My Mommyology

Learning from Motherhood.

March 2, 2011
by mymommyology
13 Comments

March Madness is Here!

My Mommyology March Madness

It is indeed, March.

I of course use the term loosely.   Essentially what I mean is — it is March, and I’m going mad out of my mind.  Eleven days to go until my due date!

My Mommyology Frozen Foods

Soups are to build milk supply. So I keep making them. Essentially, it's to turn me into a cow.

The past few days, I’ve been in a little bit of a cooking frenzy, not so much for food for us to eat, but to freeze.  I feel like a bear hibernating for the winter.  Ironically enough, what I’ve been feeding my family the past few days are “pop-in-the-oven” foods — frozen fish, pizza, noodles, you name it.  The harder to cook, healthier dishes and soups, I have been making and storing in Ziploc bags.  Well, it works both ways — the freezer is emptied out of the frozen goods, and I have space to insert the Ziplocs.  Plus I have this urge to make more, so I need the space!  (I feel like after this, I shouldn’t be asked to cook ever ever again.)

A special note on freezing foods:

1)I learned from my last pregnancy that breaded pork chops don’t freeze very well since the breading tends to fall off when you fry it.  SO — the end lesson:  teach your husband to fry, so I just marinate it a few days before and it stays in the refrigerator.

2) For soups, you want to make it a little more tasteful since when you re-boil, it waters down and then it won’t be bland.  Vegetables in frozen soups don’t look too good when thawed, so I’ve refrained from putting any in, and will just buy fresh ones as we pull them out.

3) I don’t freeze anything with cream.  Whatever needs cream (ie Butternut squash soup), I add when I re-thaw.

Then I’ve taken to packing a box of things which we won’t need, and things borrowed and never returned, and sending it back home to Manila in an effort to make space.  The packing of course involves certain pabilis (It is a Filipino habit to purchase items for other people and send them home with the box), which I am individually wrapping and labeling.  My husband may start to wonder where all the masking tape is going (the food labeling and the packing and the labeling of those as well).  I’ve also found items which I need to sell on craigslist, or at least find a way to get them out of the house.  I have this urgent desire to get them out of the house.  So help me God, they have eleven days to leave my sight.

Then I’ve had all the suitcases pulled down so that we can start cleaning out the closets for winter things since the Spring weather is setting in (I hope it’s here to stay!).  But now Sam is complaining of “tight pants”, so while I clean out her old clothes, I have to check if she has enough mid-weather clothes to get us through the not-so-warm days!

So maybe this is the nesting instinct I was missing and it’s coming on full force!  My aunt said when she was pregnant a day before she gave birth she baked a cake and cleaned the house and had this unusual burst of energy.

Oh my… I JUST need a few more days.  To to mention, I have work to finish too!

Side note:  March 13, my due date, is apparently also:

  • The beginning of the REAL March Madness.  (Or is it the 15th?)  We follow it — I did after all, marry a basketball addict.  In any case, Go TarHeels!
  • The first  F1 race of the year.  Yes, I am a fan.  So already that week, on top of my weekly nightly shows, the the DV-R will be busy.
  • The Spring Forward time change happens on March 13 as well. So what happens if I give birth at 2AM on March 13?  Does it mean that it is really 2AM, or 3AM?  Will they stop my labor to switch the clocks at the hospital, or will they already be switched?

I can’t believe that two months of the year have already gone by, and the one that I have been anticipating for 9 months has finally arrived.  🙂

Side note #2:

Seeing as how I can give birth any day now, please forgive me in advance if a post does not appear as expected.  I will still try to keep up the regular feed.  If you have any stories, suggestions or guest-posts you’d like me to share, feel free to email them to me so we can get them out there!

February 28, 2011
by mymommyology
0 comments

Pre-Birth Documents

My Mommyology Birth Plan

Scrap the plan!

The What-to-Expect books will tell you that at about 32 weeks, you give your care provider a birth plan.  Truth be told, I’d never heard of a birth plan until I opened that particular chapter.  In Manila I don’t think birth plans are common.  You feel pain, you go to the hospital, they page your OB GYNE, and they offer you the treatment options.

I suppose birth plans are more prominent here because there are multiple providers in one practice (for instance, the UNC Midwives — you see them as a group and not just one individual person, so any one of them treats you for your check-up, and any one of them can be on call when you go into labor).  Therefore it is helpful to have it on file.  There are other alternatives to giving birth at the hospital as well, so birth plans can come into play.

In any case, the first time around at 32 weeks (and for the sake of having one), I typed out a birth plan.  I showed it to one of the Midwives and she laughed at the sight of it because it was two pages long, single-spaced size font 9.  She helped me edit it down to 1 page, and just told me to bring it when we checked in during my labor.  I printed 5 copies and put it in my hospital bag to give out to the team on-call that day.  Needless to say, two days after I delivered, I still had all the copies in my bag.  It’s a good thing my labor was (mostly) a positive experience and it wasn’t really far from what was written on the plan!

Now 38 weeks in, I am 6 weeks late for a birth plan discussion and no one seems to be worried.  With everything normal (knock on wood!) the Midwives say there’s really no need for me to give them one.  Of course, I prepared one just in case, and it is all of three sentences, dictated to them during my last check-up:

  • Epidural ASAP.
  • Birth Doula if available.
  • Please don’t send me home in the middle of my labor. 🙂  (I’ll explain this another time)

Side note:  at the check-up, I got my wish — I saw Jamie on an impromptu ultrasound!  Yahoo!  She is head down and in position, all ready to go!

So we saved some paper this time around.

My Mommyology care document

Notes on all aspects of her day. I can probably earn from this if I tried hard enough.

What I did spend time on though, was a care document for Sam.  Okay — don’t laugh.  It’s just that I’ve never left her with anyone before, and although I don’t think I’ll be away from her for long when I go into labor, I still do want to make sure the normalcy of her day is not completely flipped.  It’s just like a work turn-over document (you know how when you go on leave from the office, you leave your pending projects with someone so that work can proceed normally?  It’s something like that).  The care document is approximately 9 pages long, single-spaced, size font 1o, with a few pictures to break the text monotony.  I tried to make it as reader friendly as possible.  Maybe I’ll buy a binder and put tabs for each section.

I know, I know…she will be fine either way.  But knowing it exists and knowing I can turn over this document to whomever will have to care for her, no matter how long or short that time frame will be makes me feel that I am doing all I can do to make sure she will be okay without me.  At least I can go into labor with peace of mind over one daughter, and focus on safely pushing out this other daughter.

February 25, 2011
by mymommyology
11 Comments

Let’s Play the Guess-My-Delivery-Date Game!

My Mommyology Due Date

What day will she come?

So here’s how it works.

1.  Send in your entry to garner points.  Leave a message here on the blog, or on my email address with the following information:

  • Your Name
  • How I can reach you
  • Delivery Date Guess
  • Time (the more specific, the better)
  • And if you’re feeling adventurous, # of hours in labor

2.  Entries will be accepted only until March 5 (you’ll see why later).

3.  Assuming your guess is correct, then the earlier you guessed, the higher your points will be.  Ten (10) is the maximum number of points, moving all the way down to 1.  For instance, if I do end up giving birth on March 13, and you sent in your correct guess on February 25, then you get 10 points.  If you sent in the correct guess entry on March 5, then you only get 1 point.

4.  Closest possible time and # of hours in labor will be used to tie-break points.  I will be lenient enough to break down the elements of multiple entries, picking out the closest possible date, time and # of hours in labor so that you can rack up some points!

5.  You may send in as many guesses as you like from today until March 5.  If I give birth before the game is over (which I hope is not the case), then only entries sent in BEFORE I actually give birth will be counted.  Points will start at 10 moving downwards to the date of my delivery.

6.  PRIZE?  Of course!  But that will be determined depending on which continent you’re guessing from (Philippine readers definitely won’t get a Target gift card, for instance.  US/ Canada participants won’t get Landmark Gift Certificates as well).  Rest assured though the nominal value will be equivalent.

Here are some fun trivia tidbits to help you formulate your guess (or conversely, to confuse you!)

  • They say that while 2nd babies tend to come earlier, they still trend towards the same gestational period as the first.  That said, I gave birth to Sam at 40 weeks and 5 days.
  • This time though, I am slightly bigger than my first pregnancy I feel, and they also say that when you’re bigger, you tend to come earlier.
  • From the time I hit active labor to the time I gave birth, it was approximately 6pm of the 28th to 4:42AM of the 29th of November. They do say that 2nd-time labors go faster.  I had a friend that said she didn’t even make it to the delivery table because within 20 minutes of the time she got to the hospital, she had her baby.
  • I seriously and honestly, am praying that I do not go into labor until after March 5, because that’s when my mom arrives, and I need her here to be with Sam.  So ALL my thoughts are “anytime after March 5”. 🙂
  • My actual due date for this pregnancy is March 13.
  • If I don’t give birth by March 13, most likely I will be scheduled to be induced by the 18th.

May the best guesser win!

My Mommyology March baby

Coming soon!

February 22, 2011
by mymommyology
7 Comments

My Blog Award (The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award)

Okay, I will bite 🙂  So I am sweet (awww!) and I got an award for it too!

Here’s how it goes:

1.  Thank and link back the person that gave this award:

  • OC Mom in Manila, thank you for the inspiration.  People are saying we should write a book soon, maybe we should ask our Famous Filipina Author Sam for help!

2.  Share four guilty pleasures that you have:

Guilty Pleasure #1:  (Why are guilty pleasures mostly food-related?!)  Manggang hilaw has always been an all-time favorite.  Ever since.  If I could eat it six times a day I would.  Seriously.  Guilty pleasures that I miss in Manila are KFC (I was once allergic to it before, and it tastes different here in the states) and Cibo.  They are the top two places I will eat in on my next trip home.

My Mommyology Cibo Guilty Pleasure

Yummmmm....

Guilty Pleasure #2:  This I miss incredibly — $10 2-hour massages (inclusive of tip!).  I used to get one almost every week in Manila.  I’ve especially given up this luxury here, because a 90-minute massage is easily $45 (without tip!).  Actually let’s take it a step further — a total pamper treatment would be nice.  (If anyone talks to my husband, I’d appreciate the not-so subtle hints you can help drop!)

My Mommyology Guilty Pleasure #2

This photo makes me drool

Guilty Pleasure #3:  Shopping!  Previously, it was shopping for me and for whatever home I would someday own.  Lately though, clothes shopping for my girls — even if I know they have more than enough.  I wish money would grow on trees so I could shop all I want.

My Mommyology Guilty Pleasure Shopping

Shop and splurge!

Guilty Pleasure #4:  My nightly TV series that I absolutely cannot miss it (or else I MUST catch it on Hulu.com). Sundays is Desperate Housewives,  Mondays is House, Tuesdays is V, Wednesdays is Off the Map, Thursdays are Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice.  Sometimes the story lines and the acting are a little over the top, and as my husband says, it’s just too much drama.  Well I carried his kids for 9 months so I’m entitled to all the TV shows I want I say. I watch them anyway.  And I watch the re-runs too!  Don’t judge me. 😉

My Mommyology Guilty Pleasure #4

Thank you, ABC.com

3.  Pass the award along to 6 other Sweet Bloggers:

#1:  Missus Big & Mister Small:  Another OC best friend of mine (why are all my best friends OC?).  Her blog is linked to her passion — wedding planning and coordination.  Needless to say her wedding was beyond perfect, and now, so is her little boy!

#2:  La Vida Lanka:  One of the sweetest, most pleasant cousins-in-laws I have, talking about her wifely adventures (and misadventures) in the tea country.

#3:  The Curvy Blogger:  Another sweet and absolutely adorable cousin-in-law with an interesting take on life.

#4:  Domestic Wrecks:  New mom to a beautiful boy Gabe, Lisa is awesome in every way and a brilliant writer at that (I sincerely  mean that Lis!)  I am honored to be called her friend.  (I guest-posted for Lisa on her blog twice!  One laundry disaster and one pancit redemption story).  Lisa is the assistant editor at Columbia Patch and writes a steady column on her mommy tales.

#5:  Violin and Djembe:  A mommy friend who I met in Chapel Hill.  Emily’s son Andrew and Sam used to play together a lot, and when they moved she had Kaitlyn.  Now I follow their lives virtually. 🙂

#6:  Lisa Leese:  A long-time friend who is also now a first time mom to sweet little Hannah.  Lisa is an amazing photographer too!

This entire exercise has made me realize three things:

1.  I follow so many blogs!  The ones here aren’t even half of what I read on a regular basis (maybe that’s why I don’t sleep?  Nah.  It must be something else);

2.  Most of them are from mom friends or about motherhood; and

3. I have more guilty pleasures than I can actually count.

February 21, 2011
by mymommyology
17 Comments

We’ve Reached the “Any Day Now…” Zone

My Mommyology Ready for Labor

Are we really?!

My how time flies.

I still can’t believe I’m 37 weeks pregnant.  The guest room is still a mess with my nesting hormones fluctuating up and down.  We’re just about to buy certain replacement parts for my breastpump and extra ointments that I think have expired or have run out.  I have yet to order my diapers on Amazon Mom.  The crib, did we put up the crib yet?  I don’t think we know where it will go.  Is my head on straight?  I’m not quite sure.

Well I’m not getting much sleep anymore with all the early morning kicking (and singing) that’s been going on the past few weeks.  I can’t see my swollen ankles either, much less reach for them.  My wedding ring is starting to choke my finger too… so yes I guess it’s just about that time.  Of course I don’t want to give birth until I hit 39 weeks at least, as they say the healthiest babies are the ones carried closest to term but I am feeling heavier and easily tired by the day.

My Mommyology Ready for Labor

Hang on, just a tad bit longer.

While I am not as scared or panicked as I was with the first pregnancy, I still am feeling a few mixed emotions.  For one I wish I could see her again on an ultrasound.  They’re very scarce at the hospital with ultrasounds if your pregnancy is healthy because of the minimal insurance coverage.  So I haven’t “seen” Jamie in over 19 weeks.   The Midwives say though that from their assessment everything seems fine, and they are very reassuring, although they are sometimes a little too relaxed with me I start to fret and worry (how typical of me).

Then there’s the labor.  I can still remember what happened 26 months ago and I relate it as if it were just last week.  All I know is that I was able to withstand that much pain for that long, so I THINK I can do it again.  Mind over matter, right?  I’m reassured that labor the second time around goes faster, so maybe it won’t be as painful for very long.  And maybe they will get the epidural to me faster too (more on that in a different post).  When I go to Church I keep thinking as to how Mama Mary had to give birth in a manger (no hospital bed, no epidural, and she rode a donkey with no complaints days before her labor!  Lord knows I cringe at ever bump on the road…), so I at least hope that helps me put my modern-day already comfortable situation into better perspective.

And then of course there is Sam.  I don’t know if she fully understands what’s about to happen, but I know that she can sense some big change is coming our way.  I noticed that lately she just comes up to me to sit on my lap and asks for a hug or a kiss.  And then she’ll lean on me for a while without wanting to get up.  🙁

I am slowly turning over some of the care-taking reins to her dad, which she enjoys, but on occasion she will stubbornly still ask for me.  I think we’re both aware I’m slowly trying to teach us both to be more independent of each other, which will be good in the long run for everyone.  But I won’t deny that I do miss her already, and so I appreciate the unexpected hugs and kisses and cuddles.

There are actually so many other things running through my head I don’t know where to begin.  I hope that’s normal and I’m just not worrying myself silly.  There’s no book either on “What to Expect the 2nd time around“, and I sometimes wish there would be.  Maybe after going through it the first time, you know that you really can’t put a finger down on what will happen and everything is relative to your specific situation.  As we’ve said time and again — You’re never ready.  There’s only so much talking and reading and preparing someone can do, first or second or nth time around.  The rest, well — you just have to go with it.

Okay good luck to my children then!

%d bloggers like this:
Skip to toolbar