualy non-food stuff!

Would you believe that during my first trimester (I'm in the second tri now, woohoo!) I craved to watch car shows? Thank god our cable had Discovery Turbo! My cravings were satisfied. Of course, I also looked online for sexy cars and devilish big bikes, and stumbled upon national cycle's website. My saliva just drooled from viewing their stocks of Cruisers, Harleys, Sport Bikes, and Goldwings. They also have over 30,000 motorcycle parts and accessories to fully customize your bike. Mine will be heavenly pink and a girly big bike :p Hubby says my weird craving for cars and bikes might indicate that we'll be having a baby boy. If that's the case, we should buy a big bike for him now! ;-)

we're 3 months pregnant!

It's official, Labsie and I are 3 months pregnant! Hubby is very thrilled while I'm quite ambivalent about it. After all, we planned to have a baby after 3-4 years of marriage. And we're still on our first year. Tsk! But hey, God thought we're ready to be parents so here we are: unexpectedly expecting our first bundle of joy! ^_^ On a side note, four posts from August and 2 posts from early September will now be published below. We wanted to wait until we're 3 months pregnant to announce publicly that we're expecting and these 6 posts contained references to our pregnancy that's why I didn't publish it yet. Enjoy reading!