36-Week Bumpdate (Drama Included)

Yesterday morning started off like any other Thursday morning - I woke up, got ready for work, and then got Owen ready and dropped him off at my parents' house. I even stopped by Starbucks to get coffee because I knew we had a busy schedule. Within 10 minutes of clocking in at work, I started having painful contractions. I kind of ignored them because I had similar contractions a few days ago, and they went away after a couple of hours. And no, these weren't the regular Braxton Hicks contractions that I've been feeling for the last month or so - these were painful to the point that I couldn't move or talk.

Still, my stubborn ass (pardon my French) was determined to push through and continue working. After two hours of consistent contractions, I finally had one that was a 7/10 on the pain scale; I couldn't even breathe. At that moment, I snuck into one of the patient rooms and called Ralph to come and get me. At the same time, I called the hospital to let them know what was going on - the triage nurse on the line instructed me to drink a bunch of water and check in at the hospital.

(Honestly, if it wasn't at the urging of my fellow nurses, doctors, and managers, I probably would've stayed just a liiittle bit longer...but that painful contraction worried me, and I wanted to make sure the baby was okay.)

Within an hour, I was hooked up to a fetal monitor, and a nurse was checking the frequency of my contractions. At first, they were every 5 to 6 minutes, and I rated them being low in pain (they were so much worse when I was standing up and walking around). The on-call doctor came in a little later and examined me and said I was only about 1 cm dilated. 

He fell asleep to the cool room and soothing sounds of the baby's heartbeat LOL!

I was monitored for an additional hour then had a repeat exam - my contractions weren't getting worse/more frequent, and I wasn't dilating any further. So, just as I had suspected and hoped, the doctor said the baby isn't coming just yet, and Ralph and I were sent home.

Currently, I'm still having contractions (about 4 an hour), but I was told that this is my new "baseline". If it starts to get worse, then I need to drink a bunch of cold water, lie on my left side, and wait...and if the symptoms don't go away, then I give the hospital a call.

Needless to say, this was a huge wake-up call for me and Ralph. I went to the hospital without a hospital bag. Our infant carseat is not yet installed. The baby's clothes still need to be washed. I need a pedicure (lol, I'm kidding...sort of). I could go on and on. This baby is coming in 20 days IF I can make it to my c-section date. At this point, I'm really just hoping to make it to 37 weeks.

Hang in there, Rerun. Just wait 6 more days...pretty please!

Here's my 36-week bumpdate:

Dress is from PinkBlush - exact dress can be found here!

How far along?: 36 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +16 lbs

Sleep: Waking up more frequently to use the restroom.
Best moment this week: Having breakfast at Off Street Cafe where my buddy Jacqueline works...best cinnamon roll I ever had.
Movement: All the time. In fact, I had my 35-week check-up this past Monday, and the doctor said the baby flipped and is breech again...which explains why I'm constantly feeling the baby kick my bladder, haha.
Symptoms: Back pain, BHC, fatigue, frequent urination (day and night)...the usual.
Symptoms I DON'T have: GERD, swollen feet/legs.
Food cravings: Cinnamon anything. Also, I really wanted chocolate cake while I was at the hospital. 

Food aversions: Nothing at the moment.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: Read story above.
Belly Button in or out?: Out.
What I miss: Sushi.
What I am looking forward to: My "Sprinkle" tomorrow that Ralph's aunts and cousins were veeerrry determined to throw. :) 

**Disclaimer: The clothing showcased above was gifted to me by PinkBlush in exchange for a review/social media post.**

33-Week Bumpdate

Yikes...take a look at those stretch marks from my pregnancy with Owen!

How far along?: 33 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +14 lbs

Sleep: I must wake up 3 or 4 times at night to change which side I'm lying on. And more than half the time, my lower back cracks, and it feels sooo goood.
Best moment this week: Honestly, it was yesterday morning when Owen woke up (he asked to sleep in our bed the night before, and we let him because he almost NEVER asks to sleep with us anymore), and the first thing he did was reach for my belly.
Movement: Baby Boy is running out of room. He has been kicking towards my bladder and my back area...and I'm afraid I just might spontaneously pee my pants or fart, hahaha.
Symptoms: Back/hip/right buttock pain, fatigue (I take a nap every chance I get, usually when Owen naps), Braxton-Hicks contractions, and, weirdly enough, nausea! Some mornings, I'll be eating breakfast, and I'll just lose my appetite.
Symptoms I DON'T have: GERD, swollen feet/legs, nocturia.
Food cravings: Cinnamon anything. The other day, I ate 3 (SMALL...ish) churros. 

Food aversions: Nothing at the moment.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out?: Poking out a little bit.
What I miss: Being comfortable.
What I am looking forward to: Eating very well on Sunday. :)

Until next time!

Wish I Knew Wednesday + 32-Week Bumpdate

We are 50 days away from meeting Little Bro! I know I've said it before, but I seriously cannot believe how fast this pregnancy flew by - next month is already birth month!

You can see a couple of new additions to the boys' room!
Crib: IKEA
Bear head wall decoration: Target

Today, I had my 32-week check-up, and the doctor said everything was looking great. Little Bro is head down and weighing at 3lbs 13oz - doc says the baby will be about the same weight as Owen's birth weight, which was almost 8lbs. "Another little chunky guy!" is what my husband said. Can't wait to get my hands on some chubby baby rolls again. Owen has grown significantly, and all the chunkiness has gone. *Tear*

So, I noticed this growing trend on Instagram where mothers post (on Wednesdays) what they "wish they knew" about pregnancy and motherhood. This could be about baby items they wish they purchased, things they wish they did prior to baby's arrival, how they wish they dealt with their emotions, etc.

While the mothers in my life gave me a heads up on the usual things (mostly centered around the baby, naturally, and which I am forever grateful for), I wish I had known how important it was to prepare my body for, not just pregnancy and delivery, but for postpartum as well.

• During pregnancy: I wish I ate healthier. During my first pregnancy, I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, and I gained a whopping 30lbs...and I was already overweight at the start of the pregnancy. As a result, I had debilitating back pain, edema in my lower extremities, and I was on restricted work duties by 28 weeks.

• During labor/delivery: I wish I didn't eat HEAVY meals leading up to labor. When you're pregnant, your digestive system slows down...and I'm already not a "regular" person. Top that off with an epidural, and guess what I got? An HOUR on the toilet a week later, praying to God to end my misery.

• Postpartum: I wish I had comfy clothes. Since I wasn't planning for a C-section, I didn't have any loose pants to wear. Sure, I had my yoga pants, but the elastic would sit RIGHT ON the incision site. Ow. But since I know I'll be having a repeat C-section, I'll be prepared. Guess where I got these sweet maternity pants from? Yep, PinkBlush!

Maternity pajama pants from PinkBlush - these exact pants can be found here.

Please keep in mind that these "wish I knew"s are based on my own personal experiences from my first pregnancy and may not necessarily apply to all pregnant women. If you can eat a burger a day and not have any issues with your bowel movements, then, by all means, chow down! I wish I had that ability, hahaha.

Now, time for a bumpdate!

How far along?: 32 weeks (tomorrow)

Total weight gain/loss: +14 lbs

Sleep: Not too bad, but I wish I could sleep until my alarm goes off. I'm always wide awake by 5:30am, and I can usually afford to sleep for another hour.
Best moment this week: Spending time with Ralph's mom and sister last Saturday. Owen missed his "Nana" and "Au-TEE" so much that he spent most of the morning looking out the window and waiting for them.
Movement: All the time.
Symptoms: Low back pain. 
Symptoms I DON'T have: Reflux hasn't been too bad the last week or so.
Food cravings: Sandwiches of any kind. I eat a homemade version of an Egg McMuffin every day.

Food aversions: Nothing at the moment.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out?: Poking out a little bit.
What I miss: Lying on my belly.
What I am looking forward to: Finishing up the boys' room. I have a couple of DIY projects to do, so I better get started soon!

Until next time!

**Disclaimer: The clothing showcased above was gifted to me by PinkBlush in exchange for a review. All opinions in this post are my own.**

30-Week Bumpdate

You guys! We are 63 days AWAY from meeting Baby Boy! Ahhh! It's unbelievable how fast this pregnancy has flown by, but we've still got a ways to go. Also, I haven't done a bumpdate in 5 weeks? Oops. Well...here's my 30-week preggo bump in all its glory.

Maternity/Nursing robe is from ShopPinkBlush.com.

You can find this exact robe here.

How far along?: 30 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +14 lbs

Sleep: Surprisingly, pretty good! Been sleeping soundly this week.
Best moment this week: Owen sleeping in his new bed for the first time. 
Movement: All the time.
Symptoms: The typical back pain that comes with pregnancy, but I've been having sharp lower back pain when I change positions - usually from a sitting to standing position - but only sometimes. I'm also having GERD (yuck), and I'm getting nocturia again. 
Symptoms I DON'T have: I don't know...I feel like I have them all, hahaha.
Food cravings: It varies from day to day, but they're never SERIOUS cravings where I'd have to leave my house to go get it at that exact moment. But if I'm being totally honest right now, I could eat a whole plate of Hawaiian macaroni salad. Or a classic roast beef and cheddar sandwich from Arby's. Ugh.

Food aversions: Nothing at the moment.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out?: Flat.
What I miss: Being comfortable. Heh.
What I am looking forward to: Going to IKEA (yes, AGAIN) this weekend to get more stuff for the boys' room!


And in honor of Throwback Thursday, here was my 30-week bump picture when I was pregnant with Owen!

Eeek! I was a whopping 21 pounds heavier in this photo!!! I definitely learned a thing or two from my first pregnancy.

Until next time!

**Disclaimer: The clothing showcased above was gifted to me by PinkBlush in exchange for a review/social media post.**

Father's Day Weekend 2017 & 25-Week Update

Since Ralph took me to a Ducks game on Mother's Day, I found it perfectly fitting to take him to Selanne Steak Tavern in Laguna Beach this past weekend. Shout out to my mom and dad for letting us have a rare night out without the stinky little guy, though we talked about Owen almost the entire time.

My handsome date!

Ralph and I are simpletons and rarely go to fancy restaurants, so coming here was quite the experience...and I mean that in the best possible way - the service was great, and the food was SO good.

Complimentary bread with butter and a tomato/caper sauce.

Prior to coming here, we reviewed the menu carefully and looked up the restaurant's Yelp reviews - we wanted to order the right things (and we definitely didn't want to over-order), especially since we wanted to try their desserts. After much debate, we decided to skip the first course (since there was complimentary bread) and share an entrée and a side dish.

For our main course, we ordered the Lord Stanley Cut, which is a 38oz wagyu steak. It was cooked to perfection and possibly the best steak I have ever had. 

Our side dish was equally amazing - Selanne's Mac and Cheese (topped with parmesan foam). I could not stop eating it, but I had to resist...we had to get dessert(s).

Ralph was shocked when I only ate two small pieces of steak and a few spoonfuls of mac and cheese before I said, "I'm getting full." I'm 25 weeks pregnant...I can't eat too much in one sitting - I don't have the room anymore! And we HAD to get dessert because our family friend Denise is a pastry chef at the restaurant. Our server convinced us to get two, so we did!

Ralph's choice - Honey Peanut Butter Bar (chocolate brownie with peanut butter and bananas with cocoa nib ice cream).

My choice - Coffee & Donuts (beignets and coffee pot de créme).

It's a good thing we ordered two desserts because we ate everything. And Ralph, who is not a coffee drinker and dislikes the taste of coffee, LOVED the pot de créme. HUGE thank you to Denise for treating us to these two desserts and for making sure we were taken care of! You're the best!

Yesterday, the good eating continued as we met up with my dad, mom, and brother at Two Left Forks, which is a new restaurant that opened up near us (thanks to Yelp for the recommendation).

Totally twinning here!

The service and food here did not disappoint either. I had a BLT and a side of truffle mac and cheese. (Can't you tell that I just love mac and cheese? ...I definitely have a problem.)

My dad, bro, and mama.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

After lunch, we went to Target (Sunday ritual), and then Owen and I went down for a nap as soon as we got home (food coma). Ralph enjoyed some quiet time - pretty sure all he did was play Zelda and read comic books...gotta love that nerd.

For dinner, we feasted on our delicious leftovers; and then Owen and I whipped up some chocolate chip cookies, which is the only thing Ralph requested for Father's Day.

Later on, we let Wendy have a treat too. We gave her the tomahawk bone from our steak at Selanne's (our server wrapped it up and packed it with our leftovers...he said other guests always ask for it, lol!), but we only let her have it for a few minutes, and we were watching her VERY carefully.

"YAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSS!!!"

It was a great weekend, and I'm so sad it's over; however, I do know that Father's Day can be difficult for some - I just hope that, whatever the case may be, everyone was able to spend it with the people they love.

I was feeling verrry sentimental yesterday (damn pregnancy hormones), so I asked my brother to send me photos of the other important men in my life - my grandfathers, uncles, and godfathers. All of them live in the Philippines except for my Uncle Ian, who lives in Vegas; and two of them, my Lolo Jun and Godfather Rene, have gone up to heaven.

Lolo Jun - my dad's father, my Angel up in heaven.

Lolo Tong - my mom's father, the kindest man I'll ever know.

My uncle and godfather, Uncle Bot.

My Uncle Ian (left) and Uncle Lee (right).

From left to right: Uncle Andrew (mom's brother), Uncle Homer (mom's brother), Lolo Tong, Uncle Mark (mom's brother), Lola Emma (my mom's mother), and my mom (holding me). Yes, I have a ton of uncles (only one aunt, by blood)!

And last, but not least, my other angel up in heaven - my godfather and dad's best friend, Uncle Rene (on the right).

Happy Father's Day to all of you. I love you so much.

And now, time for the "bumpdate"...

How far along?: 25 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: +11 lbs (Thought I'd be +200 with all the food I ate this past weekend!)

Sleep: Pretty good, even though "Rerun" is most active when I go to bed.
Best moment this week: I can't choose just one! The whole weekend was amazing, but if I HAD to choose...sharing chocolate chip cookies with my boys.
Movement: After breakfast and before I go to bed.
Symptoms: Low back pain and...constipation (sorry, TMI, I know).
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nocturia and nausea.
Food cravings: Cheese. Frappucinos (It's getting hot...)

Food aversions: Nothing at the moment.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out?: Flat.
What I miss: Lying on my belly! 
What I am looking forward to: Seeing "Rerun" at my next doctor's appointment next week.


Have a great week, everyone! Until next time!

24-Week Update & Weekend Shenanigans

How far along?: 24 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: +10 lbs (when I weighed myself at 24 weeks, 0 days)

Sleep: Not too bad this past week; trying to sneak in some naps too. :)
Best moment this week: Every now and then, we let Owen sleep in our bed. On Saturday morning, I woke up to him gently touching my cheek and kissing my nose. He had THE biggest smile on his face (the kind where his eyes look closed), and I swear I didn't think I could love that kid any more at that moment.
Movement: Always!
Symptoms: Low back pain.
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nocturia and nausea.
Food cravings: Cheese pizza and cinnamon anything (cinnamon rolls, churros...I even put a pinch of cinnamon in my coffee).

Food aversions: Nothing at the moment.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out?: Flat.
What I miss: Staaarting to miss sushi. 
What I am looking forward to: Date night on Saturday!

Yesterday, we celebrated my cousin Samiya's 6th birthday! As usual, Owen spent a majority of the time in the bounce house. We had to drag him out every so often to make sure he was hydrated.

Missing Keyan! I think he was inside watching TV.

He didn't like me watching him, since I was telling him to be careful and to watch out for the bigger kids...so whenever he saw me creeping up, he'd quickly go up to me and say, "Mama, go there!", as in, "Mama, go away!" Okay, bye...

Waiting for the piñata with cousin-twin Elijah.

One day, I will get a good photo of both of them looking at the camera with smiles on their faces...one day.

With my goddaughter Kaela (I swear she loves me).

Happy Birthday, Princess Miya! Thanks for having us!

And today, we woke up bright and early to go to Disneyland. First thing we did was have breakfast at Carnation Cafe.

Mickey waffles are always a hit with this guy. He ate almost everything on his plate and even stole my strawberries.

As soon as we finished, it started to RAIN. We weren't expecting it at all, so we quickly ran next door and waited in one of the stores. Owen didn't mind. He got a little chummy with Mickey, Pooh, and Baymax.

Once it cleared up, we went on as many rides as we could. The rain was actually a blessing because we did not wait more than 10-15 minutes for any ride.

The Mad Tea Party rmaaay be Owen's new favorite ride (behind the Pooh Bear ride, of course).

Around noon, we noticed that Owen was getting tired; so we figured we'd grab lunch and head home.

Dessert before lunch - Grey Stuff Twist at Maurice's Treats. It was okay...I'd rather get the Cheddar Garlic Twist.

I was craving cheese (surprise, surprise...), so we ate at Pizza Port.

Owen ate an entire slice (minus the crust). The kid has a big appetite.

Before we left, we bought Owen a Mickey Mouse - can you believe it has taken us almost 2.5 years to get him his own Mickey?! Well, to be honest, his Mickey obsession only started this year.

Make way, Pooh Bear!

Ralph didn't want to leave just yet, so we walked around Downtown Disney. We thought Owen would fall asleep during the walk, but he stayed awake the whole time.

We almost forgot that there was a Sprinkles at DTD. So, of course...

...we got some to-go. Hey, I waited like an hour after we got home to eat it, okay? Don't judge me.

Now, Owen's passed out in his room (with both Pooh and Mickey), and Ralph and I are downstairs waiting for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals to start. And yes...we're still salty about the Preds eliminating the Ducks, so we're hoping the Pens end it tonight, lol.

Until next time!