Brianna's growing up so fast...

We went back to Brianna's pedia last Saturday in St. Luke's in E. Rod for her monthly check-up and here's what the pedia has to say about Brianna:

1. She grew 2cm since the last time we saw her... which was just 2 weeks ago.
2. Brianna also gained a few pounds since we last saw her pedia. I thought her gaining that much was disturbing but Doc said it's normal for breastfed babies.
3. The pedia complemented her about raising her head longer. Doc Pau said she's "advanced" than most babies her age. This gave a huge grin on my face which lasted 'til the next day.

Brianna had her third set of shots last weekend, too.

Add that to the fact that we had to buy her clothes (again) already because she outgrew most of the clothes we have here. Yes, even those white wrap arounds (I dunno what it's called) that make her look like (what I like to call) a "generic" baby.

Plus she wakes up na when it's noisy or when you leave her alone on the bed. Before, you have to wait for her to get hungry for her to wake up. Now, all you have to do is to turn the volume up and viola! She's awake!

She also has another "vice". She "hangs out" in front of my boobs whenever she feels like it. She cries when I move away. As Ran said, "mga batang adik sa boobs".

I'm happy I can actually witness all these changes in Brianna and that is why I am having second thoughts on going back to work before she turns one. I need your opinions...

Like mother, like daughter.

Please forgive the tacky photo editing, I just rushed it. And I HAVE TO edit it because my tummy looks all weird because of the black line that runs from under my belly button 'til my pubes and the shape of it is just...weird. My sleeping face is never pretty so I also had to cover it.

Photo taken by Patrish. No thanks to her for taking a photo of my ginormous post-pregnancy tummy.

Merged this blog with my personal blog so I only update one blog (Puro blog)

http://aletotski.blogspot.com

Sleep? What sleep?

I've decided to be a fulltime mom...at least for the first 6 months of Brianna and can I just say that after 2 weeks of being that, it's pretty tiring. I am enjoying every minute of staring at my baby for hours and talking like a baby and all, don't get me wrong but it literally is tiring. I must have slept for a total of 20 hours the past days all because I didn't - and couldn't - adjust my body clock the same time as Brianna's. I know her body clock will match mine soon... I just hope 'soon' is soon enough.

(Ooh, I'm good... I'm typing this while breastfeeding Brianna. Now that's what I call multitasking.)

I've been very busy lately, sorry.

Everything's supersized!

Big nose.

Manas feet.

On other, much brighter news...

WE ALREADY HAVE A CRIB AND A STROLLER!

Thank you, Baby Company fair! ☺

False alarm.

Last Saturday, the family and I were supposed to go to the Baby Company fair at Megatrade Hall but passed by the clinic for an emergency check-up because I had this white mens-like discharge that morning. Long story short, she had me admitted that same afternoon at the labor room for having 3cm dilation and contractions.

I stayed at the labor room, bored to death with literally nothing to do, for almost 12 hours. I entered at around 1:45 in the afternoon and was sent to my room at 12 midnight. Bry stayed with me through the night then I had to get back to the labor room again for observation at 4am, Sunday. This time, I stayed 'til 6 in the afternoon but I slept through most of the day since I got really, really bangag the day before.

At 6pm, Sunday, I was sent back to my room. My OB visited me and told Bry and my parents about the situation (Dilation's still at 2cm [where she got 3cm last Saturday, I don't know] and the contractions stopped) and that I will be under observation until the following morning. She said I will be having another biophysical exam for the baby and that's when she'll decide what to do.

At 6am the following morning, I had the NST exam before breakfast then went on to have the ultrasound. Brianna's in very good condition and my OB said I'll be discharged from the hospital. She gave me a few more reminders before I got back into the room. Nurses, Medocare coordinators and staff kept on knocking on the door probably for their procedures whenever someone will be discharged from the hospital.

Was released at around 11am and waited 'til 2pm for the bill. Here's where everything got crazy:

• DELIVERY SUITE (a.k.a. The Labor Room) - Php 21,971.00 --The bulk of the final bill was this! I stayed here for around 26 hours, they
• OB PF - Php 8,000.00 --Twas like she delivered my baby already.
• Medocare initially added another day to our bill so we had to let them know they were being madaya and we had everything checked again.

Those are just some of the hassles we had to go through in the Billing department.

Anyway, the grand total of the bill is... Drumroll please...

Php 37,409.20 

Panu pa kaya pag nadeliver na talaga si Brianna? Oh well, it doesn't matter as long as she's healthy and delivered safely into the world.

But, yeah. I think it's too much. Especially if you see my room.

Saw my OB again a while ago for the weekly check-up and she said...

MY CERVIX HAS ALREADY
DILATED 2CM!

Brianna is coming, I'm having a hard time believing!

Anyway, while my head was spinning, Dr. Amorin gave us this brochure on this stem cell procedure that they're going to do on me when I give birth if I give my permission. Bry and I are considering it but we'll research on it first.

Dr. Amorin also has filled out the forms that I will be needing once I go into labor and gave them to me already...

I'm sorry, I still can't get my thoughts to straighten up yet. I'm still too hung up on the idea that Brianna's coming really, really soon!

On making a final checklist...

Whether or not there will be a baby shower (it's seems too late to throw one - and I don't know if I should be the one throwing it), I've decided to finalize my checklist before Brianna arrives. To help me decide what to put on my list, I sought help from online mommy blogs and baby registry websites. Halfway through my list, I realized that some of the things listed on their lists are not really needed by either me or my baby.

Like a sterilizer, for example. It just adds up to the expenses. We could just use the kaldero that we use for pasta. Or maybe buy another one like that just for the baby. It's much cheaper and we can actually use it for pasta when the baby grows up. Cheap and practical, right?

So anyway, here's the list I made for me and Bry's (as well as those kind people) reference.

1. Reusable diapers/lampins - Since I'm going to be a stay-at-home mom - at least for the first six months - I will be able to use this during the day. Cheap and practical. And hello, it's reusable! Anything that is reusable is good!
2. Diaper clips - For the reusable diapers.
3. Disposable diapers - This is for when we travel or go out. According to a soon-to-be-mommy friend, Huggies and Mamy Poko are the better brands but I won't be buying bulks of these just yet because I don't know if my baby will be hiyang on these brands.
4. Disposable wipes - I would've put cotton balls in this list, too but I'm still thinking about it. I don't want the himulmol of the cotton to stay on my baby's body. Anyway, with regards to the brand, I don't think I will be choosy on the brand just as long as we get it from a shop whose specialty is on babies.
5. Burp cloths - I still need a couple of these.
6. Baby bottles (small, medium and large)
7. Baby bottle nipples (slow, medium, fast)
8. Nail cutter
9. Bath tub - Another essential and it has to be pink. It's cheap, anyway.
10. Basin - This also has to be pink. I think we have this one here at home but I haven't seen it in a while.
11. That sponge thing that holds the baby when you give him/her a bath
12. Baby shampoo and/or shower gel - I don't know what brand is good yet.
13. Hooded towel - I have one already from Bry's sister. I just need another one for when one's in the laundry.
14. Pillows - I just need one set.
15. Pillow sheets - 2-3 sets will be good. I prefer white and light colored ones. As in super light colored.
16. Crib sheets - Again, 2-3 sets will be good. And again, white or light colored sheets are preferred.

So, there. That's probably it. Again, this is just for my and Bry's reference, unless some good souls will donate some of the items on the list. :)