Room Repainted for Baby at 23 Weeks

Baby and I are halfway to the finish line! We are now on our 23rd week and my pregnancy couldn't be any better, well except for the slight swelling of my feet and hands. The swelling just manifested itself two days ago after hubby and I went to the city for some errands. It was only after I removed  my shoes that I noticed my feet looked bigger than they used to be. We had to walk some distances so that's probably the reason for it.

Anyway, my tummy is getting bigger with each passing week. I keep staring at myself in the mirror sometimes because I can't believe how big my tummy has become. I hope it's just because of water retention and not because baby has grown super huge (I don't want to undergo CS thank you very much!). But I also noticed that baby is more active these days. In fact, if I stare at my tummy while baby is moving I can see some of the movements through my clothes! It's amazing! Baby is usually active at night, kicking and squirming for a few minutes. Even though I haven't had an ultrasound yet I think baby is doing very well inside my tummy and that's what's important.

Since we're already halfway through the pregnancy, I've already started preparing for his/her arrival. Got my room repainted so that we'll be more comfortable staying in it. I know baby won't be able to appreciate it yet but a room with a good ambiance will be more restful for him/her and me as well of course.

My room's new color is a mixture of lavender, pink, and white. Very girly eh? I know that's what hubby said too but it's the color combi that took my fancy. Anyway, if our baby is a boy he'll be too young to know it's too girly.

Aside from the paint I've also rearranged the room's contents to make it look tidy.

So, these are the things I've accomplished for baby so far. Next on the agenda is shopping for baby clothes and other necessities.

I've included a photo of the repainted bedroom. What do you think? Too girly? 

Baby's Heartbeat for the Second Time!

Heard my baby's heartbeat for the second time today! I'm so happy! I know this might not seem like a big deal to some of you out there but for a first time mom-to-be like me it's beyond words! Hearing my baby's heartbeat makes it him/her more real. I'm already 5 months along and although my tummy is already bigger and it's become more obvious, directly knowing that she is really growing inside makes me feel more excited to finally hold him/her in my arms.

Will my baby be a boy or a girl? I'm really not sure but all I know is that this baby is so active! My ob had a difficult time tracking her heartbeat this morning. She placed the device on the left side of my tummy, then on the right. Just when we thought there was a heartbeat it was gone! Baby moved! She had to reposition the device several times until finally baby was cornered at the center of my tummy. This is so unlike the first time, that was four weeks ago. My ob was able to locate the heartbeat on the left side of my tummy without any trouble. Oh well I think it's good that baby is active even at an early age.

Anyway, aside from hearing baby's heartbeat for the second time, we also found out that I gained 7 lbs. in one month. Doc had to prescribed a multivitamin that serves as an appetizer at the same time because I wasn't gaining any weight since my first trimester. I have to take the vitamin/appetizer for another month. I'm afraid i'm going to get really fat because of it. But I just keep thinking, it's for the good of our baby. 

Being fat is not the only thing, I had to have an anti-tetanus shot today too. Ouch! I'm so afraid of injections but then it's a necessary evil for the good of our baby. I'm going to have another injection on our next visit :(. I'm so not looking forward to that part.

But what I'm most excited about is knowing the gender of our baby. To be sure that there won't be any mistake it will be done in December. By that time, the sex organ is fully developed and so it will be clear in the ultrasound. I'm so excited! Can hardly wait! 

Who wants to bet if it's a boy or a girl? ;)

The Baby Inside!

A BABY! Yes we are having one! In fact, I’m already on my 14th week. We’ve actually known about it in the last week of June but I just got too lazy to write about it here. Don’t blame me too much from what I’ve read that laziness and inability to concentrate are among the things that occur to pregnant women during the first trimester.

Wow I can hardly believe there’s a tiny human being growing inside of me. Sometimes I still don’t think it’s real you know. And my tummy doesn’t have a proper bump yet and I can’t feel the baby so, sometimes I talk to myself and ask, “Is there really a baby in there?” But my OB assures me there is. In fact, she told me I’m lucky that I don’t get morning sickness or dizziness that a lot of pregnant women experience.

Hubby and I went for a checkup again last weekend and my OB tried to see if we can hear a heartbeat already but it was a no-go. She put a device (I don’t know what it’s called) with a sound detector attached to a speaker on my tummy and tried to listen for a heartbeat. Then there was a loud thudding sound but she said it’s not the baby but my pulse. She tried for several minutes but it couldn’t be detected just yet. She told me that by 18 weeks to 20 weeks the heartbeat would be easier to detect.

Pregnancy 14 Weeks

My baby is already 14 weeks I can hardly believe it! I kept reading about pregnancy at 14 weeks online. The articles say that my baby is fully formed at this point and the most amazing thing is that he/she can already make some facial expressions! He/she can now squint, grimace, frown and even suck a thumb! I’m really amazed how a baby can do that at just 3 ½ inches! Such is a miracle! 

It’s early stage yet baby so just relax in there. But know that Mama is excited to meet you!

Photo Credit: Babycenter

Masterpiece

 I will just let this photo and the song lyrics speak for themselves:)

PT tests on June 24, June 24 and June 29

Masterpiece

by Sandi Patty 

Before you had a name or opened up your eyes

Or anyone could recognize your face.

You were being formed so delicate in size

Secluded in God's safe and hidden place.

With your little tiny hands and little tiny feet

And little eyes that shimmer like a pearl

He breathed in you a song and to make it all complete

He brought the masterpiece into the world.

You are a masterpiece

A new creation He has formed

And you're as soft and fresh as a snowy winter morn.

And I'm so glad that God has given you to me

Little Lamb of God, you are a masterpiece.

And now you're growing up your life's a miracle

Everytime I look at you I stand in awe

Because I see in you a reflection of me

And you'll always be my little lamb from God

And as your life goes on each day

How I pray that you will see

Just how much your life has meant to me.

And I'm so proud of you

What else is there to say?

Just be the masterpiece He created you to be.

The Orange Gumamela

I found these at my sister's backyard. It was early morning and they still had dew drops on them that I could not resist taking some pictures. These pictures were taken using my Samsung Galaxy Y phone. They're quite clear aren't they? One of the reasons why I'm happy with my Galaxy Y is that it allows me to take impromptu pictures anywhere!

Anyway, I've always been fascinated by Gumamelas. I think they are beautiful.  My favorite is the red gumamela but I these orange ones look gorgeous too! These orange ones are so plump thanks to my Mother. She takes care of the plants really well. She has quite a green thumb! 

Family Getaway at The Village!

The Village Entrance

Before the summer vacation ended, our family decided to have a little out-of-town escapade! June is the start of classes for the kids and also for the teachers so there would less chances to just simply pack up and go somewhere. Lots of things have to be considered before we can take time away so, we decided to have one last hurrah for the summer!

We decided to go to a place called The Village in Camarines Sur. It's actually called The Village at San Bernardino. This place is located in Calabanga, Camarines Sur. I first saw this place at my friend's Facebook page and I thought it looked great so I suggested it to my sister. She liked it too that's why we decided we're going there some time in the future. The chance came sooner.

The place was very relaxing, it was far from the city so it was really quiet and peaceful there. It's the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city! Some parts of The Village are still a work-in-progress but I'm pretty sure they're going to be awesome when finished.

Video of Our Swimming Time in Aguirangan Island

Aguirangan Island

Our time in Aguirangan Island was one of the most fun events during the summer. Even now, if I close my eyes, I can still feel the sandy beach under my feet, the sultry island wind on my face, and hear the rush of the tide on the beach. Oh what bliss it would be to be able to go back there.  

During idle times I can't help myself from taking a look at the photos of our fun time there. It's been two months since then and I've forgotten that I took some videos while on way to Aguirangan Island. While browsing through the files in my PC, I came across the videos and I thought I'd better put them to good use so I thought of uploading them on YouTube. 

Some of the videos I took only lasted about a few seconds so, if I upload them separately, viewers won't find them fun to watch. I tried to fuse four videos into one through Windows Movie Maker but the error about a codec not being downloaded kept popping up. I knew it was useless. Good thing I remembered that YouTube had the Video editor feature and that sure saved the day! I was able to fuse the short videos together and here's the final result! It's the video of our Swimming Time in Aguirangan Island. 

Hope you enjoy it!