The Little Ones Went On A Field Trip

The DFA-Daycare Center Kids went to the newly renovated National Museum of Natural History  last week and guess who's excited? 

FIRST BUS RIDE SHE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT IT

NOPE. Not the kids. It was MEEE even though I can't be with them! Hahaha! I've been meaning to visit the National Museum since two years ago, but I don't know, it's not on our must-visit list. Maybe because its very near that we don't put it on our priority list? Because that's life, we often take for granted the things that is already laid in front of us. Naks! Back to the kids, so when Teacher Faye informed us that the kids are going on a field trip to the museum, I got excited for them! :) 

HAPPY TO BE IN A DIFFERENT KIND OF VEHICLE. I'M PRETTY SURE SHE HAS NO IDEA WHERE SHE'S HEADING. LOL.

Buti pa mga anak ko, nakapunta na ng National Museum. Haha!

DFA-DCC KIDS

LOLONG. He was labeled as the biggest crocodile, I wonder why he's not in the CONGRESS. Ooooppsss... 

"INA, NAKITA KO ANG EAGLE!!"

Miss Carry-Me-Ama

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We'll visit more museums when you grow up, my loves. In shaa Allah.. 

"INA, MAY ELEPHANT DIN. LAKI!!"

Fatherhood. 

Grateful to this man for everything he is doing for me and the kids. He accompanied them to the museum even though he can opt not to since we have a helper to look after the kids. Alhamdulillah. 

Oh how I love collecting beautiful memories of my little ones, I know they will appreciate it when they grow up. In shaa Allah. Though I rarely post their faces on social media, I have private albums in my Facebook account that is dedicated to their growing up years which I love to reminisce about even though it was only 2-3 years ago. Haha! My daughters will never be this small again so I smooch them with kisses and hug them as often as I can before they start to need me less than they do these days. Aaaaww...  

Seasons of Life

We were heading to our respective workplaces yesterday morning when my husband Jabar informed  me that he didn't make it to the promotion list in his office. He was sort of expecting it already but was hopeful that his performance in his hardship post assignment in Nigeria will get him promoted. One major criteria for promotion in his line of work is a continuing education (equivalent to continuing medical education among doctors) which means having enrolled in a masters class or, at least, a language class provided by the Foreign Service Institute. I have been pestering him to enroll in a language class since last year but his excuse was that he didn't want to lessen his time with his kids. I understand but his career has to progress. 

During the early days of my residency training, our helper decided that she didn't want to work for us anymore so Jabar and I were left with no one but ourselves. I didn't want to quit residency so I had to work extra hard balancing motherhood and my training. To say that the daycare center in Jabar's office is a major help is an understatement. The daycare saved my career. For 3 months that we've been helper-less, our daily routine consisted of bathing the kids at night so we only scoop them out of bed as early as 6am to hit the road while the kids are still sleeping. I go with them to his office, drop the kids at the daycare to change them into their new clothes and feed them breakfast. Then at 7am, off I go to my workplace which is only around 10-minutes away from my husband's office. That was the time that I was able to decipher Allah's plans for me when I got rejected in my application for Internal Medicine residency. Had I pursued IM, I know it won't take long before I quit considering that situation. Gladly, the workload in Family Medicine is not that heavy so I can go still go home as soon as the clock ticks 5pm. At home, Jabar and I divided the work. It's either I cook and he cleans the house and bathes the kids, or vice versa. During weekends, I do the laundry and ironing of clothes. I squeeze in whatever time left studying for my monthly exams and writing reports. It was a crazy 3 months!!!

Although FM residency is lighter than the other major fields, I am still a freshman who has to strictly comply with many department rules. I attend lectures during weekends or after office during weekdays. Jabar did adjusting the most, especially when I am on duty and he's left alone with two toddlers. He gives them a bath, feed them, put them to sleep and clean the house. He had to skip office whenever one of the kids get sick. During those time, he never told me to quit residency to focus on our family instead. Never. He continued to support me and we lived one day at a time.

Presently, we don't have a helper for the next two weeks as Ate Belle, our helper for almost 4 months, went home for a quick vacation. So the daily routine we had during our helper-less days is back. But it is not without a twist. It feels more difficult now that I am 26 weeks pregnant and the kids are heavier than several months ago! I can no longer carry either of the kids with my belly protruding and carrying another bag, even a light one. With  pregnancy discomfort sets in, it is more difficult to move around doing household chores, but I had no choice but to stand strong and do what I have to do without acting like a damsel in distress to an already-stressed husband. 

That, my friends, is the very reason why Jabar is not yet eager to enroll in any further studies in order to get promoted. He cannot do it while I am on residency training, not the season for it, he told me, smiling. Life has its different seasons. During the winter season of your life, do not wish for spring as it will eventually come. All we can do is appreciate the beauty of the season of life where we are presently in. Jabar is enjoying every single moment he is spending with our daughters, while he lets me proceed with my residency training. Our situation right now will not go on forever, he assured me. I will eventually finish residency and the kids will grow up and will need us less as they explore the world, then in shaa Allah that's the perfect time he can also proceed with his postgrad studies. Who knows, he might even have an opportunity to enroll in a prestigious uni abroad while he's at Post? 

Jabar and our eldest, Yamyam. 

One thing I admire most about my husband is his positive outlook in life and his resilience in whatever storm that come his way. I think I said this before but I never heard him complain while he faces each day with a strong demeanor. I pray for him everyday, may Allah give him all the best things in this world and in the hereafter because he is one of the genuinely good-hearted people I know. I love him so dearly, isn't it obvious? Haha!

Life's Turnaround

Three months being with our little munchkin (and without having a yaya), I can quite say all the cliche things they say about being new parents are absolutely true. It completely turned our life around, not only our daily life schedules but the entire life plan ahead of us. Marriage did change me as a person, yes, but not as much as when the little one arrived. So I'm listing down here the things that have changed so far.

1.) BREAKFAST 

      The hubby and I used to have our breakfast together, but nowadays, we only do so during weekends. After fajr, he'll prepare his breakfast (I used to do it for him) while I head to the bathroom to prepare my baby's bath. I will have mine after the hubby leaves for work and baby takes her morning nap (yeah, babies sleep a loooot). 

2.) WATCHING TV

          We used to do it with all our  hearts' content. Nowadays, we turn the TV off as soon as baby sleeps. I try to sleep early as well so I won't feel groggy in the morning. Having said that, I will then proceed to...

3.) SLEEP

           This is where I made the biggest adjustment!!! Everybody knows how much of a sleepyhead I am. Back when I was having hospital duties, I always find time to sneak at least an hour of sleep, or if I can't, I surely make up for all the lost sleeping hours on my day off. But being a mother??? THERE IS NO MAKING UP FOR IT!! Like I said in one Facebook post, it's like being on an endless perpetual duty without postduty status. Especially that I have no one but my husband to relieve me when I'm drop dead tired. My husband who is equally tired form work. The most difficult was the first two months, I was literally looking and feeling like a zombie! Sleep deprived and still in physical pain from childbirth, this resulted to my postpartum blues. Nevertheless, I easily got out of the dark feeling, thanks to the helpful and supportive husband who does the things when I feel so tired to even cook a decent meal. He even allows me to go on a me time once in a while (problem is, I still can't keep my mind off my baby so I always rush back home. haha!) while he is left at home alone with the baby. I am glad he's a hands on dad. He can do everything except giving her a bath for the reason that she's still very fragile daw. 

4.) PEACEFUL MEAL

         It is so rare nowadays to have a peaceful meal without my baby demanding to be cuddled or be fed, like yeah, she calls for an attention right before we're about to eat! What I do now that she's three months old is I let her sit on my lap while I eat. Multitasking like that. :D 

5.) BEAUTY ROUTINES

        Pre-baby days, I can't let a day pass without putting on moisturizers and lotion even if I only stay at home. Nowadays, I even feel lucky if I get to take a bath on time. Lol! Kaya pala sabi nila nakakalosyang maging nanay. But of course I won't allow myself to wither like that only because I became a mom. I still find time to do my regular beauty regimen and I'm religiously doing it not just for myself but for the husband as well. Chos.              

6.) GOING OUT/MALLING/TRAVELING

        Becoming a mother or a parent is like trading my freedom for this super cute munchkin sitting on my lap right now while I type. Haha! Gone were the days when dating was a regular habit and when we would spontaneously hop on a bus off to somewhere. Nowadays, even going to the nearby mall must be planned ahead of time. Everything has changed. I still dream of traveling to many places with our baby, but perhaps, when she's older and less demanding. 

7.) READING BOOKS OR CHECKING SOCIAL MEDIA

        I used to finish a book in two, maximum of three days depending on the plot and the book's thickness. Now, finishing it in a week is already a victory for me. Even in using social media, my friends have noticed how my posts became lesser and lesser by the day. Well, aside from the "less social media, happier life" mantra I want to adapt, it's really the lack of time. Now that my daughter is very interactive, I'd rather play with her than check on what's going on with other people's lives. 

8.) RESIDENCY PLANS

           If I were single, I wouldn't mind where I am going to apply for residency and the amount of time and work it demands. I can live in the hospital the whole duration of training and sacrifice my social life. I am secretly wishing to apply at SPMC in Davao City or NMMC in Cagayan de Oro City, but with my husband's work which is based in Manila, I have no other choice but to apply within the vicinity that is also near our home. I also have to consider the toxicity of the hospital where I would apply because I want to have a life-work balance. I absolutely do not want to miss the important milestones that my daughter is achieving as she grows up. My husband was long prepped as to how it is being a resident and I am lucky that he's been assuring me that I got his back.  

9.) HUBBY'S NEXT POST

            It is yet too early to plan for this, but hubby has many considerations for his next posting. It should be where I can practice my profession and most importantly, a country that can provide a quality education for our child/-ren. If not for us, I'm sure he would be adventurous and wouldn't mind wherever part of the world he gets assigned like when he was first posted in Nigeria. Lol!


Sometimes late in the night, the husband and I would contemplate a life without our daughter. We can picture a very boring and sad life repeating our routines day after day after day :( While my daughter is peacefully sleeping, I would stand or sit beside her like a creep and utter a heartfelt gratitude to Allah for the biggest blessing He has given us this year. I was ready to give up everything just to have her and I did temporarily sacrificed my profession, hence, she  is with us now. Alhamdulillah.

I need to pinch myself sometimes to make sure that I am not dreaming. Everything is perfect. Right now.

Our Little One Goes Malling!

If being a wanderlust is encoded in the genes, then my daughter has definitely inherited the trait. I am grateful to be living in the heart of the city where malls and leisure establishments sprout like mushrooms. When my baby was still inside my tummy, I used to explore the neighboring malls, coffee shops, bookstores and restaurants almost on a daily basis. I easily got bored inside the house so I try to find refreshing reading nooks. Perhaps babies love the swaying and bouncy feeling inside the womb when the mother walks that's why they seek it when they're in the outside world. 

We first brought Yam to Central World when she was only 3 weeks old. My mother-in-law who stayed with us after I delivered was scheduled to fly out of the country that week so we treated her for lunch. We were sort of "forced" to bring the baby with us. But I was secretly pumped up because it was also my first time to wander right after delivery. I was dying to smell the outside world!!!     

                        

Jabar rocking the Ergo baby carrier.

I was quite surprised that Yam behaved the whole time. I was expecting that the new environment and the noise would make her fuss, on the contrary, it lulled her to sleep! Very good, anak. :) 

                   

Mom-in-law and sister-in-law in Manhattan Fish Market at Central World. Look at my tiny baby with her thin legs! Awwww... And please don't mind those extra width on my hips. I am still edematous here. I've already shed a significant amount of weight as of press time, those in the tummy and hips are quite stubborn though and I haven't got back to the gym yet. I completely have no idea when I will start to try to lose weight. I'm still enjoying my daily eat-all-you-can meals! Haha! 

Three weeks later, we brought her to Emporium and Emquartier, the mall that is stone's throw away from where we live. This was where I frequent when I was preggers because of its proximity, it is less than 10-minutes on foot. So far, this is where we usually bring our little one. I love Emporium and Emquartier because it is less crowded and it offers various pretty and delish restaurants, plus we don't need any transpo vehicle to get there, we only need our feet and her stroller!  

"Ina, when will I get to eat all these food?"

Our first ever dining experience as a family

We noticed later on how much she looooooves going out! She was fussing and crying one afternoon for no apparent reasons. She had just finished feeding, her diaper's fresh and I was carrying her on my arms. I was so stressed I went down the building to buy chips with her on her stroller. And lo! She stopped crying as soon as we stepped out of our unit when she has seen the parading lights on the hallway and at the lobby. From then on, I always bring her at the building lobby every afternoon where she's fascinated by the lights, the people she sees, and the noise she hears. Haha! It's too early to tell, but she might not inherit my introversion.  

I can't wait for my future travel buddy to grow up!

A father will always be her daughter's first love. >3 

Halloween in BKK

The embassy hosted its first ever Halloween party for the staff and their families last night. Now guess who's the youngest party-goer? No other than our little Yam! It's the first ever party she has ever gone to and it's a halloween! Hahaha! I don't remember going to any halloween party before so I guess, it's my first time too!  

This mummy greeted guests at the door. 

I have no idea what to wear for the party since I don't like being either under- or over-dressed so I came being just my usual self with a big ribbon-headband on top my head. Hahaha! For the little one, I dressed her in a sailor girl outfit, a gift from Jabar's former colleague, and accessorized it with a pointy evil-horn headband with a pitchfork. Pink para matchy-matchy kami. Hihi. 

Embassy peeps. Hubby wore his kimon and red sahal. To those who might comment why he wore a religious outfit for a halloween party, relax.  He doesn't mean to disrespect the symbolism of the said outfit, like I said above, we came as our usual selves. 

With Ms. Lanie

Someone doesn't seem to enjoy the attention but she was so attentive to everyone. She was observing everybody especially the kids as they were running around. She doesn't seem to get irritated by all the noise, in fact she was enjoying seeing a lot of people and the lights on the ceiling. Is it too early to train her social skills? 

With Ms. Mae and her pretty daughters Sandra and Sofia who came as the Addams Family. 

Food, singing, games, the little one and I enjoyed everything!

With Khun Yupin, the Thai embassy staff who's being a huge help to everyone in their office. She was one of our first visitors at the hospital when Yam was born. Khun is a Thai equivalent for Miss and/or Mister.

With Ms. Michelle who came as Chun Li. 

There's Jeremy, Ico and Sofia, who topped the 3 best costumes in the kids category. Vice Consul Jay who hosted the event came as a Bangkok motorcycle driver. Haha! Nice! 

And the night was capped with the award for the top 3 best costumes: Manith as Sadako, Ms Lanie and hubby as witch and skeleton, respectively;  and Ate Rose and hubby as Lola Nidora and Rogelio (pero siya daw talaga si Alden! hahaha!) respectively. 

'Til the next embassy party! Thanks for inviting us! 

How To NOT Give Birth Inside A Taxi

I have heard and written down hundreds of labor stories from pregnant women rushing to the hospital for delivery and witnessed strenuous labors to easy breezy ones. I wondered which among those stories I jotted down would eventually happen to me. Being someone who only had a toothache to consider as a severe form of physical pain, I can only imagine how labor pain would be like. Some of those I interviewed back in my hospital days said it started as a menstrual cramp-like pain on the hypogastric area that creeps to the upper abdomen, others describe it as a low back pain radiating to the hypogastric area. I carefully watched out for those signs including a possible leaking of the bag of water (amniotic fluid) or a bloody show. Unfortunately, I forgot that not everything happens according to what is exactly written on the OB-GYN book. 

My last prenatal exam on my 38th week showed a tightly closed cervix. With the absence of other possible labor signs, I let my 39th week prenatal exam pass predicting that my baby would reach up to 40 weeks since it's my first pregnancy. Now I learned not to miss any single prenatal exam in my future pregnancies. Hahaha! 

Jabar and I went to bed at around 11:00 pm on Thursday, August 20, my 39th week and four days of pregnancy, when I felt a faint and irregular menstrual cramp-like pain on my lower abdomen. I already knew it could be the beginning of labor pain but since I'm a primigravida (first pregnancy), I calculated the time my cervix would thin out and fully dilated to reach 8 hours or more. Although I didn't get to sleep through the night, the pain was still tolerable. I imagine labor pain to be crazy and intolerable. I told my husband about it at around 5:00 am when he woke up for fajr. According to my calculation (hahaha!), we'd go to the hospital at around 8:00 am so he could still go to the office to ask for a leave. When everyone at home (yes! my parents, mom-in-law, and sis-in-law were here!) woke up at around 5:30 am, I coolly announced my abdominal pain. My mom and mom-in-law panicked! I laughed and told them to calm down because it is still tolerable. Perhaps, I will give birth in the afternoon or tonight, I told them. Had I only known what would happen later, I would have rushed to the hospital right away. Ugh. Anyway, my mom grabbed the herbs she brought all the way from Marawi (they stayed fresh because she replanted them as soon as they arrived here in Bangkok) and made a liquid concoction out of it. She called those herbs as "Meranao inducers". Haha! I never thought my mom pala has panday (local midwife) skills. Thinking perhaps it wouldn't hurt to follow my mom, I drank the minty-tasted herbal concoction in one gulp. At around 6:00 am, I asked my husband to accompany me to the 34th floor, the garden floor, so I can walk around. When we arrived there, it didn't take 10 minutes when I felt the pain intensified and the contraction became regular. I told my husband that we need to go to the hospital ASAP. It took me 30 minutes to take a bath and prettify myself because my concern was to look pretty on my first photo with my baby! Hahaha! Ayun tuloy.

The view from the 34th floor, the garden floor, of the building where we live. Imagine nakuha ko pang kumuha ng litrato habang nagcocontract ang tiyan ko? Hehe. 

We were in the taxi at around 7:00 am with my father accompanying us to the hospital. Since Jabar and I are not usually affected by rush hours, it completely slipped our minds that traffic is heavily built in Bangkok at this hour! Without the traffic, Bumrungrad Hospital is less than ten minutes away from where we live via taxi if it goes straight ahead of Sukhumvit road, which is the shortest route. I have no idea what went inside the taxi driver's mind who swerved right to the wider but more congested Asok road instead of driving straight ahead! He was trying to explain to my husband in broken English that he was expecting a less congested road since it is wider, but he was so wrong!

When we were not moving for more than 30 minutes, I started fidgeting in pain inside the taxi! I feel like the pain intensifies every time I see the red traffic lights, the buses on our both sides, and still we're not moving an inch! I was imagining myself walking along the hospital hallways or squatting inside the labor room while my husband massages my lower back to relieve the pain but with this traffic, it is far away from happening! I started to whimper while my dad beside me tried to console me by reminding me to recite La ilaaha ilallah Muhammad ar rasuulullah  (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger). I tried to remember the techniques in managing labor pains taught in the antenatal class but none of those can be performed conveniently at the back of a taxi stuck in a freaking traffic. I remember one position that I can do, I started placing both of my knees and my hands up on the seat while my father hugs me on my shoulder so I won't slide down when the taxi moves.  

An hour passed and we were still stuck in the carmageddon and I was still on all fours screaming in pain!!! The only possible way we can get to the hospital faster were 1.) we take the famous Bangkok motorcycles, or 2.) we go against the traffic!! The two gentlemen with me asked if I can climb at the back of the motorcycle and I answered with a roaring NO!! So they resorted to the latter option and the next thing I knew, they were both screaming at the driver to go against the traffic and explain later to traffic enforcers that it is an urgent matter that they would surely understand. It took them another thirty minutes arguing since Mr. Goody-Goody Driver did not want to be caught violating traffic rules. I wanted to join yelling at the driver, no, I wanted to curse him so bad and blame him for changing route when we should be in the hospital by now but karma managed to insert in my thoughts thinking I might have difficulty delivering my baby if I hurt this poor taxi driver. The pressure he's getting from my father and my husband is more than enough. In retrospect, I admired him for showing such discipline in adhering to the law. He instead called what we guessed the traffic control center which alerted a certain radio station and all the traffic enforcers in the Asok area to allow our taxi to pass amidst the heavy traffic. The next thing I knew while I was on fours was we were speeding our way to the hospital as if all cars on the road disappeared! I lifted my head to see all the cars making way for us while traffic enforcers waving red flags directing the way to the hospital. We just made a scene amidst the heavy Bangkok traffic!! When we arrived at Bumrungrad, emergency personnel were already waiting for us immediately laid me on a gurney all the way to the delivery room. At that point, I had no idea where my father and husband were. All I wanted was to bear down to relieve the pain.

At the delivery room, the nurse did an internal exam and she said my cervix was already fully dilated. No wonder I started pushing the baby out but they were stopping me because my OB was not yet around! No one's gonna catch my baby if I continue to bear down. The nurses let me lie on my side and a few minutes later, a resident physician arrived apologizing in behalf of my OB because she was also stuck in the traffic on her way to the hospital! UGH, Bangkok traffic!!! The resident physician then placed my legs on lithotomy position and gave me the go signal to start bearing down. I then heard my husband beside me instructing me to breathe the way we practiced it at home. As I closed my eyes, all the voices surrounding me seemed to fade. I only listened to my body as it tells me to push longer every time I feel the urge. I rest in between and then push again. On my third push, I heard my baby crying as the pediatrician was wiping a dry cloth on her. When she was placed on my chest, all the pain I felt few minutes ago went away. At 9:06 am, August 21, on a Friday, a healthy baby girl just made her way to the world. :)

So the answer to the question imposed on the title of this entry is: when you're expecting, please rush to the hospital as soon as you feel abdominal pain whether it is tolerable or not, and, never ever miss any appointment with your OB especially on the last trimester.

At the delivery room an hour after I gave birth. 

Sharing here with you our first family photo on the delivery bed while the resident physician is doing an episiorrhaphy on me. Haha! Except for my edematous face and a rubbed down lipstick, my wish to look quite good on our first family photo was granted. Kaya kami natagalan umalis ng bahay dahil sa pagpapaganda e. Ayan. Hahaha! Oh well.      

                           

Alhamdulillah, all praises belong to Allah. It was a relatively easy delivery except for the inconvenient laboring inside a taxi. Now I realize how high my threshold of tolerance for pain is. I was still smiling and laughing when we were leaving home. It was the traffic that really stressed me out leading to a fast dilatation of my cervix. Or perhaps, the herbal concoction that my mom made me drink? I don't know. When Allah decrees something, no one can stop it from happening. I can only be grateful that I didn't give birth inside the taxi, otherwise, I don't know what would happen to my father and to my husband! Hahahaha!  

China Doll

*I started writing this post on August 28, Friday, and I only get to finish it only now as most of my time is dominated by the little one. 

Our little china doll at 1 week. Her clothes are still loose on her. Haha!

Exactly a week ago, our greatest prayer has been answered. We welcomed our little Amina Mariam via a hilarious/stressful drive to the hospital (next entry!) and an eventful normal delivery. Praise be to God, everything was according to God's perfect plan, from the arrival of my parents and my mother-in-law, to the day I gave birth (which fell on a Friday, an auspicious day among Muslims) and the arrival of our healthy bundle of joy.  

At 1 week old, my baby Yam:

1.) IS ALWAYS HUNGRY. She wakes up every hour or two to feed! I know that newborns are supposed to feed every 3-4 hours in order to gain weight, but our little one seems insatiable! But I don't restrict her on that, I feed her whenever and how much she wants to. I am presently mixed feeding her because my breastmilk didn't came out until the fourth day. My milk production has increased but still not enough for her almost endless appetite! Thank God, my Mom's here to cook almost everything she knows that would trigger milk let-down. I pray that I may have enough milk so I can exclusively breastfeed her.  

2.) LOVES TO CUDDLE. A newborn has only three causes of crying (other than pathological discomfort): wants to feed, wet diaper and wants to cuddle. After feeding and a change of diaper, she won't calm down to sleep until she feels human warmth particularly mine. And I happily succumb to her whims by wrapping her around my arms, close to my chest as she yawns and gently gives in to deep sleep. That's what she loves to do at night, she even wants to hear her Ama (hubby) hum Meranao songs to her while he stands to dance her around. We are not complaining YET of sleepless nights and backaches. Haha! 

3.) HAS FLAKING SKIN AND STILL LOOKS PAYAT. At 2.710kg, her birth weight is just few notches above the normal. She's small. Oh well, she has our genes! Hahaha! I wanna cry when I did her first bathe at home and realized how skinny she is! My Mom tries to console me by assuring me that my child is even bigger than I was when I was born and I did thrive! Haha! She's still shedding her old skin so some part of skin on her legs and her hands are still flaky. 

4.) SMILES A LOOOT!!! I know she can't see us clearly yet and she's just testing her facial muscles but how smitten I am by her cute smile after every feed! Her dimple on her right cheek makes me want to cuddle her even more! I'm sorry, I'm just a new mom who's full of adoration for her newborn daughter. Haha!

5.) CALMS DOWN WHEN A MERANAO SONG IS HUMMED TO HER. On her fourth day of life, she was still crying after feeding and a new diaper, I carried her and swayed her around to no avail. My Mom got her and hummed a Meranao song (bayok) then she was quietly lulled to sleep. Effective! Humming a tune is a talent I am yet to master for my little one, let alone a bayok. My husband, Jabar, impressed me when he puts her to sleep by singing bayok to her. Haha!  

6.) IS SQUIRMY! Oh how she loves to punch the air and kick her tiny legs! That's her way of developing her motor coordination skills so I avoid swaddling her now. 

7.) SHE DUPLICATES MY FAVORITE SLEEPING POSITION. One of my most relaxing sleeping position, aside from lying on my stomach, is lying straight on my back with my hands raised straight above my head. "Superwoman" style. And she does exactly that most of the time. Cute! Because everything she does is cute!

8.) SHE LOOKS LIKE MY MOM! That's exactly what I said when I first saw her in the delivery room. Jabar commented on her chinky eyes while I noticed her round, chubby cheeks which she takes from my Mom (also from me!). Pinaglihi ko 'ata sa nanay ko. I remember missing my Mom and her cooking so much during the first trimester of my pregnancy that I always cry whenever I think about her and my father. I pray she does not only inherit my Mom's physical looks but also her generous heart and her charm. In shaa Allah, ameen!


The first week has been a mix of joy and an excruciating pain for me as my body still aches from pregnancy and labor, plus the anxiety of taking care of a newborn. This is more toxic than a 48-hour duty in the hospital! I swear! Walang postduty na nag-aantay e!  But I am thriving, as much as I want my little one to thrive. I count myself lucky for having my parents and my mother-in-law around during the first week of adjusting into motherhood. I know so little about this business I had to ask them constantly about their child-rearing practices. I am a doctor by profession but motherhood is another one that is completely new to me. I can only apply so little. But in shaa Allah, with the help of family and friends whom I get to keep in touch with online, I will get the hang of this. I pray that I may have more patience and physical endurance as Jabar and I do everything on our own here in Bangkok.    

Maternity Shoot

Last Sunday, my husband Jabar gave in to one of my wishes---an outdoors maternity shoot. It was very amateur as we had his sister who's temporarily staying with us to get behind the camera while Jab and I did the directing and, of course, acting! It was also very awkward as it is our first time to do something like this (we previously didn't have a prenup or postnup photo shoots). Hahaha! I'm sharing with you the best shots that we were able to muster. 

I searched the internet for some posing ideas as well as the best location here in Bangkok which turned out to be at the King Rama IX Park,  the largest green space in the city. 

That ring I was wearing was from my Mom, her own wedding ring that she handed down to me. It used to be very loose on my finger but now, it fits snugly! 

One thing I realized, we should have done this at around 30-33ish weeks AOG when the baby bump is evident but not too huge and the body swelling has not yet materialized. I'm on my 38th week now so aside from the discomfort arising from the heavy bulging of my entire body, there's a threat that I might just contract anytime. Haha! 

I'm really glad that we were able to pull it off even though 1.) we're not still very familiar with our EOS-M Canon (yan na nga lang hirap na ako ano na lang 'pag yung mga highly professional cams? tamad lang talaga akong aralin ang specs nya. lol!) 2.) it was soooo hot! 3.) worst case that can happen in a photo shoot? Run out of battery and having no extra to use!! It happened! So we had very limited shots plus we were in a hurry as the red warning sign blinks. Kaloka! But it was a fun day and I'm grateful that Jabar was cool about it!