eco-friendly

two thumbs up for jollibee who has switched from plastic bags to paper bags for their takeaways (i'm not sure for in-store transactions) just recently. kahit humingi ka ng plastic bag di ka bibigyan. the food is also put in paper containers instead of styro. :)

my third baby shower (MBA6)

during today's lunch break, our MBA batch 6 family had a lunch shower for me and g.



yep, 2 kami ni g from the same MBA batch. :)







thanks, dear mba friends! it was a lovely baby shower! tumigas na naman tiyan ko sa kakatawa. :D



baby kr (and mom, of course!) feels so loved! :)

Mothercare Baby and Me Club event

last saturday, i joined the first mothercare baby and me club event at greenbelt 5. there were 2 main speakers, one from medela moms inc. (maricel cua, if i am not mistaken), who was all about breastfeeding:



and phoebe tsai-te, chief operating officer of the philippine representative office of stemcord, who talked about cord blood banking:



i learned a lot from both speakers, especially on breastfeeding (i am now so committed more than ever to doing it for as long as i can!). re cord blood banking, i asked phoebe to send me more info as i will need to explain it to k.

of course, the branch manager of mothercare greenbelt (sorry your name skips me at the moment) also made a presentation to introduce mothercare and it's wide range of products. mothercare is a specialist retailer of products for mothers-to-be, babies and children up to the age of eight. they offer a wide range of maternity and children's clothing, furniture and home furnishings, bedding, feeding, bathing, travel equipment and toys. mothercare philippines is also the distributor of the following brands: Belly Bandit, Oshi Mat, Skip Hop, Stokke, FlexiBath, Comfi, OKBaby & Inglesina.

it was a very well-attended event, there was a raffle (i got a mothercare baby lotion) and they (stemcord) provided merienda! for referring a few of my preggo friends, i also got starbucks certificates from stemcord! :)

Mothercare in the Philippines is located in the following locations:
Greenbelt 5 (tel. 5013085)
Shangri-la Plaza Mall (tel. 6311896)
Trinoma Mall (tel. 9013097)
Abreeza Mall, Davao (soon to open)
Robinson’s Galleria (soon to open)
SM Masinag (soon to open)

The Medela House
#29 1st St., New Manila
Quezon City
725-3723, 738-6272, 0917-5614366
Maricel Cua and Beng Feliciano
http://medelamoms.multiply.com/

StemCord Philippines
Suite 601 (South) Cathedral Heights Bldg. Complex
St. Luke's Medical Center
279 E. Rodriguez Sr. Blvd.
Quezon City
Trunk Lines: (632) 723 0101 ext 2601
Direct Line: (632) 723 2333
http://www.stemcord.com
Email: stemcord@pldtdsl.net

SMART Ultimate All Star Weekend

i'm sure you've heard of the NBA players coming over to play with our PBA stars last weekend, 23-24 july. the following players came and took manila by storm (list from slambuzz):

Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) *playing coach for NBA Selections
Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets)
Tyreke Evans (Sacramento Kings)
James Harden (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Derrick Williams (2011 No. 2 Draft Pick- Minnesota Timberwolves)
Derek Fisher (Los Angeles Lakers)
Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
Deandre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers) passport issues
Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Javale McGee (Washington Wizards)

kobe arrived just 2 weeks before for a nike event.



except for kobe, i don't know anyone else. well, maybe derrick rose, because k talks about him. and derek fisher, crush ko siya kasi magaling magshoot kahit maliit! :)

i was trying to get tickets (for k) for either events but they were sold out. it wasn't such a biggie but when we saw the live tv coverage of the PBA vs. NBA game that saturday, k was sighing, "sayang naman!" oo nga, sayang! it's not every year that you get all these NBA players in one event, not to mention kobe bryant and derrick rose together!

oh well, maybe next time (if there ever will be a next time!). the next day, sunday, we were up late (as usual). k, with eyes still closed, kept asking, "is it 1pm yet? is it 1pm yet!?" you see, the smart gilas vs. NBA game starts at 1pm, but there will be a delayed tv telecast at 5:30 pm pa. we went back to sleep and woke up again around 11:30 am for brunch. since ana had her day off, k volunteered to buy cooked food from nearby. i was waiting for him to come back when he called, and said that a friend invited him to watch the game at 1pm. imagine, it was almost 12pm. he was ecstatic! :)

everything was a blur - lunch, getting ready, flight, er, car ride. and off he went. i was contented just to stay home and watch the delayed tv telecast.

when he came back that night, he was in cloud nine. was soooo happy he got to watch the game. baby kr was very happy for daddy, too. :)

here are some photos he managed to take of the event.











and did i mention that they got really great seats (a row behind the technical committee)?? when we watched the delayed tv telecast, we could see them on screen haha! all thanks to k's generous friend! sa uulitin! :D

@ 34 weeks

according to babycenter:

Your baby now weighs more than 4.7 pounds/ 2.2 kilograms and is 18 inches/ over 45 centimeters from top to toe. She's filling out and getting rounder - she'll need her fat layers later to regulate her body temperature.

If you don't already talk to your baby, this is a good time to start - at 35 weeks her hearing is fully developed. Don't feel ridiculous if you're already chatting in baby talk. Some evidence shows that newborns pay closer attention to high-pitched tones.

If you've been nervous about going into premature labor, you'll be happy to know that 99 per cent of babies born at week 35 can survive outside the womb - and most have no major problems. Although your baby's central nervous system is still maturing, her lungs are nearly fully developed by now.

Many women start to notice a tingling sensation or numbness in the pelvic region or pain as they walk. This may be caused by the pelvic joints loosening, ready for labor. If you're terribly uncomfortable, mention it to your doctor and check out our self-help tips.

my second baby shower (COOP)

on friday, g and i had a nother baby shower courtesy of our coop memcom friends. these guys are hilarious. when we arrived at the venue, they were posing for photos and you can see their bulging tummies? buntis din daw kunyari sila.



here's a group photo of these nice folks.



our long table.



we started with lunch and sobrang kulitan. g and i were laughing our heads off, not to mention tumigas na mga tummies namin at halos di na kami makahinga sa kakatawa. yup, it was a riot. dahil sa kadaldalan, we were able to do one game only, the measure-the pregnant-bellies game where enteng correctly estimated my belly size (parang sinukat!).

next came their wishes - here they are reading out their lovely thoughts for us moms and the babies. s-w-e-e-t! :)











the wishes (wasn't able to take photos of everything):





thanks, peeps! with you i am always in great company! mmmwaaaaah! :)

my first baby (surprise!) shower (9F)

last tuesday, our colleagues on the 9th floor gave us a surprise baby shower lunch. you see, there are 3 of us expecting and they made this a joint event. and wow, it was a lot of fun!



i knew we were having lunch (4 of us from our suite; 2 of us are pregnant from the same office heehee) and i had an OB check up that morning so i was oblivious to what was going on. my other colleague though, g, had an inkling about the surprise as one of the janitors called her to ask if the arrangement inside the room was OK. "what arrangement!?," g asked. "e ma'am, may picture nyo nakadikit dito, 3 kayo. baby shower nyo daw ito e!" says the guy. buking! g just tried to dismiss it and told the guy to ask someone else hehe

surprise!


we had lots of food and games galore. it's my first and definitely the most memorable! :)





the first game was dress-up-the-bear. all 3 buntis were the contestants, with 3 guys as their "daddies." we had to keep one hand behind our backs so it was a challenge to put on the disposable diaper, onesie and bib! especially for a first time mom, i was the last to finish haha! and it was my first time to actually put on a disposable diaper on something ha. with my younger sisters before, lampin pa and those huge safety pins!





the next game was to pin the baby stuff on a clothesline. there was a wall of baby stuff mixed with other items and the contestants have to pick out the correct items to hang. it was a blast as they had their backs turned to the wall; some got confused and took a long time staring at the items, deciding which is which hehe









the last game (because it was already way past our lunch hour heehee) was the guess-the-spoiled-diaper game. 10 ladies had to guess what "poo" was inside each diaper. oohhh, this was a hit! of course, the organizers did not put real poo but the contents did seem yuck-y and the contestants gingerly opened the diapers and smelled them at a safe distance haha!





turns out the "poo" were ordinary food items: peanut butter, nutella, cheesewiz, mang tomas, etc. some had a hard time guessing as i think the diapers sorta disguised the smell a bit (scented daw e) but some had it figured out right down to the brand haha!

and finally, we get goodie bags yey! can you guess which preggy is having a boy? :)



this was one event that i won't forget ever! we thanked the organizers for an excellent party and their generous gifts. how sweet it is to be loved by all of you! :)

Mothercare Baby and Me Club, 23 July 2011

we have bags to pack

even though my original due date is 8 sep, i am now operating on a mindset that i am actually due in august. my OB says i can give birth as early as 9 aug.

so, just in case baby kr decides to come out earlier than expected, we began preparing our hospital bags. and as recommended by fellow moms and first-time parents, each of us has to prepare a bag.


source: google images

for baby kr's bag, these should be the contents (i have already checked with my OB):

lots of baby blankets
tie side shirts
jumper/frogsuits
cotton balls
diapers for newborn
mittens
booties
bonnets
(note: Medical City will provide baby's toiletries)


source: google images

my bag (already edited by moi):

nursing bras
pajama set/pantulog
underwear
toiletries
maternity pads and/or adult diapers
bath towel, face towel
socks
comfy slippers
going home outfit (a maternity outfit, since my regular clothes won't fit me yet)
extra sleeping pillow
nursing pillow
extra blanket
books - The Baby Manual, What to Expect When You’re Expecting
IPOD, earphone and charger
bag with wallet (don't forget the HMO card!), mobile + charger, etc.


source: google images

for the baby daddy (edited as well):

change of clothes
underwear
pantulog
toiletries
bath towel
slippers
pillows and blanket
digital camera (with SD card and battery, charger)
mobile, charger

we should also not forget to bring these:

photocopy of marriage certificate
Medical City admission form; patient information form
Philhealth form
baby record book (for hand/foot prints, visitor's log, etc.)

19 july update: per our OB, the coach (in this case, k) should bring 1 empty bag with a bonnet and camera to the delivery room. the empty bag to hold my personal belongings (the ones i will take off); the bonnet to cover baby kr's head right after delivery; and a camera to capture all precious moments. she also reminded me not to bring any valuables into the delivery room as these may get lost. bring only stuff you can afford to lose (no jewelry and watches, antique rosaries nor books). pls. note that i also took out the feeding bottles from the baby bag - our ob says we are encouraged to strictly breastfeed. :)
we're almost ready to go, but please baby don't come too soon! :)

baby checklist

as for all first-time moms, we want to know what we need for the big day. we all know that babies need feeding gear, sleeping gear, health and grooming kit, etc. but which ones? what brands are recommendaded? what are the "needs" vs. "wants"?

so far, i have an initial list for the first 3 months. they say that the rest can be bought on a as-need basis. also, to wait until after the baby showers before hoarding on too much baby stuff. babies grow fast, and they won't get to use everything you buy them (if they do, only for a very short while)!

rocoi's baby check list

clothing
onesies
tie side shirts
frogsuits
caps, booties, mittens
socks
receiving blankets with hood

feeding gear
BPA free baby bottles (2oz, 4oz, 8oz) - need a few only as i intend to breastfeed
sterilizer (electrice or microwave?)
extra nipples
bottle and teat brush
drying rack and/or bottle keeper (to separate baby kr's stuff from our own, and to keep the bottles as sterile as possible)

diapering
cloth diapers (gauze and bird's eye - had them bought from divi)
diaper covers (i intend to order from tushy wushies)
2 bins for soiled diapers and soiled clothes

baby grooming and health kit
nail clipper
comb and brush
digital ear thermometer
nasal aspirator
medicine dropper

bathing gear
baby bath tub
wash cloths
hooded towels
lactacyd or any gentle baby wash

breastfeeding essentials
breast pump
breast shields
nipple cream
nursing pillow
milk storage bags or bottles

crib and/or playard and beddings
wooden crib
playard
fitted crib sheets
changing pads/rubber mats
blankets

travelling gear
stroller
car seat

furniture
baby cabinet

toys
black and white soft toys

did i forget anything? just let me know. so far these are what i remember from the forums and mommy support groups. i will edit this list as necessary. :)

NOTE: my hospital bag checklist up next!

gifts for baby kr

we have been receiving gifts for baby kr left and right. and our hearts are overflowing with love and appreciation to our generous family, friends, relatives, colleagues, and even acquaintances who have fondly remembered our almost-here-but-not-quite bundle of joy!



i will have to take some time to sit down and take photographs of the stuff we have received so far (and to think that i haven't had any of my baby showers yet!). believe me, we are almost 100% ready (including the stuff that these lovely people have pledged to give/provide!) to welcome our precious one!

from me, k and baby kr, THANK YOU! :)

@ 32 weeks

from babycenter:

Your baby now weighs approximately 3.75 pounds/ 1.7 kilograms and is about 17 inches/ 42 centimeters long from head to toe. Although his lungs won't be fully developed until just before birth, your little one is inhaling amniotic fluid to exercise his lungs and practice breathing.

Some babies have a head of hair already, others have only a few wisps. Thick hair at birth doesn't necessarily mean thick hair later on but children with fine hair in childhood usually have thinner hair in adulthood.

You're probably gaining a pound/ 450 grams a week, largely because your baby is likely to gain more than half his birthweight during the seven weeks before birth. Make sure you are eating well in these last few weeks.

Note: Experts say every baby develops differently - even in utero. These fetal development pages are designed to give a general idea of how a fetus grows in the womb.

yaiks!

maybe i should stop asking about labor and delivery tips. :)

finally!!!

source: google images

this afternoon, i finally downloaded the angry birds app on my iphone. yey! i have had the iphone for years now but never downloaded a single app. my reason why now? i'll play (if i have time to spare in between taking care of baby kr!) it during my maternity leave. or even during my stay at the hospital. haha! :)

anxious

last tuesday, we had our routine OB check up (before, it was a monthly thing. it's every two weeks now that i'm in my 8th month). and the OB said i can give birth na by 9 aug at the earliest. whaaaaatt?? it has not dawned on me yet that, yes, malapit naaaaa!!! but i am excited as well, so we were talking and laughing with dr. A all throughout the check up. i need to behave daw kasi wala sya between 10-16 july and walang magpapaanak sakin haha! sayang naman kasi we were planning to watch varekai with friends on the 12th. pass muna ako huhu

that night, k told me i was acting a bit bothered after the clinic visit. we were watching tv but i wasn't really paying attention. then he started asking, "are you worried about the labor and delivery?" "are you scared of going to the hospital" etc. etc. i said no, not really. but deep inside i was feeling scared na to give birth! i don't feel i'm 100% ready yet!

then the tears started to fall. i guess all my fears came to the surface. k hugged me and assured me everything's going to be fine. that he'll be there every step of the way. and that once baby kr's out, we will have a good laugh about all my worries. and then he started cracking jokes na (wag ka matakot manganak. matakot ka pag di ka manganak. kawawa naman si baby!) i'm still scared, but knowing that k's around, we can do this!!!

k, thank you. i love you so much more each passing day. baby kr and i are so lucky to have you. :)



source: tumblr image

casey anthony verdict - not guilty!

source: google images

i don't know if you have been following the trial of casey anthony, the mother of the missing 3-year old caylee who disappeared in june 2008 and whose skeletal remains were found after six months.


source: google images

casey was indicted on charges of felony murder. she did not report to the authorities until a month after that her daughter was missing. then cindy anthony, her mother (caylee's grandma) called 911 to report that her daughter casey admitted that caylee was missing; cindy also told the 911 operator that she found casey's car and it smelled like there has been a dead body in it.

what made casey look/seem guilty was her "party girl" behavior. she told the lie of having brought caylee to the nanny (imaginary!) and thereafter she went missing; she was seen hanging out in bars and dancing on top of a table during the time of her daughter's disappearance; she was hanging out with her boyfriend like nothing happened; she told no one that caylee was missing. during the 1 month disappearance, her behavior was not that of a concerned mother looking for her missing daughter (but does that make her a murderer? i don't know.)!

the trial began, and the defense presented stories that caylee accidentally drowned in a pool (what, with TAPE around her mouth?? her remains had duct tape and trace/s of chloroform was present for goodness sakes!), casey's father was allegedly abusing her (casey), and more family drama (that casey's brother may be caylee's real father???). i even saw on tv that they found a strand of decaying hair in casey's car that matched caylee's hair.

but eventually the prosecution failed to present evidence that linked casey directly to the death of her daughter. she was found not guilty of first-degree murder, except for misdemeanors relating to her providing false information (lying!!!) to investigators.

i don't know, but shouldn't they punish her for child neglect?? not reporting to the authorities that your child has been missing for a month is not normal mother behavior!