Reminder to self:

Problem solved!

Thank you, Buddha!!!!

Just when I was wondering what final decision to make about my plans for 2nd half of this year, it has been made for me!

My boss pulled me in this morning into his office and midway into our conversation, he suddenly brought up my maternity leave and the fact that I'm nearing the 2-year mark here in this office. The convo went like this:

Boss: So, you'll be two years na here by June, which is also when you're due to give birth, right? So you'll be out for 2-3 months depending on whether you're CS or normal delivery... I guess you'll go back to Smart afterwards? That's what's fair to you.

Gladys: Speechless but nods

Boss: So I'll tell them you'll be back by Q4.


Gladys: Actually, I was thinking of extending my leave further.

Boss: Extending? Without pay na yon. So.. until yearend?

Gladys: Yeah

Boss: Okay, so I'll tell Smart HR you'll be back on January 2016. What function do you want?

Gladys: A brand role.

Boss: Okay, I'll make that communication. It has to be told to them earlier, you know, because these things take time and I want to make sure you'll get a good position. So that settles it. Who do you think can take your place here?

Gladys: Mentions a name.

Boss: Yeah, good point. Okay.

Done.

What a huge relief. I didn't have to suffer through a tough, emotional conversation. I didn't even have to utter much, not even a single word about how this is my first baby, my dream come true, etc etc. It was all fixed up for me.

I can't help but attribute it to Buddha- I've been, after all, praying to Him to take care of my career progression from this point forward, considering that the baby will be my top priority. It's like He inception-ed Noel into this line of thinking, in such an effective way that the road ended up being fixed for me all the way.

I am shocked. In a good way. I can't believe all that went down so well. So easily. This pregnancy may have gone through a tough road to get going, but so far, everything else about it and after it has been smooth-sailing. (Knock on wood, pwera usog) Hope that's a sign of everything else to come.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Santo Singkong. I am beyond grateful. Your blessing has never left my side.

Grateful. Happy Chinese New Year!!

Quickening and some other thoughts

So, it turned out, a few hours after I wrote my last update, my baby started quickening, aka those first solid movements of the baby in the womb. True enough, it did feel like bubbles, as my doctor described. But unlike the flicks from the previous week, which were so infrequent (like 1-2 times a day only) that sometimes I doubted maybe it was all just a figment of my mind, these are qute frequent, about 7-8 times an hour. I first felt them last Tuesday - right on my 20th week- evening while lying in bed. The first bubble came up, then another one and another one. 4 in quick succession. I was so happily surprised- and the idea of my little one being "really there" became even more real, and I cried tears of joy. I just lay there on the bed, half-laughing and crying with indescribable happiness. Hello there, love! Mommy is here :)

Dennis was in the other room at this time so when he came back a few minutes later, he was shocked to see me crying. I told him to hurry and come over to me, so he can put his hand over the spot where the kicks were. He was able to feel one solid kick, and I knew he felt the same. 

He hasn't been able to catch more since then though. I know he feels a bit left out hehe, but I tell him not to worry. He will feel more as time goes by. 

Anyway, today, I found myself thinking again about cord blood banking. Dennis and I initially decided to forego it, mostly because according to my research, there's little chance of needing it and even if the need arises, there's a limitation to what it can do. The quantity, for starters, can only save a child, not a full adult or even some teens. Not all diseases can also use it. If you match that with the cost, it seems like a lot of marketing and not much insurance. 

But there's that nagging guilt-trip of a line "what if it CAN save your baby?" 

Grrr. Marketing. I hate you. 

Hmm what else... I am happily into researching various topics related to the baby, like comparing breast pumps and looking at crib VS cosleeper VS packNplays. It's a complicated world out there! Haha! But definitely no shopping yet until my 7th month. My mom's strict orders. 

Which leads me to think of baby showers. Since I don't have sisters, I am not sure how to go about this. According to the TheBump app, I should start scheduling baby showers and the like. Is this really done by the mom-to-be, at least in the US? Sounds strange to me. 

I am also still "praning", especially worrying about what can possibly go wrong with the baby or with giving birth, et al. I should really find a better way of putting a lid of this. 

Oh and latest preggers symptom: loose stools (tmi, sorry). I just wanted to share this because I think not a lot of people talk about it as much as they talk about constipation. What's up with that?! Hehe. 

Thursday is the congenital scan. Fingers crossed everything is okay (I'm praning nga, as I mentioned). Can't wait to see the baby again though!! :)

Oh and it looks like our baby's yaya has confirmed that she'll work for us and help me care for our little fighter! Hooray! This is a huge tick mark off my to-figure-out list. She's a trusted helper and I am super comfortable to leave the baby with her. Hooray!

Which brings me to: If Armi will be my baby's caretaker, will I still need 6 months' off from work? I can sure use the money that those extra months can give me if I went back to work after 3-4 months instead of 6.

But then, it's just 2 extra months. 

As I said, I have been having many thoughts. Hehe. Not all are coherent. 

Lastly, breastfeeding seems to be a quite complicated affair. Note to self to continue my research on this and watch more youtube instructionals. 

That's it for now! :) 21 weeks today!! 

Midway point and ecstatic!

Officially 20 weeks pregnant today, aka the midway point! 18-20 more weeks to go into this miraculous pregnancy, and I am loving it. Just feel like sharing some random kwento today----

Movements: Well, the baby is supposedly now the length of a banana, which explains why I can feel him more now. Albeit the little flicks come and go and sometimes the intervals between them are pretty long, I can 'feel' where he is in my belly. He moves around a lot, I think, especially when BabyPlus is playing. I can't wait until I can feel his movements more, and share them with his daddy.

Aches and Pains: So far a pretty uneventful pregnancy and I am so grateful for it. I do feel some of the aches and pains, but definitely nothing I can't handle -- all of them (shoulder spasms, lower arm swelling that resembles carpal tunnel pain, etc) are a far cry from dysmennorhea and because I know they have a purpose (i.e. side effect of baby growing), I don't mind at all. I'm just so so so grateful, at least for the most part. I can do without the leg cramps for sure. Hehehe. And I hope my feet don't swell too much in the end. I have lots of nice shoes kaya :p

Size: I have yet to weigh myself again, but last time I checked (about 4-5 weeks ago), I had only gained about 5-6 pounds. Some people though have apparently no qualms about telling me to my face "you're so huge!" Umm, that's mostly from the hormones I took prior to getting preggers, lady. But why should I use up energy to get all defensive? I think though I need to start gaining a bit more in the coming weeks. According to BabyCenter, the baby is supposed to double in size from month 5 to month 6.

Babymoon: I entertain the idea of a babymoon sometimes, often flipflopping between wanting to go and saving money + what if something happens and I need my doctor. So my fearless forecast is nothing will get planned. Haha! Which at the end of the day is fine with me, I guess. We really traveled a lot already prior to this and I don't feel shortchanged at all. In fact, I can't wait to have the baby with us already.

Baby Name: We do have a name in mind, and we use it already to refer to the baby. I think it's an apt name given that he's our little fighter. Can't wait to share soon :)

That's it for now. Congenital scan is up next, on Feb 19, and I pray everything is okay. I've been indulging in some baseless worries recently, and I know I should stop. Buddha gave us this baby and He will make sure that our little one will be fine and dandy.

Love you, little fighter!

Gender reveal!!!

And we are having a boy!!!!! 

See his boy parts?

Needless to say, Daddy Attorney was ecstatic! He looked like he won the lottery when the sonologist pointed out the little pututuy and said "it's likely a boy". I know I initially indulged in some wishful thinking it was a girl but truthfully, my instincts have always pointed towards a boy. And when I heard it's indeed a "he", I have never felt so happy in my life. I love the fact that there's now a clearer image of our little miracle, at least in our heads. It's a boy, oh boy!!!

Hello there, my little fighter :) Daddy and Mommy have so many dreams for you. For now, just keep growing safely and healthily. We're gonna have so much fun together :)

Love.