After spending days in the hospital few weeks ago, I’m back to my daily routine at home now, but this time we have little A, our new addition to the family. Whew! Life’s getting busier every day for me. With all the tasks at home, I hope they’re enough to keep me active and lose those unwanted tummy fats. I am not considering bariatric surgery at least, but I do want to trim down my waist after giving birth to little A.

On the first month of my pregnancy, I looked like this:

Last month, you can see that my face has already become round :

And because it was the Christmas season, we were feasting on high-calorie foods here and there. Also with my sister and her family here at home, every meal was like a party.  It’s nice to eat along with a bunch of eaters with hearty appetite; something I don’t get to enjoy when it’s just me and Caity at home.

I kept telling myself that I’ll stay away from sweets and fatty foods and eat only foods that burn fat but I still failed. I’ll confess I’ve been eating a small piece of chocolate almost everyday. Huhuhu! Let’s see after giving birth if I’ll be determined in eating healthy again.

It’s snowing a lot these days here in Prague. Not a nice time to go sightseeing for me especially with my baby bump, I just want to rest and stay at home. It would be nice to travel though to have a break from seeing the usual atmosphere here in the house. For those who plan to travel during spring or summer, it’s best to prepare some travel paraphernalia while waiting for the winter season to end.
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I’m still alive! heehehe and still very much pregnant! Though I sometimes wish the baby is out sooner than February. Counting the time will my delivery date drives me crazzzy! My tummy feels heavier and I feel more uncomfortable lately. I feel constant movements from the baby, back and leg pains, tiredness, moodiness… what else? It freaks me out sometimes when I touch my tummy and feel some sharp form almost poking out. What was that? the baby’s knee? leg? Weeeeeeee! Fortunately the upcoming Christmas holiday keeps my mind off from thinking about pregnancy and stuff once in awhile.

Another thing that’s going to keep me busy is the visit of my sister and her family. We’ve got only three days left till they arrive! We have to prepare for their accommodation and prep up the flat with Christmas decors to make it glisten like diamonds, or glass tiles. I’m sure Caity girl will be happy to see her cousins from the North Pole again. She’ll have playmates to keep her occupied and entertained. And with M around for few days, I hope I can rest a bit and not worry about cleaning the house, washing dishes and cooking (uy sis can help too! ).

After undergoing a series of tests, my OB informed us that I lack iron. It’s not actually a new news coz I was told about it last September. During my previous pregnancy, I was also found to be iron deficient that’s why I was prescribed to take iron supplements. Aside from being pregnant, maybe this problem is also the cause why I always feel tired and sleepy. According to what I read online, iron deficiency can cause fatigue and lack of oxygen in the body. What does a tired body need to do? Rest or sleep!

I was 28 weeks preggy here. “Looking smug” daw ko according to my photographer Michelle.

Unfortunately I have problems sleeping nicely even if I am very tired. Sometimes sleeping after a nice massage doesn’t help at all. I wonder if a night in one of those Toronto hotels will work wonders in making me drift to dreamland immediately.

Earlier today, we went to the Vietnamese market for the sole purpose of buying bitter melon. Including bitter melon in the diet is one of the common remedies folks would advice us, along with camote leaves. Let’s see if I’ll turn into an iron woman after a week of taking my iron tablets and eating as much bitter melon as I can.

Zzzzzzz… two things pregnancy is doing to me: sleepy and hungry!

This usually happens: I just woke up from a night’s sleep feeling sleepy. Uhuh! Did I ever sleep at all? Right now I want to go back in bed and doze off. If only Dora will step out from the screen and keep Caity company, then I can get an interrupted rest!
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I ate two KFC chicken wings and more than a cup of rice for breakfast. 30 minutes after I was eating piaya, a little later, I was eating canned mandarins… then a slice of puto cheese. Guess what? I am hungry na sad! Good thing it’s almost 12 noon, time for lunch and then our afternoon NAP follows! Yehey!

My tummy at 27 weeks, with Caity peeping from my side.  Cute!

Okay, it’s time to turn off our desktop computers and give them a rest while we eat!

My advice: If you’re not going to use your computer for more than 2 hours, better turn it off to save energy.

I have a lot of tests and check-ups to undergo required by my OB!

dental check-up
glucose test
special ultra-sound test
EKG test

The glucose test is crashed out from the list coz I already had it yesterday. I starved myself for almost 12 hours just for that starting from 12 mn. until after they took the last blood sample. When we got to the laboratory at 8 am, they took a blood sample then about 20 minutes later I was asked to drink a very sweet liquid. We then had to wait two hours till another blood sample was taken from me. Whew! Baby H. and I survived the long time without water and food! huhuhu.  I bet doing that everyday is better than any weight loss supplement?

Where was Caity while we were in the lab clinic?  She stayed at home with her baba who came early in the morning to our flat to take care of her while we’re away.  Leaving her at home was a good idea.  I just couldn’t imagine how she will behave in a small cramped waiting room full of adults for more than two hours.

Anyway, I still have three more tests to go! For the two, we already have an appointment set but for the dentist visit, we still have schedule it.

Finally some good news to share about Baby H. but before that let me tell a little story.

When we informed family and friends about my pregnancy, they all wished we’ll have a boy this time (our first child is a girl). That’s our prayer too. A boy will be perfect addition to complete the family! I know one couple who had already 4 children (all girls) and still they want to add one more hoping the next one will be a boy.  Unfortunately, their wish wasn’t granted coz their next child was still a girl. Yay! 

Every time I have my pre-natal check-up, we’d always be excited if Baby H. will finally reveal to us its gender. And each time, we’d go home disappointed. Everybody’s asking us time and again for the baby’s gender and they’d get the same negative answer.

Baby H. at 25 weeks. No signs of dark circles under eyes!

Some of my friends like to guess. When I told them that Baby H. is more active than when Caity was in my womb, they told me it’s probably a boy. At 5 months, my tummy is already huge. It looks this big when I was at the 7th month of my previous pregnancy which made my friends think that it’s a boy. And when I told them that I don’t have that dark line known as linea nigra running along my tummy unlike before, they all exclaimed, “it’s a boy!”

The guessing game finally ended yesterday with good results.  Our prayers have been answered coz it’s a baby boy indeed!  Thank you Lord!

There you have it my friends, the answer to your questions. No more asking us, okay?

As I was reading the info on Blue Advantage Health Plans, I couldn’t help but be grateful that I have my health insurance to cover my pregnancy check-up expenses. Check-ups can be expensive in Czech Republic if you don’t have a health insurance. Since my pregnancy requires many consultations with the doctor, ultrasound tests and other various tests it’s best to have a health insurance coz we only pay a little, sometimes even nothing when we go for my monthly check-up. Even the hospital expenses when giving birth is wholly covered by the insurance (that’s based on my previous pregnancy).

After researching a bit, I found in one forum where the woman claimed to have paid about 200,000 CZK for cost of childbirth without insurance. In my case, we paid a little extra coz we got a private room after I gave birth and M stayed with me for a night, but it was very minimal. Compared to the 200,00 CZK this woman paid, you can say it really pays off to have a health insurance.

Most of our friends already know that we’re expecting a baby. We sent out our baby announcements through word of mouth and emails as soon we discovered the wonderful surprise. But shhhh nobody yet knows the gender of the baby. Not even us! Last week when I had my check-up, the doctor was not able to find the sign that would tell us. We have to wait till the next visit then.

A short clip of baby H at 15 weeks and 2 days.

As more and more people are asking what our baby will be, boy or girl, I am thinking maybe we should keep it a secret from everybody to heighten their anticipation. Hehehe silly me. It’s just a thought, but maybe I’d go for it.  Who knows what crazy ideas a pregnant woman can concoct.