The Day TNLO Said Hello

*TNLO - The New Little One
*TLO - The Little One - newly promoted Ate (older sister)

I'm trying to remember as much as I can (forgive the diary-like statements) about TNLO's debut on planet Earth while giving back to the community of mommies searching for answers online. I found a lot of answers and comfort in mommy blogs the entire time I was pregnant. I hope that these TNLO entries will be of assistance to even just one infanticipating mom.

Full Term Redefined

The last time I was pregnant (2008), full term = 36 weeks. And then you'll hear plus/minus two weeks for first time moms. This time around, the doctors said that 37 weeks is the new full term and that the optimal # of weeks in the oven is actually 39! The changes had me consult Dr. Google once again and found this - confirmed. According to the article:

• Early Term:  Between 37 weeks 0 days and 38 weeks 6 days
• Full Term:    Between 39 weeks 0 days and 40 weeks 6 days
• Late Term:   Between 41 weeks 0 days and 41 weeks 6 days
• Postterm:     Between 42 weeks 0 days and beyond

TNLO Scheduled Arrival

TLO was born in April and based on some sad stories about siblings sharing birth months (ex. the wild competition and adverse response to being compared/under each other's shadow), I wanted TNLO to be born on his 40th week, May5. My dear OBGYN said "ok" but gave a stern warning that although I can pick the date (scheduled CS delivery as my first born was also delivered CS), I will need to go through an emergency CS operation the moment I go into labor.

However, as we got closer to the favored date, the waiting game became more and more difficult. I, at one point, had to be rushed to the delivery room due to early labor contractions. TNLO was only at his 36th week back then - not yet ready based on new definitions - and so the doctors managed the contractions through medication. I had to go on "bed rest" = d i f f i c u l t.

Because of this, we also had to choose a new date for TNLO. May5 just didn't seem realistic. I looked like I was going to pop with one monster sneeze/cough. Also, we got an expense scare. It seemed that if we chose a date and I give birth before said date, we'll need to pay extra. No way. So Apr26 became the new ETA.

T Minus... Whatever

Apr19. Remember what I said about bedresting? Ok, here it is =  d i f f i c u l t. So I gave in to a desire to go somewhere --- for TLO her cousins and doting tita M. Everyone had fun at the Quezon City Memorial Circle. Kahit nakaupo lang ako, fun din.

Apr20. The Hubby and I were alone in the apartment. TLO's still on vacation. We had an irreverent but BFF meal for dinner... while watching Toy Story 2. Juvenile! We finished the humongous fries and I had my first Quarter Pounder... side dish = contractions. Yes, I was in pain the entire evening. It was too painful to lie on my back that I only slept for a few hours while sitting down.

BFF Burger Bundle (Photo from McDonalds and Coca Cola)

Apr21. Must I pay so dearly for the BFF meal and Coke? Madrama ang umaga. May iyakan bago pumasok si Hubby sa work. Why? If you're a woman, imagine your most painful dysmenorrhea and multiply the ouch by 100. If you're a guy... imagine your body and arms tied to the backrest of a chair, your legs spread apart... then a big guy comes in and starts kicking you in the 'nads, every 3 minutes. That's the kind of pain I felt.

Apr21. 9AM. Tadaaaaaaaan - Bloody Show! I immediately texted my doctor and to my surprise, he didn't reply via text. He actually called. "O nagle-labor ka na niyan. Punta na kayo sa Makati Med. Pa-schedule ko na CS mo ng 11AM." I was really shocked. I asked "ngayon na agad doc? diba sa April 26 pa tayo?" To which he replied - "aba'y anong gusto mong gawin natin, alangan namang patapalan ko yan, di naman puwede." I love my OBGYN!

I then called the hubby and started the call by saying, "don't panic ha, punta na raw tayo sa hospital." Projection is the best. Ako naman talaga ang nag-panic hindi siya. Pero in fairness sa akin, nakuha ko pang maligo. Napapasandal nga lang ako sa dingding sa sakit. Iyon ang unang ligo na hindi masaya.

Up next - Makati Medical Center, here we come! Are you ready for images na pwede sa Animal Planet or Nat Geo? Heheh!

Testing

Testing app.

Posted via Blogaway

Finally!

Late post from 02/22/14, 1PM

After a year's worth of delay (usual turnover problem in the Philippines), two failed inspection sessions (ever heard of "kapak" tiles?) and one encounter with a property tour guide from hell (she told us that we can't test if the faucets and power switches/outlets are working)... we finally got the keys!

(L) Family pic at the door,  (M) With courteous, warm and service-oriented tour guide Jazzy,
(R) With The talented, dedicated and fab Architect/Interior Designer Red Fuertes

This is a 2-bedroom fully furnished unit at SM Jazz Residences. We have yet to move in as we need the place renovated. We need to put in elements that will help us maximize the small space in Meketeh Ceteh that we can afford. We also need to ensure that the unit will be able to address our needs for the next seven years (because the next big dream is to have a real house by then! pray for us!).

"Bahay namin maliit lamang,
Pero, pero, pero malinis 'to pati sa kusina"

Kitchen. Bye bye LPG days. I will need to adjust to electric stove cooking.

(L) Kids' bedroom, (R) Our bedroom

Living Room

I didn't like the photos of the bathroom that I took. But it's the most "spacious" room in the house. I don't understand why. Anyways, we're very excited to see this baby transform into what and how we envisioned it will and should be. 

Speaking of excitement, one of the biggest reasons behind my excitement is ready... but not yet operational. This is the view of the 6/F. The tower's pool area. The common area for the four towers, where the olympic size pool, more kiddie pools, function rooms/clubhouse area and jogging path are, is still under construction. So yeah, I don't see why we should be paying association dues without the complete set of amenities we signed up for. But what can you do against the good guys? Blah.

Bullshirts by YummyliciousLady #02

Can't sleep. I should do this more often. I should re-learn Photoshop.

On the 20th hour

Konting kembot na lang ay 20 hours na akong gising. Nakasunog ako ng isang pirasong tortang giniling. Naghugas ako ng isang kawali nang lagpas sampung minuto (puro kuskos lang). At nakaligtaan kong umaapaw ang iniipong tubig to the point na napuno ang plangganita kung saan nakapatong ang lalagyan ng tubig. Muntik na rin akong mahulog sa upuan. Nasusuka ako at gumuguhit ang matapang na acid sa aking lalamunan. Maski si Sopling (The New Little One - TNLE) ay aligagang aligaga. Panay ang tigas ng tiyan ko. Sinubukan ko na ang mag-vent kay Luz Klarita pero di pa rin ako kumakalma. Ayoko namang magdasal kasi hindi pa ako tapos magtampo. Oras na para sa ultimate cure. Kailangan na itong isulat.

Kung magkakilala tayo sa totoong buhay ay alam mo ang tungkol sa sitwasyon ni TLO (The Little One). Alam mo na hindi pa siya nagsasalita kahit malapit na siyang mag-limang taon. Alam mo na panay ang attend niya ng speech at occupational therapy, alam mo na nag-aaral siya sa SPED school at alam mo rin na wala kaming nakikitang progreso. Kung updated ka, siguro alam mo rin na minalas kami sa Developmental Pedia at nagsayang ng halos dalawang taon. Alam mo na rin siguro na bumalik kami sa mahusay na DevPed at ngayon ay binubusisi niya ang lahat ng posibleng dahilan ng Global Delay ni TLO.

Hindi siya bingi.

Walang problema sa pandinig si TLO ayon sa dalawang mamahaling tests na ginawa sa kanya. At dahil cleared siya sa aspetong yan, move on kaming lahat sa next possible cause. Ang utak.

Research: Tuberous Sclerosis

Sa unang session sa isang Pediatric Neurologist, tinanong kami kung may balat na puti si TLO. Positive. Ang tawag daw roon ay ash leaf spot at iyon ay isang posible sintomas ng Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). Ang TSC ay may malawak na range ng sintomas --- pwedeng normal ang bata, pwedeng madalas mag-seizure, puwedeng may epilepsy, pwedeng may Global Delay at higit sa lahat, pwedeng may mental retardation (kung saan tumitigil ang development ng utak sa isang edad kahit ang may katawan ay tuloy sa "pagtanda"). Puwede ring may mga tumor ang bata sa utak, puso o kidney.

Para malaman kung ang tao ay may TSC, kailangang dumaan sa EEG at iba pang follow-up tests depende sa resulta ng EEG (ex. CT Scan, MRI).

Image Source: http://rhemashope.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/sleep-deprived-eeg/

Sa Sabado ay dadaan na si TLO sa EEG.

Hindi ako handang malaman ang posible naming malaman. At dahil genetic disorder ang TSC, hindi rin ako handang malaman kung pati sa NTLO ay apektado rin.

Bakit ang lakas mag-trip ng Diyos?

The People In My Neighborhood

Meet I and M. If not for the dedication and brilliance of these two, I will not be where I am now. If they weren't great at what they do, the company will not decide to grow the team. There wouldn't have been any opportunity for me. Yihaaa!

These ladies share a dangerous (for obese me) love for food, everything Korean and... selfies?

 

Ms. R is a superstar in the office. She's a major inspiration behind my career move.

She barely sleeps. It's the merit season. Nobody does in C&B.

Our awkward WACKY. It's comforting to know that someone shares my WACKY discomfort.

 

My two bosses. The left (P) and the right (Ms. R). After I give birth, I cannot be fat. Oh, and P never sleeps too.

Simple rule: click before you eat.

C (far right) is the boss of our bosses. Here, they are making fun of me... trying to beat the 5-second timer o the camera. Running pregnant woman is apparently a funny sight.

Team Activity

We stayed at the Kamana Sanctuary Resort and Spa. It's a majestic destination for relaxation. The Zen minimalist theme of the resort blends perfectly with the view of the mountain ranges,  the ocean and abundant greenery. Like most resorts in Subic, Kamana Sanctuary's beach is not for urban rats craving water activities. It's perfect for sedate, reflective, romantic get away's.

Kamana Sanctuary's perfection lies in its location and architectural design --- do not expect so much from its staff. It seems that they are still in the process of discerning what excellent customer service means. It also seems like they are still not used to having guests. Everything takes a while to prepare and staff tends to panic when simplest questions/requests are thrown their way.

I specifically did not like the big bluff that we experienced. In the process of booking the rooms, I was told (several times!) that they were hosting a big corporate event on the day of our arrival. They said that this is the reason why they can only offer one room type and cannot guarantee availability of the conference room. Well, when we checked in, the place was full... of nothing. Aside from us, the only guests that we saw were  two other people (one couple). Maybe this is some sick sales strategy to create a sense of urgency on our part to confirm the reservation.

Anyways, this was "supposedly" the only room type available on the day of our trip. It's a deluxe twin with loft and a balcony. We shared rooms, despite our boss' generous offer to get us our own rooms, because no one wants to be alone in this spacious work of art. That's a King bed at the lower deck and a Queen on the loft.

Our boss reallywanted us to stay in these babies called Casitas. Again, the resort bluff said that none of these are available on our check in date. When we arrived, our boss asked again and they suddenly had one free. So they put her in one of the Casitas --- farthest from all of us. We could not understand why the rest are not available, or why put her on the last Casita next to nowhere, when there were obviously zero occupants in the entire strip that night.

 These, however, help one forget about terrible service and trust issues.

First "live" encounter with an infinity pool. If I weren't pregnant or if I had preggy swimwear with me, I would have chosen this over sleep and/or breakfast. I miss swimming!

Thank you IHG and thank you to our bosses and my team mates for this wonderful trip. And ok, fine, thank you Kamana Sanctuary Resort and Spa for providing a relaxing, rejuvenating and peaceful venue for our team activity. 

 

Contact Kamana Sanctuary Resort and Spa through these numbers:
Tel nos. +632 843.7851 to 52 (Makati)
Tel nos. +63 47 250.0725 to 28 (Subic)
(To call Subic from Manila, dial 047-250-0725)

Fess Up Time

Dinner with team mates and visiting bosses from Atlanta in Speak Easy. Great company of fierce, flavorful women, cold breeze, Sinatra music and dessert al fresco aggravated these intense emotions ---

I miss frozen margarita
I miss coffee
I miss smoking
I miss getting lost in my hazy me-time

Just saying. But of course... baby manufacturing, and eventually breastmilk production, trumps everything else. It just had to be said.

Candle light fascination

Candle holder centerpiece is heat resistant. Loved playing with it...

Ginger Ale (for Ms. R and I), Wild Berries (mine) and Sangria (M). 

Mga napag-usapan at napag-isipan isang gabing halos mahulog ang buwan

1. Kapag kailangan ng karpintero, dapat magpa-audition.

2. Kulang ba talaga ang mga lalake sa Pilipinas para sa lahat ng babae at baklang naghahangad ng tunay at wagas na pag-ibig? O choosy lang masyado ang mga hanggang ngayon ay bakante pa?

3. Karugtong ng pagkukuwenta (ibawas ang mga below 18, ang mga magpapari, ang mga may asawa na, ang mga may sakit sa pag-iisip, etc. para makuha ang value ng eligible males) ay ang pinakapayak at pinakagasgas na tanong: kapag may edad ka na at nauubusan na ng egg cells or freshness factor (para sa mga bakla), sinong pipiliin mo? Iyong mahal ka o iyong mahal mo?

4. Kapag nasa relasyong dulot ay panay sakit, dulot ng takot na maubusan ng lalake (kunektado pa rin?) o ng marubdob na pag-irog (sabeh!?!), where do you draw the line? Sabay-sabay naming sagot: sa dingding! Ibig sabihin, walang malinaw na sagot. Sang-ayon kami sa sabi ng isa, basta walang sakitang pisikal. Chaka kasi ang black ang blue. Eh yung emosyonal na sakit, ikakanta na lang ng "Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas."

5. Sa hirap ng buhay at sa mas mahirap na buhay pag-ibig, marami sa atin ang nanghihiram na lang. _____ is the way to go (insert name ng kahit sinong kakilalang nagtagumpay sa pang-aagaw). At inaabuso ito ng Star Cinema.

6. Paano mapuputol ang vicious cycle ng pamumuhunan sa anak dito sa Pilipinas? Paano titigil ang killer mindset na kapag nagsimula na magtrabaho ang anak eh tapos na ang parenthood?

7. Ano ang tamang paraan ng pagkulekta ng stool sample para sa mga annual physical exam? Yung dabes way na pwedeng gawan ng step-by-step guide?

8. Kung maliit na pirasong jebs lang ang kailangan para sa fecalysis, bakit wala man lang kutsarita, toothpick, chopsticks o kahit anong maliit na gamit na pwedeng gamiting panungkit man lang na binibigay ang mga clinic pag may test? Anong iniisip nilang ipangkukuha ng pea-size sample?

9. Kung magka-anak ako ng lalake at nabalitaan kong namamakla, ano raw ang gagawin ko? O kung ang anak kong babae ay nagbabayad/bumibili ng lalake dahil ayaw sa kumplikadong relasyon, ano naman ang gagawin kong aksiyon?

10. Kailan na naman tayo magkikita? Limang taon ba ulit?

Creative disclaimer

Lakas ng tawa ko rito. Pero mas malakas ang tuwa. Bihirang bihira makakita sa Facebook ng mga lalakeng nagbibilad ng puso at nagpapaka-kengkoy para sa kanilang mga asawa.

Yan ang tunay na lalake! I don't care what that crappy annoying blog says.

Day1: 4-Month Blogging Backlog in 500 Words

Word Count: 596 (title excluded)

I got pregnant.

Totally unplanned and unexpected. I had to apologize to the NLO (New Little One) after I recovered from almost a month of shock-disbelief-depression.

TLO (The Little One), the eldest, is a special needs child. Genetics is the most likely culprit and so I was (and yes, I still am) scared that the NLO may have the same syndrome and/or birth defects too. Can we support two special needs children financially and emotionally?? I’m not a very optimistic person so words of encouragement don't really help (most of the time). Gregor Mendel won every argument inside my head. But for some reason, praying really helped. The great thing about abstract concepts, like God, or faith, or miracles, is that once fortified with the right timing and circumstances, they become bigger than life – so big that they are able to beget life. I still don’t have any answers for the great what-if’s but through prayers and meditation, I’ve been able to afford excitement.

Real concerns aside, there were reel concerns too. I wanted to be pursued for the NLO – just like in the movies with hubbies being extra sweet, giving flowers, writing letters, showing goo-goo eyes to fertilize. Due to circumstances, mostly none were within my control, the first child was the story of me pushing and prodding for happy endings.  I know, big yuck from the left-brained population. I wanted the second to be asked of me. So when NLO came out of nowhere, it felt like I lost something. But what can you do? A baby is a baby is a baby. At least I’m no Juno.

I got a new job.

It came with two supportive team mates and two super bosses, a laptop, a new phone with unlimited postpaid data plan, a new workstation (priceless in our industry) and, if schedules/tasks permit, work-from-home privileges.

I've learned that the best career decisions are not based on career considerations. The best career decisions are anchored on pursuits and aspirations for one’s personal life. With all honesty and humility, I needed a job that will give me ample time, cerebral and emotional space to be a mother. I needed a job that challenges and develops me but not to the extent that it consumes me outside of the office. I got all of these in my new job. I’m blessed.

On the flip side and a few steps away from being blessed, I've also learned not to underestimate people’s capacity for evil – especially in the workplace. I thought I've seen it all but I was still shocked when I encountered the mother of all evil. The arrogance, the superiority complex, the pride in backyard industry thinking and practices in a global workplace. Bygones. Good riddance.

We’re going to move in to our first “home” in a few weeks.

Simple, quiet, peaceful Christmas. Just the way we wanted it.

Simple, quiet, peaceful New Year. With great food (that I didn’t have to cook!).

Visits from friends I haven’t seen in a looong time.

Spent 15 calendar days as full-time mom and homemaker. I loved every second of this period.

I am having a baby ___. I’m not allowed to share because the dad wants to be surprised.

I signed up in the My500 Words Challenge.

First entry. Tough. I wanted to have a blurb per bold heading but I didn’t have enough time to write nor organize my thoughts. I need to cook in a few, put TLO down for a nap and take a nap too before I prepare for work. But I loved every second of this. Tomorrow may even be better. After this 30-day challenge, I want to do a re-run in the vernacular.