3 Months Later...

Exactly three months after my last post, I finally decided it's time for another one. I don't even know where to start. The last three months have been life-changing. And to say that I am overwhelmed with all the changes is an understatement.

When I delivered our little bundle last August, I saw one of God's miracles. Making me bear the pain and deliver a healthy baby girl is God's work. I know He was right there from the moment I entered the Labor Room, had my first contraction, until the time that I delivered Baby K; and I know that He will always be there to watch over our little family.

Baby K's first few weeks was the hardest, I should say. I could not sleep at night for fear that I might not be able to wake up to the baby's cries. I watch over her all night while busying myself on some novels. Things got better as she grew older, however. Now I sleep close to her, which I think she likes, and get awoken by her after 3-4 hours for feeding.

When K first smiled and cooed, I felt like the happiest person on earth. Jheck was ecstatic, too! His favorite time of the day now is their "face-time" - when they smile at and talk with each other. No amount of stress and pressure from work cannot be taken away by her smiles, coos, and gurgles.

I intend for this blog to be updated and active, but while I'm still struggling with my new schedule (I'm back to work now after my two-month maternity leave), this will have to wait. However, should my schedule permits, I aim to still write about things I find pretty, food, and now, baby and mommy stuff.

'Til my next post!

Love, 

Janjie

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 36, The Emotional Roller Coaster

Okay, so that picture above is not exactly a recent picture, since my fondness for pictorials has been significantly reduced to, wait for it... zero (yep, vanished just like that!) since I got pregnant. I thought that it is quite fitting for this post, however. So, there.

Anyways, this week marks the 36th of my pregnancy. Nine freakin' months, yeah baby! So, how does it feel, you ask? Or not. I don't care, I'll tell you anyway. Well, have you ever been so tired of being tired? Have you ever felt like being invaded and not owning your body anymore? If not, then you probably have never been pregnant before, because I swear that's just how I feel right now. I feel as though my body is just so done, so worn out, and so used up at this point. But don't get me wrong. This is a choice I made and I do not regret a single thing about this pregnancy ever. There is nothing in the world I so desire right now but to deliver a healthy and strong baby girl and to finally meet her. It's just that... I'm already so tired and exhausted that I just wanna cry. ;-( Taking a rest and not doing anything is not an option either. It only makes me feel even more tired. That is why I decided to do freelance writing online again. It, at least, gives me some form of distraction, and one that pays at that.    

I don't know if it is all the pregnancy hormones kicking in, but I'm feeling especially emotional today. Hence, this post. Maybe because the hubby is out of town for work and I'm left with no one to talk to anymore. It's he who always absorbs my overflowing stresses and complaints and exhaustion and desperation and whatnots. And now that he is not around and will not be around for a few more weeks, I'm alone and sad and even more tired. This makes me think about an even deeper issue that I have chosen not to deal with all because I have Argey anyway - that I have no real best friend. Well, there's Argey who is my bestest friend and my husband in one, but there's just no one else. There are my gurls, yes, but... I don't know, maybe I want more than the occasional meet-ups, the hollow talks and the superficial decision of leaving broken pieces un-mended. 

Times like this make me wish I have someone who will be there to check on me, to share with my anxiety and nervousness, to listen to my weird talks about the changes I feel physically and emotionally, to just be there for me as I will always do for them. It's times like this that I feel very inadequate and ask myself what else I need to do to get the care and attention I think I deserve. I have always been an independent and confident person, but sometimes it's just so tempting to be the one being looked after this time. Sometimes I wish I had the chance to make groups of friends, instead of having only one. Now, I realized that the problem with giving your whole self to a few people is that they can always choose to tear you up, leaving you broken and with no one else. You do everything to take care of them, but you get shunned away and are left wondering where exactly you went wrong. 

Whoa! You, sneaky hormones! Anyways, I'm now counting days, and I still can't believe how I managed all the changes in my body all these time. Nine months is no joke, I tell you. My OB said that D-day can be as early as the first week of August, and I find myself desperately hoping that it will really happen then. I'm both anxious and excited for that day to finally come. I know the little one feels the same way, too, or is she just being super active lately? I hope Argey and I can still squeeze in a short maternity shoot, though. We've always been planning for one, but our busy schedules just won't allow it. I know, I know, it will be a real bummer not to have one.  

'Til my next post (whenever that may be)!

Love, 

Janjie

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 25, Time to Shop & Travel

I'm on my 25th week now, and I just wish time comes a little faster now. Now I'm past the second trimester and entering the third and last 3 months of my pregnancy. I don't know what first-time mommies usually feel during this time, but I feel excited more than scared, really. I have slowly learned of the patterns in the baby's movements already, and she flutters and kicks now when I stroke my tummy, when Jheck and I call her, or when Wabby, our dog, barks at my tummy.

Oh, did you notice I now use one pronoun? Yep, it's a SHE and Jheck and I could not be happier! (*insert big, toothy smile here)

According to http://www.babycenter.com, where I usually learn about pregnancy stuff, my little one now measures 13 1/2 inches and weighs about 1 1/2 lbs. ONLY one and a half friggin' pounds, which means all these weight that I'm gaining is ALL MINE!!! (*sniff)

My OB asked me to go on a diet already, which I'm doing. I swear, I'm doing my best! I have cereal or oatmeal for breakfast; full meal with brown rice for lunch; and oatmeal and milk, and sometimes just fruits for dinner. I also eat wheat bread with peanut butter, wheat crackers, raisins, or fruits in between meals, too.   But the other day when I stood on a weighing scale, I swear I just gained another five pounds, and it's not even the end of the month yet.


ONLINE SHOPPING

Anyway, Jheck and I have already started with the baby stuff shopping. We always visit the baby sections in the malls that we have around Dumaguete, but we do most of the shopping online. We got to try these two shopping sites yet:

1. Tots and Toddlers (http://totsandtoddlers.com.ph)

Shopping here is fuss-free and easy. I love that their items are unique, quirky, and reasonably-priced. We got Carter's bodysuits, bather and receiving blankets, Avent baby bottles, and cute rompers. We also got this nest that is so hard to resist!

I find shopping at Tots and Toddlers so convenient. You have a lot of payment options, including bank transfer and Paypal. Average delivery period for provincial destinations is 3 days, but we got ours in 2. 

2. JRLL Baby Online Store (https://www.facebook.com/jrllbabyonlinestore)

I love their unique items, too, but my shopping experience with them was not very pleasant. It turned out that some of the items that I had reserved was already sold out, and they told me that after I already made the payment. As a result I had to change the items or get a refund, so I just browsed around again and looked for new items. It's so sad that the fabric diapers and shoes that I liked were no longer available, and I was stuck with the ones that are. I also told them to insert the amount that was not expended due to the changing of items on the package, but no money was there when it arrived. I still received the delivery with the new items, though, which tells us that they are legit; but if you plan on purchasing items from them, you better make sure the items that you like are really available. 

TRAVELLING WITH THE BUMP

Last weekend, Argey and I went on a short break and traveled to Cebu. I was quite hesitant at first to go on a 4-hour bus ride, but I realized that I will no longer have the chance to go out in a few week's time and until a few months after the delivery, so I just decided to go. I did a lot of research on travelling with a six-month baby bump and found out that it is safe, as long as you keep yourself hydrated. Flexing the feet and changing sitting positions frequently also helps in keeping the blood flow normal. So, yep, I survived! Keeping my pace slow and always drinking water helped a lot. 

Jheck and I visited Sto. Niño Basilica and strolled around the malls. Of course, we never missed the baby stores. We got a few additional bodysuits and rompers, some pretty socks, and hooded towels. We are often told not to splurge on baby clothing so much because she'll likely grow very fast, but I'm still working on resisting the overloaded cuteness of those little clothes and dresses. Urgh, so hard!

We also visited La Vie Parisienne. I have been longing to eat there, and I finally got the chance to. True to what others said, their croissants are to die for! It's the best croissant I've ever tasted! 

 

If you're planning to head to Cebu City anytime soon, never fail to visit La Vie Pariesienne. It's along Gorordo Ave., Lahug, right beside the famous French Restaurant, La Maison Rose.

I'm surely going back there as soon as I can, maybe with our baby girl in tow already!


Love, 

Janjie