The Vain Mom-To-Be

I was in the mood to take a few pictures of me and my growing baby bump. =) I feel like going to the salon later on to have my hair done.. and maybe grab a maternity dress upon hitting the mall.... oh well, the more I gain weight, the more I feel vain. hahaha..

one of my favorite ballet shoes.... =)

goofing around with Leih after a busy day..

whatever... =)

A Special Family Dinner...

Since it's Mommy's birthday, we decided to treat her to a special seafood dinner with my cousins Kuya Borge & Jates.. We feel that she deserves more than just a simple celebration, too sad that my dad and other aunts & cousins are out of the country.
We opted to have dinner at Seaside ~ Mall Of Asia where she loves the crabs... We had ample servings of crabs cooked sweet and spicy.... shrimps & scallops, fish sinigang, and a big serving of grilled fish... whew... it was a satisfying night indeed..

the celebrant with my husband Leih, and my cousins Jates & Kuya Borge

I'm not sure if next year, my Kuya Borge will still be here in the Philippines to celebrate our birthdays with us, so we made sure to take a few pictures just for remembrance... It was a wonderful night with the family.... A night not so different from the other dinners we've shared but definitely, one I will always remember... =)

two of the most important people in my life...

my husband Leih...

my original baby, Jates...

The Birthday Girl!!!

Since I turned a year older, and gained a few pounds this year, I decided to post my picture, (since my tummy's not that big yet)...

Maybe next time, I'll have Leih take some pictures of me in my other preggy dresses just so my baby would soon be able to see how I looked while she was still inside..

picture muna before going to the grocery... =)

Here's my picture, the plump birthday girl with her 25-week-baby bump... (and I'm carrying it proudly)...

My Most Precious Gift...

As October 16 was fast approaching, I was having a bad case of indigestion from the early lunch I had last afternoon... I decided not to have dinner coz I felt like throwing up every now and then. I just hoped Leih would come home early today so I could get my back rub and rest..

But today, Leih was unusually late... I didn't get any calls or message from him telling me he's gonna be late, and it got me so worried. He would be home by midnight most of the time whenever he's on night shift, and as I patiently waited, I drifted off to sleep...

His kiss woke me up. He was finally home by 1:30 am. I hugged him tightly, asking him where he had been coz it got me so worried. I just stayed clinging on to him in tears, telling him how bad my tummy felt. Then he confessed that he went somewhere after getting off from work, little did I know that he bought me a beautiful bouquet from Dangwa at 1am.

Leih had always been the thoughtful one. He was the type who would shower you with flowers and little surprises even when he was still my boyfriend. But ever since we got married, I told him that there is no need to spend much on flowers,(budget wise) and his company alone would suffice, as long as we're together enjoying the day.

It was a very touching moment for me. Just thinking of the effort he gave so he could get me his present. He was already very tired from work but he managed to drive all the way to Dangwa just to get me something special, and drive an hour more to get home... Manila is a treacherous place and bad souls roam freely in the wee hours of the morning, this idea alone made me cringe, I'm just glad my husband's finally home safe and sound and in my arms...

I heated up some spaghetti I saved for him before we went to bed. And though I still feel sick to my tummy, I was more than happy to start my birthday with the most wonderful surprise...

He gave me my back rub afterwards and before I knew it, I was peacefully fast asleep, cuddled into the arms of the man who just started my day in the most unforgettable way....

Early Birthday Surprises...

It was a usual busy Friday at work as we had a scheduled hearing today. But since it's Friday, we were all excited for the weekend... And also, since I'm turning a year older tomorrow, I asked Mommy to cook her delicious spaghetti for all of us at work to share in the afternoon...

I was so surprised when Atty. Grace, our beautiful PAO lawyer, handed me something as soon as she walked into the office.. She remembered my birthday and that gesture alone was enough to make my heart melt.. It was very sweet of her... It was a lovely woven box with a crimson red ribbon, with some chocolates inside and a crunchy delicious apple for my baby Chingching... With the box came a beautiful "journal" that I could put some of my writings in... I felt very touched just having someone remember me...

It was followed by a another surprise in the afternoon as my Ninang Juliet (who also happens to be my officemate) surprised me with a lovely paper bag with some cute shirts and booties for my little one... The sleeveless shirts are of my favorite color, and the booties looked so pretty...

I went home with a big smile on my face... It feels so wonderful to be loved...

The Prepared Mommy...

My good friend (& co-W@Wie) Marion Miral gave birth to her first baby Yuki last September 17, and so, in the motherhood department, she's way ahead of me. We would often exchange ideas and compare experiences in our daily preggy lives, most especially since we share one OB Gyne which she personally referred to me.It's amazing how time flies so fast, it seems only recently that she was planning her preparations for the arrival of baby Yuki, and now, she's already taking on the role of a new doting mommy...

I too have become more excited and giddy as months pass by, as my belly grows bigger, so does my enthusiasm to get everything perfectly ready for my baby ChingChing's coming... Though there are certain customs as to not buying things until you're ready to give birth, I'm opting to bend the rules for myself. In reason that I wouldn't want to cram when my due date gets near. I don't see anything wrong with being prepared, and so, as early as now, (six months), I have been collecting some basic baby necessities for ChingChing with the help (and generosity) of Mommy who's more than eager to choose the stuffs herself..

So far, we've purchased a few newborn clothes, but some are hand-me-downs from my sisters-in-law's babies. I thought it would be wise not to spend too much on newborn clothes since the baby grows fast,and it would be nice to have some used clothes from his Kuyas... Mommy got ChingChing her own Graco stroller, and a few booties and mittens, some grooming items, diapers, beautiful hooded blankets, and a lightweight Snuggle Nest where she'd be sleeping in the next few months. I wouldn't have gotten the Snuggle Nest if it weren't for Marion's advice, and I must say it's a good buy since we are planning to have our baby sleep beside us on our bed. Leihson however got his baby some Avent bottles, (I'm thinking of adding a few more and a sterilizer to go with it). We only have a few pieces of clothes for her, no shoes yet, no toys, I guess we still have a long way to go...

newborn shirt & shorts....

ChingChing's secure sleeper (a.k.a. Snuggle Nest)

some of my baby's first things..

booties, mittens & blankets...

something she could wear when we leave the hospital...

hooded blankets

bibs..

for her head..

Good thing I have a few more months to prepare for her other necessities... Baby stuff is way over-priced here but piece by piece, I'm sure we'll get everything she needs before January steps in... For starters, I think this is pretty good enough... =)

Renovations

Ever since I found out I was expecting, Daddy and Mommy have been more than excited to prepare for our baby's arrival, after all, she's the first grandchild so you get the picture...

the green inspired bathroom

Daddy thought of having some parts of the house renovated for ChingChing, and also, to make the house much more pleasant for us to live in. His first project was to get the bathroom & the garage totally rebuilt, but this time, it was me who gets to decide what design I wanted. I was more than happy to oblige.

Leih, Mommy and I headed off to Manila to look for accessories and tiles and though I must say, three of my first choices were actually sold out, (at Home Depot), we were happy to find the least expensive yet very simple design..

The workers reconstructed our bathroom and the garage at the same time. I knew it cost a big chunk since the garage was made of heavy steel, and the bathroom construction was too meticulous to do, it took them a few weeks to finish it.. But after all the anticipation, it came out beautifully as expected...

Below are a few shots of the renovations being done...

I wanted everything spic and span

our newly-reconstructed gate & garage shed

Baby Shopping!!!

As I'm writing this, I am sprawled on the bed lazily blogging my boredom away as I wait for Leih to come home... It had been a tiring day for me and Mommy, though I must say, it proved productive in a lot of ways.
I had my Congenital Anomaly Scan today and thankfully, everything went well. I am 23 weeks on the way, and my baby's findings were confirmed normal, she is complete in every sense. She moved restlessly while I was undergoing my ultrasound, the doctor even noticed how she would shift her position from one side to another, only to bury her face on some part inside me but even if it brought a little discomfort (and sometimes pain when she kicks), I was happy enough to see my little angel's face for the second time. And so did my Mom who had her first glimpse of Chingching today...

just a few of Chingching's things...

After our procedure, Mommy and I enjoyed the rest of the day just looking at baby clothes and things, from one store to another, until we got our hands full with a few important items for my little girl. I must say, shopping for your baby could be the most wonderful experience ever.. I went home realizing that I wasn't able to get anything for myself. We decided to buy only a few pieces from time to time just so I wouldn't cram when January steps in. I want everything ready when my baby girl arrives...

It's such fun to shop for these cute little items...

Only a few more months to wait and my baby's going to be here with us, with God's good grace... For now, I'll try to catch some sleep as I'm feeling my sweet little pea move again... =)