Baby Boy Dy ❤

On December 15, 2019 at 7:07AM, we welcomed Iñigo Alesso Manila-Dy. 

Our big baby boy weighed 7.6 lbs and measured 53 cm at birth. Here's my baby love at home.

Lazada 11.11 Hauls

So I've never been a huge fan of online stores for clothes and big gears. I prefer seeing them and testing them out in person. However, Lazada had a massive 11.11 sale obviously this November and we found some great deals that were too tempting to pass up. We added quite a few things in our cart without too much expectations just because there may be others who could beat us to check out that day. However, with some luck, we were able to score the following.

• Chicco Liteway 3 stroller - 5k (from 9k)
• Akeeva Igloo car seat - 4.2k (from 6.5k)
• Apruva co-sleeper playpen - 3.9k (from 4.2k)
• Mamy Poko 52pcs NB diapers - 320 (from 540)
• Mamy Poko 2 pack baby wipes - 160
• Mustela hydra bebe lotion - 750
• Mustela diaper cream - 320
• Stroller pad - 550

Wasn't able to take photos of the smaller stuff but the stroller, playpen, and car seat are in great condition and are authentic (we only bought from the official stores, that's why).

While some of these items may not have had really big discounts, they all had free shipping plus further discounts from out credit cards. Also, with the vulnerable state of my pregnancy now, I can barely walk around without panting after just a few minutes so this online sale had been really convenient for me. I guess one thing that made it easier is that we only bought from the official stores instead of resellers. I usually get suspicious when there's a huge markdown but so far, so good. We're actually waiting for the 12.12 sale to score more diapers and baby wipes :D

Hospital Bag Checklist

I'm on my 35th week and unfortunately has been struck by the flu this weekend. I went to see my OB on Monday because I have read so many disturbing posts about how dangerous getting coughs could be on the latter part of your pregnancy. My doctor hasnt prescribed any medicines yet but I need to see her and a pulmonologist tomorrow.

So anyway, stuck at home and I'm trying to manage micro movements to at least get my blood flowing. Body pains are REAL. I decided to pack baby boy's hospital bag since it's getting to be around that time already. So here it is plus a checklist for myself and for hubby.

• 3 muslin washcloths (lampins)
• 1 receiving blanket
• 1 swaddle
• 1 hooded overalls
• 3 tie side shirts and pajamas
• 3 sets of mittens
• 2 bonnets
• 2 pairs of socks
• 2 burping cloths
• Mustela diaper cream
• Mamy Poko baby wipes
• 10pcs Mamy Poko nb diapers
• Cotton balls and alcohol

For hubby and myself:

• Underpads
• Maternity pads
• Towels
• Underwear and binder
• Going home dress
• Slippers
• Toiletries
• Philhealth and SSS documents
• Blankets and pillows
• 2 sets of clothes for hubby
• Water
• Snacks

We havent prepared our bags yet but it's good to have a list -- I always do especially when we travel. We have yet to decide if Zoe is coming with us since we're not sure if I'll give birth before or during her Christmas school break. It's only a matter of time, though. Hope to have a safe (and normal) delivery and a healthy baby boy.

Nesting Update

I am super happy to say that I have finished washing the rest of baby boy's stuff --- blankets, swaddles, towels, and muslin diaper cloths. I'll prolly pack our hospital bag next weekend.

Among the remaining items on my list is his bath and grooming kit which I have managed to complete.

I'm also booking the services of Ate Girl cleaners to tidy up the entire condo as well as deep clean the sofa and our mattress in preparation for the newest occupant.

With that said, what's left are the stroller, car seat, and playpen which are already in our Lazada shopping cart ready for check out on the 11.11 sale. Had it not been for the really tempting deals, I would rather buy these at the mall because I prefer seeing them and testing them in person.

Van and the bun part 2

Nesting and preparing ♥️

It's the last day of November and I can't believe this year is going by like the speed of light. It's been 8 months since Mama passed away and my pregnancy is also at its 8th month. When I put things that way, it's kind of hard to process how I have managed to come to this day. I miss Mama everyday and I can't stop thinking of all the reasons that I need her here.

Speaking of my 8th month, we've been holding off on buying stuff for Iñigo until November, supposedly, just because we don't have the space for it just yet. However, this pregnancy has been quite challenging for me, even though I was in tip top shape and quite strong pre-pregnancy. I've had to stop my long walks and daily work outs (just doing yoga/pilates about 3x a week now) because of contractions and groin pains (TMI, I know) everytime I get tired. I can't even overbook on weekend plans without getting strained and having to stay in bed for an entire day or two. Because of that, we've had to start shopping early so we wouldn't have to buy everything in one or two trips. So far, I've completed buying his layette, towels and blankets. Oooohh, I've missed going through the babies section and having to really buy something. I may or may not have overshopped again.

On the photo above, you'll see:

• 1 dozen Enfant muslin cloth diapers 
• 6 burp cloths
• 6 wash cloths
• 3 hooded towels
• 3 receiving blankets
• Comforter set
• Nursing pillow (gift from Di Ann)
• Dr Brown's Options+ blue wide neck feeding bottle set
• Dr Brown's Options+ clear wide neck feeding bottle set
• 3 NB button down shirts
• 3 NB tie side shirts
• 3 NB pajamas
• 3 NB footsies
• 6 3M pajamas
• 2 footsie overalls
• Swaddle Me
• 3 NB onesies
• 6 3M onesies
• 3 caps
• 6 sets of mittens
• 3 sets of socks/booties
• 6 bibdanas

Here's what the Dr Brown's Options+ bottles look like. I think 8 bottles should be enough since I plan to breastfeed anyway.

Last weekend, we went to Megamall to look for a dress to wear to Dan's uncle's 70th birthday and obviously, I can't get inside a store and just buy 1 item. So anyway, right outside the store was a Mustela store and I absolutely looooved Mustela on Zoe. I bought a bath oil and 3 bottles of 2 in 1 gel cleanser (what used to be the dermo cleanser). 

Our most recent unplanned purchase was a gym bag to be used as a diaper bag. I was not planning to buy one since we still have Zoe's old diaper bag in great condition, though it needs washing. But hubby wanted to get a Nike backpack he'd be happy to carry around for his son. We went to the mall to get something at Watson's and passed by Toby's to just 'look' at bags and found this really great Under Armour gym bag. Needless to say, we left the store with it.

I really like this bag because it's very roomy but so easy to find things inside. And I can use it when I can already go back to the gym 😁 

So far, I have washed most of Iñigo's clothes, except for the pajamas. I've arranged his closet (shared space with Achie Zoe) and as soon as I'm done with washing the rest of his stuff, I'll start preparing his hospital bag. I still have about 6-7 weeks to go but it's better to be prepared. The only things left on our list are the big items: stroller, playpen/co sleeper, car seat, baby bath tub. Super excited for Iñigo! 

Maternity Shoot teaser photos

It really pays to have great friends. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, my photographer friend promised a maternity shoot for FREE. So when we had a staycation for Zoe's birthday, I decided to schedule it then. Here are some of the teaser photos.

Can't wait to see the rest of the photos 😁

Another Manila-Dy has come to thee!

We will see you in December, my boy. 

Iñigo Alessandro Manila-Dy

Van and the Bun

This pregnancy has been quite tough but my baby is strong and resilient. This is me at 6 weeks 4 days pregnant.

12 weeks

14 weeks

15 weeks

 16 weeks

 20 weeks

22 weeks

I am currently 24 weeks and 2 days heavy and am due for a congenital scan on Saturday. This pregnancy hasn't been a breeze with all the nausea, vomitting, and contractions but I try to stay healthy and active as much as I can. I can't do heavy cardio anymore so I do low impact cardio + pre natal pilates or yoga everyday. I once posted a video of me doing a circuit at the gym and my OB got so stressed about it. I mean, physically I knew I could do it at that time but she didn't want to risk it. Since I am on my 6th month, my tummy has gotten bigger and heavier so I get tired easily and it frustrates me like crazy when I pant after climbing 1 flight of stairs. I mean, what's up with that? I used to take the stairs from the 7th floor of our office building all the way to the 19th. So anyway, I follow BodyFitness by Amy in Youtube and I try to vary my workouts so I don't plateau but all in all, as long as I'm not feeling unwell, I exercise everyday. I even exercise a little at work on my desk. 

The start of a new adventure

So a day before our Boracay trip last April for my birthday, I had an inkling to do a pregnancy test because of my weird eating habits. I've had plenty of false alarms so I wasn't fully expecting anything. I figured that I needed to find out so that I'd know whether I could drink on this trip or not 😁 

On my break at work, I went to 7-11 and bought a PT. And there it was. 

Mind you, I have trust issues so I decided to go to St Luke's BGC to have a formal test made. I went thru a trans vaginal ultrasound and was told I was definitely pregnant. I held off telling Dan about it because I wanted to do so in person. When he picked me up, I was holding the ultrasound results and he looked at it. 

Now, we were debating how to tell Zoe, not because we were worried of her reaction but because we wanted it a little theatric. Zoe has been asking for a sibling for the longest time and we have been non committal about. However, when Dan posted the PT result in their family chat group, Zoe asked about it when we got home so we had to tell her. We were surprised when she cried and she said how happy she was. Now, she's going to finally be an Achie. 

A Love Story

2nd semester of freshman college, I published a family biography as part of my requirements for Filipino. In it was an entire chapter dedicated to Mama. I asked her to read the hard bound book before I submitted it to my professor. To my surprise, she wept on what I thought was a mere objective view of how she was as a mother to us. She didn't say much but she thanked me for my appreciation of all her efforts into raising us. It was a rare moment as we weren't a verbally expressive kind of family. After years of bickering and sassing one another, we reached a turning point in our mother-daughter relationship.

Ours was never perfect. We were annoyed with one another frequently, we offended each other with our duplicate ferocious personalities but as years went by, I found myself slowly becoming more like Mama in more ways than one. Mama was severely protective of our family, I was fiercely protective of her. 

February 18, Mama's 3rd day at the hospital. I spoke to her lead doctor and there she broke the news. Her liver cirrhosis, which was diagnosed in 2016, was on its end stage. To top it off, several lumps have been detected on her liver, the biggest one to be 11cm. I was in disbelief, I broke into tears. I didn't know how to face her or what to tell her. My siblings and I agreed to conceal the truth from her and to move back to her house to look after her and take care of her. 

A week and a half later, we took her to the hospital again. A procedure to drain fluids out of her stomach so she could breathe better was scheduled but could not be done. There was not much water inside. We decided it was time for her to know the truth. My heart was crushed seeing how she tried to be brave as she took the news. The following day, I wheeled her to the chapel and my sister and I prayed with her. I tried to bargain with the Lord. I wasnt ready to surrender her yet. Every night that I slept beside her, I lay awake watching her breathe. Everytime I fell asleep, I'd jolt right back up when I hear her move. Even as she scolded me to go back to sleep, I couldnt and I would just sit beside her ready to wait on her for whatever she needed. On days I could try to squeeze in a bit of workout, she'd tell me off for exhausting myself and I'd jokingly tell her that I needed to exercise so I can lift her because nobody else could.

March 22, my siblings and I surrendered her to the Lord. We told her she can rest and that we were thankful that she gave all that she could for us. In her room, we held her hand and took turns kissing her forehead, telling her how much we love her. There are no words to describe how it felt to watch your parent die. How excruciating it was to watch her breathing decline. How painful it was to let her go. I don't know how I will recover from the last scenes in my head of how they covered her body as they took her to the morgue. As a child, my greatest fear was to lose my parents. And there I was, losing the last parent I had. 

The first time I came back to her room, it was exactly how it was when we left it the morning of March 22nd. Her recliner, her medicines, the smell of efficascent oil, her oxygen tank. I thought I would lose my mind. I cradled her Nazarene hanky, the blanket she used the night before, and I just broke down and questioned why it had to be her. Why did it have to be my mom? 

Mama was one of the bravest people I have ever met. And I say this not just because she is my mother but because she had shown me courage in every way. She taught me to be generous and kindhearted to those in need. She also taught me to be strong amidst trials and to be resilient despite challenges. She gave a piece of herself not just to us but to anyone who needed it. Regardless if she was left with nothing or if those people betrayed her, she would still give nonetheless. 

My daughter frequently says that Mama always gives me anything I want. In every way and any way that she can, she gave me everything she had. Her love is what sustained me, her absence is what cripples me. I love you so much, Mama. Please tell me how to go on.

Welcome back!

Wow. It's been 4 years since I last blogged. Zoe was still in preschool and she's now in 4th grade.

2019 has been a mix of ups and downs, storms and rainbows. Yet, I'm here, it's half past the year.

Two things -- Mama passed away in March. A month later, I found out that I'm pregnant.

My next post is all about my tribute to Mama. It's been 5 months and yet, I still think it's a dream and that I'll wake up to find her in her house playing candy crush and wanting to go out. I miss Mama. I never will stop miss her.