Jojo and I spent the entire morning at Torrance Memorial Hospital today. Let me reassure everyone that everything is fine now but but we did have a bit of a scare this morning. Allow me to bore you with the details ...
This morning I went in for my routine check-up with Dr. Chen. Luckily Jojo insisted on going with me, even if I repeatedly told him he didn't have to. Since today was just a basic check up - nothing else, not even an ultrasound, was planned, I told Jojo he could sit this one out. THANK GOD he was stubborn and insisted on going with me. The first part of the check up went smoothly (oh except for the fact that I found out I had gained 6 and a half pounds in the last 4 weeks! Shudder!). Anyway, during the consultation portion, Dr. Chen asked if I feel Jellybean move regularly (by "regularly" he meant at least three times during the hour after breakfast and three times during the hour after lunch - among other times). I told him that I feel flutters throughout the day (mostly at night) but no real "movements" and definitely not on schedule. Dr. Chen was concerned since at 7 months, I should be feeling more than flutters - he said I should feel little kicks and jabs - and they should be pretty regular throughout the day especially after meals. He then listened to Beanie's heart rate (which was normal). But as a precaution he made me go to the Labor & Delivery Dept of Torrance Memorial for additional tests. As usual, I got really nervous and paranoid, which is why I was so glad Jojo was with me. He is very calm and reassuring at times like these!
When we arrived at the hospital, the nursing aides were really helpful. After a few minutes wait, I was sent to the testing room and had to undergo a non-stress test to listen for fetal movement. Since it was my first time, I was hooked up to this machine that read my baby's heart rate and recorded her movements. I had to stay hooked up for 2 hours so they could get a baseline rate. Everything looked normal - Beanie's heart rate was great and she was moving - only I could not feel anything. The doctor-in-charge ordered an ultrasound for me. The ultrasound showed everything was ok - Beanie was the right size and the right position. She was moving and her heart rate was strong too. Lastly, I did a quick urine test and we waited for the results with baited breath.
My nurse, Natalie, and Dr. Chen came by to tell us that basically it boils down to three things: 1.) my placenta is located in the front of my uterus (sorry for being so descriptive) which makes feeling Bean's movements hard. 2.) Bean does not move "on schedule". And 3.) most of Bean's movements are in the late afternoon / evenings (which explains why I am tired at the end of the day and am restless at night). Natalie said we have a "night baby" which may also mean she will be keeping us up at night! Uh-oh.
I am sort of relieved but not quite - only because monitoring Jellybean's activity is now doubly hard (I have to be super sensitive) and jot everything down in a journal. Keep track of any movement as best as I can. And if anything changes (drastically increased or decreased movement) we should head over to the hospital - ASAP! I mean, having them tell me to come in whenever I feel apprehension is great but having to go through these tests every single time is pretty nerve-wracking too!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Fifth Letter
Dear Beanie,
Happy 29th week – only about 9 to 11 weeks to go! I’ll be honest, the thought does make me a little nervous … but only because there seems to be so much left to do to prepare for your arrival. Plus the fact that the whole birthing process kinda scares me somewhat. But other than that, I am so darn excited to have you come be with us already!
Last Saturday, your dad and I went to Babies R Us to register for your baby shower. I was excited since shopping for registries is always fun. Little did we know, it would take us the entire morning (about 3 hours). And when decided to call it a day, we were only about a quarter done. It took us that long to pick out a stroller, car seat, booster seat, and a swing set. The reason it took us so long is because there was so many things to consider and so many choices to choose from! Talk about information overload. Take the choice for strollers – we had to decide if we wanted a full stroller, a mid-sized stroller, a light-weight stroller, a jogger stroller, or a convertible stroller (car seat and stroller in one). Then, when we decided what kind we wanted, we had about 100 choices and had to narrow that down by reading a ton of consumer reports and user reviews. Next we had to compare features, prices, and actual dimensions. Then we had to see the actual model and try it out (opening, closing, lifting, assembling and pretending to push it around). Our next step was picking what style, color and finish we wanted. Lastly, we had to make sure the stroller we picked was available in-store and online. Whew! We spent about an hour picking just the right stroller for you … your dad and I went back and forth. My main concern was how much use we would get out of it, how attractive it was (we want you to be a stylish baby after all!), and whether it was easy to assemble and use. Your dad was concerned about how heavy it was (he is the one doing the lifting after all), the safety features and the consumer reports. After an hour and getting the sales staff involved in our debate, we finally decided to compromise on one. We hope you like what we chose!
Speaking of your registry, we’ve been shopping for that since your baby shower is coming up. I’m so excited for that too. The shower is going to be on Feb. 5th and is being hosted by your aunts – Tracy, Marik, Len, Edel, Cha and Atsi Jen. They are still trying to confirm the place to accommodate about 60 guests. I know it seems like a lot of people – I’m not even sure how that number came up. We started with just family, a few close friends, co-workers, etc. By the time we finished our list we had about 80+ guests (we figure only 60 will actually come)! 80+ guests - that’s not even counting your aunts and uncles in Manila and in other places – just the ones that are here! That just goes to show how many people are so excited to meet you, Beanie.
The last few weeks have been relatively easy for me in terms of my pregnancy. I can’t really complain about anything other than the fact that my belly is quite big now. I am now wearing my maternity clothes (my regular clothes just won’t zip up anymore – not even with the pregnancy band). It’s ok though – to be honest, I kind of enjoy all the pregnancy attention I am getting. These days, I officially look pregnant and not just like I ate too much! It’s also a little bit weird to look down and see just my belly (I can’t see my toes anymore). Other than that, I have a few backaches once in a while and sometimes have difficulty finding a comfortable position when sleeping. But nothing major to complain about! Over the holidays, I caught a really bad cold and it was really hard for me since I couldn’t take any kind of medication (other than over-the-counter Tylenol which did not alleviate any of the cold symptoms). It was probably the worst 10 days of my pregnancy since I had a bad sore throat, a stuffy nose, constant coughing and a horrible headache. Your dad was extremely solicitous in taking care of me – even if I was a probably the world’s worst patient cause I was constantly complaining and was as cranky as a bear! Luckily I survived and am now feeling much better. I had a bit of a scare too last week since I was asked to re-take my gestational diabetes test. My first test came out a bit high and I had to go back and do the second screening. I am just so glad that the results are ok and I do not have gestational diabetes. Whew! So far, everything is going fine.
So, in a nutshell, that’s what’s been up with me in regards to you. Everything is going just fine, Bean. Your dad and I are just so thrilled that these days you are more active and moving around much more. I think it just means you are getting a bit anxious and are definitely getting ready to come on out. YAY! See you REALLY soon! =)
Happy 29th week – only about 9 to 11 weeks to go! I’ll be honest, the thought does make me a little nervous … but only because there seems to be so much left to do to prepare for your arrival. Plus the fact that the whole birthing process kinda scares me somewhat. But other than that, I am so darn excited to have you come be with us already!
Last Saturday, your dad and I went to Babies R Us to register for your baby shower. I was excited since shopping for registries is always fun. Little did we know, it would take us the entire morning (about 3 hours). And when decided to call it a day, we were only about a quarter done. It took us that long to pick out a stroller, car seat, booster seat, and a swing set. The reason it took us so long is because there was so many things to consider and so many choices to choose from! Talk about information overload. Take the choice for strollers – we had to decide if we wanted a full stroller, a mid-sized stroller, a light-weight stroller, a jogger stroller, or a convertible stroller (car seat and stroller in one). Then, when we decided what kind we wanted, we had about 100 choices and had to narrow that down by reading a ton of consumer reports and user reviews. Next we had to compare features, prices, and actual dimensions. Then we had to see the actual model and try it out (opening, closing, lifting, assembling and pretending to push it around). Our next step was picking what style, color and finish we wanted. Lastly, we had to make sure the stroller we picked was available in-store and online. Whew! We spent about an hour picking just the right stroller for you … your dad and I went back and forth. My main concern was how much use we would get out of it, how attractive it was (we want you to be a stylish baby after all!), and whether it was easy to assemble and use. Your dad was concerned about how heavy it was (he is the one doing the lifting after all), the safety features and the consumer reports. After an hour and getting the sales staff involved in our debate, we finally decided to compromise on one. We hope you like what we chose!
Speaking of your registry, we’ve been shopping for that since your baby shower is coming up. I’m so excited for that too. The shower is going to be on Feb. 5th and is being hosted by your aunts – Tracy, Marik, Len, Edel, Cha and Atsi Jen. They are still trying to confirm the place to accommodate about 60 guests. I know it seems like a lot of people – I’m not even sure how that number came up. We started with just family, a few close friends, co-workers, etc. By the time we finished our list we had about 80+ guests (we figure only 60 will actually come)! 80+ guests - that’s not even counting your aunts and uncles in Manila and in other places – just the ones that are here! That just goes to show how many people are so excited to meet you, Beanie.
The last few weeks have been relatively easy for me in terms of my pregnancy. I can’t really complain about anything other than the fact that my belly is quite big now. I am now wearing my maternity clothes (my regular clothes just won’t zip up anymore – not even with the pregnancy band). It’s ok though – to be honest, I kind of enjoy all the pregnancy attention I am getting. These days, I officially look pregnant and not just like I ate too much! It’s also a little bit weird to look down and see just my belly (I can’t see my toes anymore). Other than that, I have a few backaches once in a while and sometimes have difficulty finding a comfortable position when sleeping. But nothing major to complain about! Over the holidays, I caught a really bad cold and it was really hard for me since I couldn’t take any kind of medication (other than over-the-counter Tylenol which did not alleviate any of the cold symptoms). It was probably the worst 10 days of my pregnancy since I had a bad sore throat, a stuffy nose, constant coughing and a horrible headache. Your dad was extremely solicitous in taking care of me – even if I was a probably the world’s worst patient cause I was constantly complaining and was as cranky as a bear! Luckily I survived and am now feeling much better. I had a bit of a scare too last week since I was asked to re-take my gestational diabetes test. My first test came out a bit high and I had to go back and do the second screening. I am just so glad that the results are ok and I do not have gestational diabetes. Whew! So far, everything is going fine.
So, in a nutshell, that’s what’s been up with me in regards to you. Everything is going just fine, Bean. Your dad and I are just so thrilled that these days you are more active and moving around much more. I think it just means you are getting a bit anxious and are definitely getting ready to come on out. YAY! See you REALLY soon! =)
Saturday, January 01, 2011
New Year's Eve
Last night we celebrated New Year's Eve at Marik's place. We had dinner with the family and settled in to watch a DVD while waiting for midnight. Unfortunately Jojo and I could not stay the entire evening as we are both still recovering from colds. We left around 9:30. I got to talk to my family in Manila for a while and then we pretty much continued with our mini New Year's Eve celebration at home - just the three of us - Jojo, me and Beanie! =)
Some pics from the dinner at Marik's place:
My nieces in their New Year's polka dot dresses: Maddie, Faye, Dani, MJ, Sydney and Meredith =)
My nephews: Jeremy, Jorel and Elroy =)
The Ordinario family (we're almost complete)!
Some pics from the dinner at Marik's place:
My nieces in their New Year's polka dot dresses: Maddie, Faye, Dani, MJ, Sydney and Meredith =)
My nephews: Jeremy, Jorel and Elroy =)
The Ordinario family (we're almost complete)!
Friday, December 31, 2010
The Year That Was
Now that 2010 is coming to a close, let me reflect on the year that was ... In some ways 2010 just breezed right by, but on some level it also seemed to go by so slowly at times. There were lots of big moments and also several little moments that will make this a memorable year. 2010 was an exciting year for me - being the Year of the Tiger (and my being born a Tiger), this year held such promise and it did deliver!
I started the year celebrating in Manila which is always good. I loved being able to spend time with my family and in our home. Something about the familiarity of it all will always make Manila the home in my heart - no matter how long I am away or how much I love my second home in Torrance, Manila will always be the place I consider my safe haven. Earlier in the year, I didn't have a job and just focused on rejuvenating myself. I used to hate being alone and not having anything to do - but as I have gotten older I find I am so much more comfortable in my own skin and find pleasure in having time just for myself. I did enjoy discovering my inner homemaker too (who knew I had it in me?).
I found a new job at a local company. I've written tons about my job and again it is not the most prestigious nor the most challenging. But honestly, it is one where I find the perfect balance of feeling good and doing good while "going to work". It is probably not the best position in terms of climbing the corporate ladder but it definitely feels right for me for right now.
We had the biggest blessing that I consider as the most life-changing moment of the entire year. It was finding out that I had a little baby Bean growing inside me. After 5 and a half years of marriage and almost 4 years of trying to conceive, we were blown away by the fact that we were blessed with such a miracle. It's been a sort of rollercoaster ride since then - ups and downs along the way - but in all honestly it is a ride that I am so glad to be on and can't wait to see through. Being pregnant is also a blessing to our marriage, on many levels, I truly feel more connected to Jojo and I know he feels closer to me too.
There were lots of little but significant moments too. This year we celebrated the one year since my dad's passing. While it is still very hard for me to come to grips with the fact that he is now in heaven, I find that I am strangely calm and more accepting of what has happened. It is still by no means easy but I think I am over being angry and depressed about it all. I know dad probably has a hand in making all this just a wee bit easier. This year my brother-in-law, Jay, got married which was a big highlight too. He is the last of Jojo's 6 siblings to tie the knot and we were all really happy and excited for his and Cha's big day. This year Jojo found a new job which has been both a blessing and a challenge. It was a growing point in his career and he has truly found out much about himself in the process. I am glad to be able to be beside him to offer him my support and encouragement. This year my father-in-law had a minor stroke which was scary and sad. But it also allowed us all to reconnect better as a family and in many ways brought me closer to my in-laws. 2010 has brought us a slew of visitors and guests - which we welcomed into our home. It is always nice reconnecting with good friends who I have not been in touch with in a while.
There have been a host of other special events ... birthdays, engagements, anniversaries, babies and kids, trips and travel, new experiences and adventures, facing challenges, learning new things, dealing with frustrations, and just moments and days that don't seem to mean anything at that time but later turn out to be defining moments. It has been a truly good year for me and I am very grateful. I can only hope that 2011 will be just as great for me and everyone else.
Happy New Year, everyone!
I started the year celebrating in Manila which is always good. I loved being able to spend time with my family and in our home. Something about the familiarity of it all will always make Manila the home in my heart - no matter how long I am away or how much I love my second home in Torrance, Manila will always be the place I consider my safe haven. Earlier in the year, I didn't have a job and just focused on rejuvenating myself. I used to hate being alone and not having anything to do - but as I have gotten older I find I am so much more comfortable in my own skin and find pleasure in having time just for myself. I did enjoy discovering my inner homemaker too (who knew I had it in me?).
I found a new job at a local company. I've written tons about my job and again it is not the most prestigious nor the most challenging. But honestly, it is one where I find the perfect balance of feeling good and doing good while "going to work". It is probably not the best position in terms of climbing the corporate ladder but it definitely feels right for me for right now.
We had the biggest blessing that I consider as the most life-changing moment of the entire year. It was finding out that I had a little baby Bean growing inside me. After 5 and a half years of marriage and almost 4 years of trying to conceive, we were blown away by the fact that we were blessed with such a miracle. It's been a sort of rollercoaster ride since then - ups and downs along the way - but in all honestly it is a ride that I am so glad to be on and can't wait to see through. Being pregnant is also a blessing to our marriage, on many levels, I truly feel more connected to Jojo and I know he feels closer to me too.
There were lots of little but significant moments too. This year we celebrated the one year since my dad's passing. While it is still very hard for me to come to grips with the fact that he is now in heaven, I find that I am strangely calm and more accepting of what has happened. It is still by no means easy but I think I am over being angry and depressed about it all. I know dad probably has a hand in making all this just a wee bit easier. This year my brother-in-law, Jay, got married which was a big highlight too. He is the last of Jojo's 6 siblings to tie the knot and we were all really happy and excited for his and Cha's big day. This year Jojo found a new job which has been both a blessing and a challenge. It was a growing point in his career and he has truly found out much about himself in the process. I am glad to be able to be beside him to offer him my support and encouragement. This year my father-in-law had a minor stroke which was scary and sad. But it also allowed us all to reconnect better as a family and in many ways brought me closer to my in-laws. 2010 has brought us a slew of visitors and guests - which we welcomed into our home. It is always nice reconnecting with good friends who I have not been in touch with in a while.
There have been a host of other special events ... birthdays, engagements, anniversaries, babies and kids, trips and travel, new experiences and adventures, facing challenges, learning new things, dealing with frustrations, and just moments and days that don't seem to mean anything at that time but later turn out to be defining moments. It has been a truly good year for me and I am very grateful. I can only hope that 2011 will be just as great for me and everyone else.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Xmas (2010)
I would have posted Xmas pictures sooner but I have two good reasons why I am so delayed this year. First, Jojo and I were both down with the flu on Xmas eve, Xmas day and actually till today (and it's already the 28th). Today is actually the first day I feel some semblance of returning to "normalcy". It's hard since I have not been able to take any meds to alleviate the stuffy nose, sore throat and coughing. All I can take is regular Tylenol or the generic brands which don't really help all that much. But enough about that. The second reason is I don't have that many pics to share. When we looked at the few pics we have on our camera, most of them were shots of the food and presents rather than people! Jojo and I were the hosts this year and so we didn't have much time to gather people for photos. I'll have to wait for my in-laws to post their pics and borrow their copies then =) So, anyway, here are a few pics we have for now:
Christmas Eve was spent with my in-laws. After Xmas mass at St. Margaret Mary's we met at our place. This is one of my few photos with "people". Jojo's family has a strict tradition that presents are only opened at midnight and we only get to eat noche buena after that. We had to while away the time watching DVDs, snacking on finger foods, and playing games. Not easy to keep a group of 23 people (9 of them kids) entertained! But it was fun trying =)
The guys hanging around waiting for us to start with another game (I think this time we were going to play charades). Notice how no one is looking at the camera ... getting a decent group shot is like herding cats!
At around 11:30, we started setting the table. The star of our noche buena was this 8-pound Honeybaked ham. I had to order this 2 weeks ago otherwise it was sold out. But it was worth it cause it was so good! And I mean SOOO GOOOD! I served the ham with horseradish mayo, plain mayo, and and dijon mustard.
I also had a basket of warm, fluffy pan de sal which was perfect with the ham. These are my favorites. I get them from a local Filipino bakery called Valerios. They are super cheap $2.00 for 16 pieces - but really good and taste like the ones back home!
My sisters-in-law also brought their share of food. Marik, brought fresh lumpia (which was super yummy!) and suman with latik. Not pictured is the roasted chickens (Tracy brought), the big pot of sopas (Len brought) and the two whole baked salmons (Cha brought).
Here are the famous Porto's cheese rolls and pastries that Edel brought. Plus for dessert, we also had a huge bowl of fruit salad (not pictured).
Look at all those Xmas presents ... we had to stash them in the garage since there wouldn't be any space to walk around if we kept them in the living room. There were even more presents under the tree! Who says Xmas is just for kids? We, adults, had our fair share too!
On Xmas day, we were suppose to meet Atsi and Mark for lunch but because we were feeling so out of it that day, we had to postpone lunch to the 26th. We met mid-way for lunch at Todai. We exchanged presents and food (I made them a tray of baked macaroni and they got us our favorite pumpernickel bread which Atsi's gets from a local bakery near their place).
Here is a shot of Atsi and I in front of the mall. We are waiting for the guys before heading inside to do some shopping. Notice how much bigger I am than Atsi (who's always been so tiny!).
So that was our holiday celebration here. Merry Christmas from Jojo, me and Jellybean! (I am 27 weeks along in this picture).
Christmas Eve was spent with my in-laws. After Xmas mass at St. Margaret Mary's we met at our place. This is one of my few photos with "people". Jojo's family has a strict tradition that presents are only opened at midnight and we only get to eat noche buena after that. We had to while away the time watching DVDs, snacking on finger foods, and playing games. Not easy to keep a group of 23 people (9 of them kids) entertained! But it was fun trying =)
The guys hanging around waiting for us to start with another game (I think this time we were going to play charades). Notice how no one is looking at the camera ... getting a decent group shot is like herding cats!
At around 11:30, we started setting the table. The star of our noche buena was this 8-pound Honeybaked ham. I had to order this 2 weeks ago otherwise it was sold out. But it was worth it cause it was so good! And I mean SOOO GOOOD! I served the ham with horseradish mayo, plain mayo, and and dijon mustard.
I also had a basket of warm, fluffy pan de sal which was perfect with the ham. These are my favorites. I get them from a local Filipino bakery called Valerios. They are super cheap $2.00 for 16 pieces - but really good and taste like the ones back home!
My sisters-in-law also brought their share of food. Marik, brought fresh lumpia (which was super yummy!) and suman with latik. Not pictured is the roasted chickens (Tracy brought), the big pot of sopas (Len brought) and the two whole baked salmons (Cha brought).
Here are the famous Porto's cheese rolls and pastries that Edel brought. Plus for dessert, we also had a huge bowl of fruit salad (not pictured).
Look at all those Xmas presents ... we had to stash them in the garage since there wouldn't be any space to walk around if we kept them in the living room. There were even more presents under the tree! Who says Xmas is just for kids? We, adults, had our fair share too!
On Xmas day, we were suppose to meet Atsi and Mark for lunch but because we were feeling so out of it that day, we had to postpone lunch to the 26th. We met mid-way for lunch at Todai. We exchanged presents and food (I made them a tray of baked macaroni and they got us our favorite pumpernickel bread which Atsi's gets from a local bakery near their place).
Here is a shot of Atsi and I in front of the mall. We are waiting for the guys before heading inside to do some shopping. Notice how much bigger I am than Atsi (who's always been so tiny!).
So that was our holiday celebration here. Merry Christmas from Jojo, me and Jellybean! (I am 27 weeks along in this picture).
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