A Peek-a-boo for Mommy

I had a dream a couple of days ago…

Just when I was on that plane between sleeping and getting up…

I saw my baby poke her head out of my tummy.

Not her entire body, but just her head. 

Her dark round eyes looked smilingly at me. Reassuringly.

She doesn’t have the chinky almond eyes of her father.  She takes after me!

Her brown smooth skin sparkled in the dark. That one unmistakably comes from both of us!

Her hair, dark and thin, will soon be lustrous I know.

I softly cradled her in my arms, mystified.

Right then, I knew she was telling me that she’s okay, that soon we will see each other.

The image was fading fast…

I woke up.

I wanted to go back to sleep…

to stay…but I no longer can.

The sweet image of my baby lingered.

I held on to it until it became what it was…

a sweet hazy dream…

a reassuring peek-a-boo for mommy.

Nesting Period

My sister, a mother of two, says one will know if she’s about to give birth if she starts “nesting”.

Unclear of what she meant, I had visions of migratory birds frantically pecking through their nest, adjusting their feathers, and making sure everything is warm and comfortable for the arrival of their beloved chicks.

I wanted to put my own spin into it and decided to do the baby room. 🙂

Ricky is vacating his room in favor of Baby Nina as it is the one closest to the master’s bedroom.  He has no objections on transferring to the third floor provided that it be painted blue and carry a Superman theme again.  (“And mom, can I bring my playstation?” The boy is truly growing up!)   

I have opted for a sandy yellow and sky blue theme for the baby room.  It will go well with the running wallpaper of buttery yellow moon, sun and stars I recently bought from the mall.  I saw some wall stickers of sheeps lazily sleeping on soft beds of clouds and decided it will also look nice spattered around the walls.  I made a mental note to get some painters to do it this weekend, before the baby arrives.

On to some baby furniture!  My MIL have already gifted us with a crib – a white wooden one that can easily be transformed into a playpen and, later, a starter bed.  Impressive!  Baby beddings have been provided by generous friends from the baby shower.  Blue Sneakers’ choice of Giraffe Design in yellow and blue would be the perfect combination!   I just need an armoire and everything will be settled.  Baby & Co. has the perfect design – a changing table, a hideaway bathtub, and an armoire all rolled into one.  A visit to the mall this Saturday will do the trick!

To cap it, I decided to host a pre-labor/pre-delivery dinner before I officially start motherhood.  

It will be Ricky’s 9th b-day this weekend and a perfect occasion to do some cooking.  Menu for the kid’s afternoon party will be spaghetti, chicken and pizza.  For the adults’, it will have to be an appetizer of mozarella cheese and tomatoes set in a bed of melba toast, greek salad with feta cheese, spaghetti amatriciana and a good bottle of red wine.   Yum! Yum!  I’m excited already!

I’m beginning to enjoy this “nesting” thing, I thought!

…until a visit to the doctor changed all that.

At 1 p.m., I went in for what I thought would be an ordinary pre-natal check-up.  A doppler here and there, a few measurements here and it would be done.  Plenty of time to cook for the children’s and the adult’s party.

Next thing I know I was in a hospital gown being wheeled out on a wheelchair on my way to have an emergency ultrasound!

My doctor was out on a lecture and the resident doctor took her place.  She said I’m already in “term”, being 37 weeks and 2 days pregnant.  But the baby’s position was transverse, meaning she was lying sideways.  Not headfirst, not breech, but transverse which transalated to what I think was the worst position a baby could ever take.

A trip to the ultrasound room confirmed it.  My doctor soon arrived (apparently called to shorted her lecture and immediately attend to me).  She explained that the baby was indeed in a transverse position in which case she couldn’t wait for me to go into labor as the baby’s hand or shoulder might be the first to come out.  It was critical for her to take out the baby now through a ceasarian procedure.

Still reeling from the news,  Ms. Resident suddenly came out and unceremoniously told me – “Mommy, hihiwain ka ha.”  With matching slicing motion through her neck as if I didn’t already get the picture!

Right there and then, my B.P. shot up and my contractions began from 15 minutes apart to 3 minutes apart!

What about the party?  What about the guests?  What about the lecture?  What about my scheduled trials?  Witnesses?  Where’s my mom?  Where’s my husband?  I was scared and nervous, and ready to cry!  I wanted to scream!  Man, this is not part of the plan!

As all these questions frantically raced through my mind,  I heard my doctor suddenly say that my medical records show that I was only 35 weeks pregnant and she could not operate on me, the baby would be premature.  She berated Ms. Resident for misreading the records and giving a contrary information.  She warned that the results would have been disastrous if a c-section had been performed at this eary date.

I wanted to say “There’s already a result!  I’m already an emotional disaster!” 

…And you freakin’ destroyed my party!

It took all of my pregnant effort not to glare down at Ms. Resident!  Grrr!

They then wheeled me through the high-risk section and inserted tubes on me.  For three (3) days, they had to monitor me until my contractions settled down. 

Meanwhile, my husband was seething over the false alarm, my sisters were nice enough to take out Ricky for an instant birthday party at Shakey’s, and my mom was beside herself praying for my and the baby’s safety.

I’m now out and safely billeted in my room.  On complete bedrest.  For two (2) weeks. 

No painters to do the baby room.  No trips to the mall to do some baby shopping.  No pre-labor/pre-delivery dinner before I enter into motherhood.

I suddenly realized what my sister meant by “nesting”. 😦

Iconic Pregnant Photo

Back in the 90’s, Demi Moore made news when she made the cover of Vanity Fair magazine posing in the nude in all her pregnant glory no less.

Shot by famous photographer Anne Liebovitz while she was 7 months pregnant with daughter Scout La Rue (what a name huh?), it was the best selling issue of Vanity Fair ever.  It was not only that she was a star celebrity, then married to another star celebrity, Bruce Willis, but that the photo in itself was revolutionary carrying a message that would validate and celebrate womanhood – Pregnancy is Beautiful and Pregnant Women Rule!

Since then, other pregnant women have tried to emulate her, likewise posing in the nude, either to generate the same media hype, pamper to their vanities or just plain keep a memento of this phase in their lives.  I have even heard of some having a bust of their pregnant self commissioned!

I would not go that far.  But I would have to admit that as each month passed, with me marvelling over the elasticity of my tummy and amazed with the growing life within, the desire for me to capture and chronicle it grew. 

I would never know whether this phase in my life would again be repeated.  I would have no conclusive evidence to show my child that “Hey! This is how much I lovingly carried you and kept you close to my heart.”  The love, the warmth, the glow which every pregnant woman emits would be hard to describe unless seen.

And so, one fateful day, I went to the studio (same studio which took our wedding photos) and did what other sentimental pregnant woman would do (or would love to do) and had my picture taken…

 

This is me about 8 months pregnant, a few weeks before the baby shower, at 175 lbs. 

I had more than a dozen of this made, in various poses, some in color and some in black and white, and none in the nude.  Haha! 

I’m no Demi Moore, but I hope the photo captured not only my bulging tummy but the glow which an impending motherhood brings.

Now, I have something to show my daughter.  🙂 

By the way, reproduced into storybook placemats (courtesy of my friend Ibyang) this made into excellent giveaways during the babyshower.  They were gone in minutes!

Livin’ on a Lifeline

So, what does one do when she’s 36 weeks pregnant and about to pop at a moment’s notice?

One chooses to live on a lifeline…

And watch the Spandau Ballet Concert! 🙂

Those who spent their teenage years in the 80’s will agree with me that this is a concert that cannot be passed up! 

During those days, afternoon weekends were spent listening to Casey Casem’s Top 40 hits mostly monopolized by New Wave hits from Tears for Fears, Boy George, Wham and Duran Duran, while weekdays were enjoyed viewing the 1to 5 minute long music television video (MTV’s) wonders from the same artists.  It was the truly the British New Romatic Era!

Spandau Ballet was enjoying its peak then with hits such as True, Gold, Round and Round, Lifeline etc. Such was their popularity that they were always pitted against Duran Duran, another popular British band (that recently had its concert in the country but which I unfortunately missed (bedrest again, sigh! ) 

Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley against Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon (who’s the better singer?) ; Martin and Gary Kemp against Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes and John Taylor (Who’s the sexiest?) ; Johnny Keeble  against  Roger Taylor (who’s the coolest on the drums?)  Teenage girls then drooled over their pictures, cover albums, and posters, and weaved dreams of meeting these guys.  And I was not any different. 

Years have passed and this dream hasn’t change.  I still think it will still be the coolest treat if I were able to see them in concert.

My husband seems to agree with me. 

At 6 o’clock p.m., he casually tells me to dress up as we’re going out. 

“Where?”, I asked and he flicks me two (2) tickets – patron seats!

I would have shrieked and jumped if I could!  I’ve always been thankful over finding Mr. P but, man, right then and there, I wanted to go down in prayer and supplication!  Ain’t he just the coolest!?! 🙂

As Tony Hadley walked out the stage for his opening number, I still couldn’t believe my luck!  We were seated about 9 rows away from the stage and, if I was not pregnant, I would have walked down the front of the stage to catch a picture! 

 

The past 20 years is easily discernible from Tony Hadley’s and John Keeble’s physique (Martin and Gary Kemp have chosen to pursue a career in acting), but they delivered as if they were in their prime!  They opened up with Highly Strung and this seemed to echo what the audience was feeling then – impatient and excited over their coming out!  Lifeline, Through the Barricades, Gold, True …Song after song they electrified the crowd! 

Tony Hadley showed that he was not averse to singing popular covers from other artists as he sang Mississippi Blues by Elvis Presley and Rio from Duran Duran (no rivalry here!).  The crowd found it new and refreshing!  But he truly brought the house down when he sang With or Without You by U2!  Security be damned, the people rushed to the front of the stage and danced for all their worth!

And I, in all my pregnant glory, just had to stand up, raise my arm in rhythm and sing along with the crowd!

It was truly an exhilarating experience!

After one encore, the concert ended at around 11 p.m.  It was way past my bedtime but I was not sleepy.  Over pizza and pasta, Mr. P and I basked in the afterglow of the concert. 

Baby Nina opted to make herself felt then.  I wouldn’t be amazed if she turns out to be a musician like her father.  She seemed to have enjoyed the concert as well! 🙂

Cupcake Chronicles

Butter cupcakes clad in pastel-colored blankets covering a tiny miniature of a baby.  Adorable, cute…

And only slightly edible.   

The baby shower cupcakes drew high praises only that eating it seem to evoke an uncanny image of tribal warriors engaged in ritual cannibalism. 😉

Blue Sneakers says she’s now in search for edible cupcakes. I’m one with her on that.

And so is the rest of the world from the looks of it.

New York style icon Carrie Bradshaw, daintily nibbling a vanilla cupcake in an episode of Sex and the City, seem to have started the cupcake craze.  Vanilla with lilac icing, rose icing, mint green on chocolate, all dusted with hundreds and thousands of candy specs, soon graced every style magazine, from Vogue to Nylon. 

 

The cupcakes are the creation of The Magnolia Bakery, a tiny, fifties-style space in New York that has now grown into some sort of an institution courtesy of SnC.  Talk about the power of the boobtube!  Now, a SnC Tour will not even be complete without a visit to this shop and a delectable bite from its many creations.

  

 

Such a find will ordinarily throw me in such a frenzy enough to pack up my bags for the next NY flight, but unlikely to make any travelling in the near future (or the next 10 years for that matter!), I am left with no option but to scrounge around the local offerings and, yes, to make my own.

 I used to sell apple pies and carrot cakes way back in college. ( A time when the only decent cafe offering coffee, cakes and pastries, was Cafe Elysee in SM City and SM Cubao.  Understandably, my apple pies and carrot cakes were a hit then. 🙂 )  It’s been a while though since I’ve last picked up my spatula and turned on my monstrosity of a mixer (110 voltz that it needs a transformer, geesh! ) that re-learning the ABC’s of baking took longer than I have expected. 

Anyways, I have chosen to make Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes and the traditional Chocolate Cupcake.  Pretty ambitious for a first timer huh?  But, I thought, what the heck!  Better aim for the stars while I’m at it!

So, here’s the finished result.  Viola!

 

 

 

 

 I loved the way the cupcakes rose and seemed to overflow from the papercups.  I used a bigger papercup for the chocolate cupcakes (just because it was in red) and have to make a mental note to use the smaller size next time.  I would have loved for the tops to crack a bit just so it will have more character and texture.  But the frosting will not sit well if this were so I guess.

I skipped the frosting, by the way.  I was not sure if the usual Butter Icing or the Cream Cheese Icing (I usually used with the carrot cake) would be appropriate. 

As the smell of newly cooked cupcakes wafted through the air, Mr. P saunters by and immediately grabs an orange poppy seed cupcake.

Not bad he says.  

And then grabs another one, chocolate this time.

Hmmm, I may not have been able to reach the stars but, from the look on my husband’s face, at least I was able to lasso the moon! 🙂

Top 12 Best Babyshower Gifts

Babyshowers are given to the would-be mom to start her off with her baby needs. 

I never realized how big a help this is until my friend Blue Sneakers hosted one for me.  It was not only emotionally gratifying but educational to a first time mom such as myself as well.  To start with, I don’t know which items to buy Baby Nina for her first three (3) months in this world.  I don’t know the difference between a gauze diaper or a bird’s eye diaper.  I don’t know the advantage of having a tie-side onesie from a babyshirt.  I don’t know the difference between a manual breastpump from an electric pump, whether Medela is better than Avent.   And I am horrified by the thought that I have to think of myself as a milking cow for the next six (6) months!   

A roomful of women diminished (slightly) all these, with their comforting words, experience-gained knowledge and gifts…gifts…gifts!

So, here’s my Top 12 Pick of Best Babyshower Gifts, in random order, taken from “the loot” from that fun-filled day:

1.   The Crib

      It always pays to include some big items into the Baby Registry as you’ll never know if some kind-hearted generous soul has a mind to give you one, e.g. your parents or parents-in-law.  In my case, my mother-in-law surprised us with a white wooden crib, complete with cushion and beddings, a week before the baby shower.  My husband and I were both touched.  It also threw us into a gift-receiving mode all of a sudden!   We were excited over the arrival of more surprises!

     By the way, cribs can be either the traditional wooden kind or the plastic-steel kind.  Nowadays, both wooden and plastic-steel cribs usually are dual or triple purpose, transforming into a playpen and, in the case of a wooden crib,  can also stretch into a starter bed. 

 2.   The Beddings

 

 I received about 5 sets of beddings that day but this one’s my favorite!  It came from Blue Sneakers and it’s in a blue, yellow and cream giraffe theme.  (Somehow, I have this fixation over giraffes!)  That’s Mr. Giraffee on top.  Pull-out its tail and a lullaby suddenly plays!  It keeps Nina calm when she’s suddenly restless and playful in my tummy. 🙂

And here’s what I’ve just learned, beddings usually come with the fitted sheet, the comforter and bolster pillows.  Some even carry with it a side-guard that runs around the crib to protect your baby from those hard bumps.  Amazing!

3.  Diaper Depot

 

This one is so cool!  The package says “the complete diaper changing station”.  Its made of durable plastic that one can hang over the side of the crib.  I like it because its different from the frilly cloth-diaper depots one usually sees in the mall, plus it has so many storage levels that prevents clutter.  Trust Tita Glends to spot a good product!

4. Reusable Diapers

 

One can never go wrong with diapers as gifts.  But this one is reusable!  How cool is that!  Its a cotton diaper from Chino Pino, pre-folded and shaped, with velcro sides that no pins or clips are needed. Tita Teresa, a mother of four (4) kids, swears by this.  I agree, this is such a find that I bought an additional dozen for Nina. 🙂

5.  Baby Bottles

 Another great gift as it is a must-have:  baby bottles! Most mothers I’ve talked to swear by Avent because of its durability and anti-kolic feeding nipples.  A set such as this comes with two 4 oz. bottles, two 9 oz. bottles and extra feeding nipples.  I wished Tata Gi included the Avent sterilizer with the set. 😉

6. Bathtub

 

A baby bathtub is a necessity, not only for baby’s hygiene but mommy’s convenience as well.  Baby bathtubs come in different shapes, sizes and color.  But I like this one because it’s portable- it folds and snaps in the middle, perfect for storage and those family-outings.  Its in a reclining form, with rubber mat, that one doesn’t need to purchase a separate reclining bath seat for the baby.  There’s also space for shampoo, washtowel and soap on the other side.  Lola Inday was surely smart to get this for Nina.

By the way, I just discovered that there’s a new bath tub model out in the market these days.  It comes with a shower nozzle that’s attached to a round water container.  Pretty convenient but the price is quite steep – P 2,300.00.  

7.  Toiletries

What’s a bathtub without the toiletries!  Babies need their shampoo, soap, lotion, powder, diaper rash creams, colognes, etc.  And what better way to present and package this than in a cute wicker basket with pink baby bear to boot!  Tita Nikki surely knows how to tickle the kikay in Nina! 

8. Child Care Kit

 

Babies are truly such a different breed that they need a whole new set of grooming tools just for themselves.  Ibyang swears by Safety 1st as her lifeline to sanity in grooming her daughter Gia.  It also comes with a thermometer and a mucus-extraction tool.  I like this one for its hard case.  Makes me look like I know what I’m doing. Hehe!

9.   Baby Carrier

This is the next best thing to being gifted a stroller.  If mommy is young, athletic, and don’t have much pregnancy weight lagging around, a baby carrier is the way to go.  They say it strengthens the bond between mother and baby as opposed to having baby relegated in the stroller.  It also eases the pain from those tired arm muscles.  Just be carefull not to forget you have a bundle in front of you!

10.  Baby Bag

Mommy still needs to look stylish during those weekend jaunts.  Ate Rose got me this baby bag complete with a plastic changing pad and a baby wipes storage inside.  Its roomy and durable enough to keep those feeding bottles and diapers intact.  This comes in different colors and styles.  There’s even one designed especially for daddy!

11.  Baby Einstein Play Gym

 

It doesn’t have to be Baby Einstein, any play gym will do.  Anything that will stimulate baby’s auditory and locomotor skills is fine with me.  Lola Mel, Ibyang’s mom, was sweet enough to get Nina one which is portable and has a light and sound mechanism.  Can’t wait to see Nina’s eyes pop up and snatches one of those mobile figures!

12.  Baby Book

 

The book “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” is one of my most cherished books as it literally guided me through every bump and jolt in each of those nine (9) months.  It is thus with much appreciation for Louella when I discovered she gifted me with this book “What to Expect the First Year”.   As I said before, the prospect of becoming a mother fills me with the same degree of trepidation as it does me with excitement.  This book, hopefully, dimishes that and answers most of the baby mystery for me. 

 

So, there it goes, my Top 12 Best Babyshower Gifts.   Practical, affordable and all given with thoughtful love to prepare me into becoming a perfect mom. 

I just hope I don’t disappoint them…least of all Baby Nina. 🙂