a pregnancy marked by the seasons

moving to a country during fall/winter and a growing body meant shopping for a totally different wardrobe for the past 9 months. sure, i had my fair share of shopping-like-there's-no-tomorrow when i lived in bangkok... but this time, shopping was/is a necessity, as opposed to being a hobby. LOL.

during winter, i hadn't grown enough to fit into anything maternity so i got away with the normal-sized jackets, turtlenecks, and formal dresses. my only problem then was feeling woozy all the time, and feeling sleepy all day even if i wasn't even working yet!

then came the second trimester and the less crappy and nippy winter air. wool coats, shirts, jackets, and good-old boots still fit. i was feeling better and actually had enough energy to go back to my then-normal routine of house chores, doctor's appointments, and eventually found work.

come spring, i was able to get some of my manila clothes and shoes out of storage. the air was warm enough to allow ballet flats and open-toed sandals out once in a while, and since my fleece jackets could no longer close, i was thankful for the sunshine.

now that it's summer, the only pre-maternity piece of clothing that fits me and the season is the turquoise empire top i wore at my baby shower. other than that, everything can well be forgotten for a while because damn - i'm not sure my hips will shrink again. LOL. my shoes too can be put in storage since i've moved a full size up the scale... which isn't so bad, at least i have a good excuse to buy new winter boots again! hehehe.

my best buddies for the 3rd trimester have been Old Navy, Thyme, and Motherhood... i survived on their jeans and tops without looking like a waddling tablecloth, tent, or sofa! and it's funny too - the sales associates in these stores have come to recognize me already, especially the ones in Thyme and Motherhood! i shall miss them but hey, there will always be nursing tops to collect!

i am loving summer! my only wish though is that there will be enough summer left to take the baby for morning or afternoon walks along the seawall or the park... before she has to be bundled up in fleece and extra layers for fall!


**this post has been brought about by the fact that today we went swimming at the Kitsilano Pool and i tried on my old bikini beneath a maternity tankini top. the good news is, it still fit despite the 9-month belly bump... but my stretch marks weren't for public viewing unless i wear a paper bag over my head! oh and the difference between here and asia when it comes to beachwear - no one cares if you've got a flat tummy or a pregnant belly... there were at least 3 more pregnant women at the pool, all proudly displaying their tummies (with one mom-to-be with a tattoed belly pa!).

(and for those who live in bangkok - no one here swims in a t-shirt, or walks under the sun with an umbrella! LOL. we've been so sun-deprived that every minute of sunshine counts!).

cooked!

during this week's check-up, Dr. P says... "i won't be bothered if you gave birth anytime because when you think about it, the baby's basically cooked already."

LOL. my doctor's such a funny lady.

38 weeks and c-r-a-w-l-i-n-g towards the 40th week mark. these past 2 weeks have been the worst i think. it's quite difficult to sleep, waddle around, or do much... now i understand why pregnant women on their 9th month look tired and can't wait to get the baby out... these days, i too am either cranky or crankier. i think when my water finally breaks, i'll be more cheerful than scared! we can't wait to see the Baby Girl - especially after setting-up her crib and getting her stroller and other gadgets ready... even the car seat base is already set-up in the car!

showbiz pause

i read this in today's inquirer. once upon a time during my manila life, i worked with these people and they were all really great. nyoy was a really nice guy, and an awesome magician too... and hanzel is one of the easiest showbiz managers i have ever had to talk to (he wasn't the typical bading-language-talking-sort too). tsk, tsk... too bad they have apparently parted ways.

*wrote this entry while listening to chico & delamar's morning rush online. hindi naman obvious that i am missing manila no? LOL.

almost but not quite

aldo's not officially part of father's day yet but he finished his baby chores yesterday! i must admit, this papa-to-be is obsessed with getting ready for the baby - acting as if i will be going into labor today!

he said the funniest thing too - it feels like we're cleaning and preparing the house for a guest because her bed, clothes, stroller, car seat, and tub are now all in place!


setting-up the crib, only for me to tell him that he screwed on the droprail the other way around. LOL.


ta-da! it's in the room, waiting for the crib mobile and new owner!


i must admit, i have never - in all our years together - realized how much of a dad aldo can be. heck, he's even fussier than i am about car seats and developmental toys!

36 weeks = 9 months

the doctor has officially put us in the 36 weeks gestation mark. 4 more weeks til we get to full, full, full term (40 weeks)!

hmm.. if we give birth any day now, no one is going to think we got pregnant before our church wedding. LOL. imagine how scandalous that would be, considering that aldo and i weren't physically together til a week before the wedding. hahaha.

what i've learned during the past 3 trimesters:

the first trimester
- sleeping was a favored activity
- a crazy craving for oranges was an early sign of pregnancy
- i got to practice may gag reflex a lot
- smells are much, much stronger... even if it was just the neighbor bringing home curry from the nearby indian restaurant
- eating wasn't that appealing
- hello breakouts... much like those you get before your period starts
- swallowing folic acid tablets made me gag
- i was crazy-emotional... everything annoyed me, most especially winter in vancouver
- for the first time in my life, i had cleavage. hahaha.

the second trimester
- no more sleepy afternoons and late mornings... i got my energy back!
- i started to outgrow closed jackets (thank God it was spring!)
- maternity jeans were a lot more comfy than pre-pregnancy jeans that were covered with a tummy tube
- food was my friend again. LOL. and the pounds just kept on coming.
- no more pimples or skin breakouts, but i did have an annoying pregnancy rash due to the hormones
- had to take the glucose test twice because my doctor found it weird that i was gaining weight so rapidly. good thing both tests came out normal!
- i had major migraines, but couldn't take more than 1 Tylenol a day for them.

the third trimester
- we found out we're having a girl!
- my clothes have now moved into our storage locker. nothing fits except maternity stuff. and when i pulled out my pre-pregnancy jeans... damn, i wonder how i'll ever fit into them again!
- braxton-hicks contractions started somewhere in the 8th month.
- swollen everything --- feet, legs, and hands. not an easy symptom to handle. the doctor said the only solution? get the baby out. hay.
- sleeping is quite challenging these days... pillows don't seem to do the trick.
- i can no longer cute my toenails.
- picking up something from the floor requires creative flexibility... instead of bending forward, you bend sideways.
- stretch marks are inevitable. good thing i only got them this month!
- even pregnancy jeans get too small apparently.

but best of all... i'm proud that i have never, even once, worn a maternity dress! (those things that look mala-duster or mala-tent). LOL. yaay for me!

apparently it is true... around this time, all you want to do is have the baby because it gets uncomfortable and feels like i've been pregnant forever. (which also signals the start of worrying about finding a daycare centre - or at least sitting on their waiting list!)

backyard baby shower

last weekend's baby shower was a blast!



we had sun,




yummy food (and overflowing booze for the boys),



presents to open,



and an excited papa-to-be to demonstrate how a nursing pillow is used properly.




now that's what you call a perfect way to celebrate the coming of a little princess!

thinking out loud

you know how some pregnant women ramble on and on about how much they love being pregnant while stroking their bellies? i'm at 35 weeks already and i don't think i have ever been that dreamy and tv-ad-ish about it. come to think of it, i don't think i have ever uttered the words "i loooove being pregnant" for the past 8 and a half months. ok so maybe i've said that i love being pregnant because i don't have to suck my gut in to hide a tummy pouch, and for the fact that i can eat anything without being guilty about the pounds i'm packing. LOL. but other than that, the nausea, back pains, swollen hands and feet, stretch marks and limited sleeping positions have not exactly sent me into dreamy oblivion.

maybe this whole non-glowy attitude towards pregnancy naturally follows the fact that i was not the sort of little girl that dreamt about her future wedding and kids type.

don't get me wrong though, i HAVE gone crazy over maternity and baby shopping... a trip to the mall isn't complete without something for the baby. and our little apartment is now slowly running out of space because of the baby furniture and a whole cabinet devoted to her.

ack! but still no name for her. there are currently 3 names i've printed in big bold letters and stuck to the fridge... name studies if you will. LOL. we're trying to see if visual reminders can help us decide. hahaha.

we're on our last prenatal class this week and so far, we've learned a LOT. especially since we'll be on our own - no yayas, no relatives, no long line of friends. last week's topic was breastfeeding... and yikes... it's not at all like your usual breastmilk-is-best-for-babies print ad! there's a whole process to it, and it doesn't look as easy too.

judging from the thread of emails from an e-group of newlyweds, seems that there's a huge difference between labor/birthing policies here and manila. here you're basically contained in one room - you give birth in it, the baby stays with you, and you are given a cabinet full of supplies that you will need (cloth diapers, sanitary pads, all sorts of bandages). you get a one time session with a nurse who will teach you how to bathe and diaper a baby, and to breastfeed. that's about it. unless your baby needs an incubator or some sort of special care, she doesn't need to go to the nursery. and most significant of all, breastfeeding is highly encouraged. within the hour after birth, and presumably after she is weighed, clothed, and given a vitamin k shot, she is given back to the mom (who at this point, has already gone to the shower) for breastfeeding. talk about speedy recovery as an expectation. no maarte moms here who can complain that they hurt all over, or are too sore and tired to do anything else!

but i digress. back to the lack of shiny, happy, glowy pregnancy hormones.

maybe i'm just worried about transitioning into the mommy category... i really don't want to screw up this kid's life, or make her into a spoiled monster. or maybe it's because i've watched too much "Shalom In The Home", "Nanny 911", and "Supernanny" - where kids are unruly and disrespectful, to the point that their parents have given up on them (either that or the moms end up yelling all day). i just hope aldo and i do this whole parenting thing right, and that our kid growing up in a different culture from ours will not be a source of a screw-up.

1 more week and i'm considered full term. plus 2 more weeks after that to wait til my water breaks. yikes, where did the time go???

Pajo's Fish & Chips

a lazy, sunny saturday afternoon called for a trip to steveston for good fish & chips by the docks... and boy was it worth it!!! aldo says he makes it a point to pay homage to Pajo's every single summer since he got here - and now i know why. i've had fish & chips in restaurants but Pajo's was the absolute best! it's one of those little shops that don't have indoor seats and tables... just an order counter and a pick-up window, plus wooden benches and seats where customers can happily munch away. it reminded me of the small fish & chips shop my cousin brought me to in australia's gold coast where the fish & chips are awesome too! (i can't remember the name of the shop, but it's near the Versace Hotel.)

our fish & chips were in traditional big paper cones (good thing they weren't real newspapers though!), in a wooden tray that seems to have been made for the cone things since it had big holes in it (the tables had those holes too). the fish was perfectly cooked, not too oily, but not too flat. just the perfect sort that you can hold in one hand and be sure that it won't crumble to pieces. the chips though, were not the typical frozen ones because apparently they're real potatoes... but nothing a little vinegar and salt couldn't fix!



if you ever find yourself in vancouver during the summer, make sure you visit Pajo's... it's way better than the fish & chips in Granville Island or any other restaurant here.