A WAHM Writes

Pregnancy is a beautiful experience. When I learned that I was pregnant with McKenzie, I quit my corporate job and started working at home and I haven't gone back since. My husband and I are blessed because our online jobs and small businesses allow us to be with McKenzie everyday

Pregnancy is a new journey for every woman and whether it is meticulously planned or comes unexpectedly, one thing is definite – a woman’s life will never be the same.   It is an experience that will reinvent your world for you.

MOMMY EVENT ALERT!!! What: Smart Parenting Baby Shower When: September 1, 2012 Where: Columbus Room, Discovery Suites, 25 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

I received an email a few minutes ago: i.ph blogs to be shut down - thewifeofkennyansis.i.ph

Official Video from The Baby Company Videos taken during the ultrasound: Video 1 Video 2 Video 3 Video 4 Video 5

I have 2 countdowns- 71 days before my EDD 7 days before our baby shower. Seeing those little baby stuff really makes me happy. We went to Rustan’s last tuesday to sign up for their registry and looks like 3 people already availed of the items. I’ve received several items for the baby already: 6 cloth diapers, a pair of booties, a gift from Ken’s boss and according to Madg, his gift will get here today via Air 21. Excited me much!!! Even baby is excited, she has shown regular activity since we had the ultrasound done.

Baby is listening to Baby Beethoven while I work… Daddy just left for work.

Music time with baby with online shopping for baby stuff… Our usual weekday mornings… We wake up around 4am- Daddy prepares for work and we snooze after.

Baby is now 21 Weeks and 3 days old inside my tummy. Yesterday, I had him/ her listen to Baby Brain IQ & EQ Booster music and he/she moved! Not sure if it’s because he/she loved it or disturbed by it. I’ve been working at home full time for almost a month now. Kenny started with his new work as an Aircraft Scheduler.

Baby is now 16 weeks and 1 day inside my tummy. We’re almost halfway through the journey. We had our check up with Dra Judith Galang Perez on March 2 and we heard the fetal heartbeat!!! It was an awesome experience, we were speechless. Yesterday, we attended a wonderful wedding in 1 Esplanade and was able to get a good view of the pyro olympics. I wish to do it again someday when baby already knows how to appreciate such things.

Today, we officially announced our pregnancy by posting PT results and ultrasound pictures via Facebook. A lot of well-wishers. I’ve also started to experience pain in my lower back starting yesterday. My friends in the office told me it’s normal and it only means that my body is adjusting to the growth of the baby. I read some nice pointers about managing the pain from Baby Center : What can I do to avoid back pain? • Start an exercise program to stretch and strengthen muscles that support the back and legs, including your abdominal muscles. Be careful to stretch gently because stretching too quickly or too much can put further strain on your joints, which have been made looser by pregnancy. Swimming is a great exercise option for pregnant women because it strengthens your abdominal and lower back muscles, and the buoyancy of the water takes the strain off your joints and ligaments. Pelvic tilts can also help (see below). • Stand up straight. This...

Last sunday, our baby is already 13 weeks old. It’s too bad i’m suffering from colds right now and I’m afraid baby is restless inside because of the sneezing.

There are 3 special events today: 1) Valentine's Day 2) Chinese New Year 3) Our baby is 12 weeks old today!!!

Our little one is now 11 weeks and 1/7 days!!! Together with Daddy, we were able to survive the busy holiday season with all the lakad, shopping, parties, get togethers and even coordinated a wedding! I thank God for helping me to become healthy and strong. I thank God for a supportive husband who never ceases to help me out in all the little pains and hardships of pregnancy. I thank God for our families who joins us in praying for a healthy pregnancy and eventually a healthy baby. Gender is something we’re not much concerned about… as long as the baby is healthy, we are happy. Baby looks a lot like human now:

Today marks the 10th week of my pregnancy. 1/4 of the total 40 week journey. The baby now enters its fetal period. The average size is approximately 27-35 mm crown to rump length (CRL), or 1.06-1.38 inches. S/he weighs in at 4 grams, or 4 paper clips. Tiny toes have formed. The eyes are largely open, but the eyelids are beginning to fuse, and will stay that way until 25-27 weeks. External genitalia is beginning to differentiate. External ears are formed, as is the upper lip. The biggest accomplishment this week is the disappearance of the tail! My whole day sickness is still making me fee sick all the time. Constipation, nausea, fainting spells, hungry but no appetite.

Last Saturday’s ultrasound brought good news about our pregnancy: a healthy fetal development and less fluid in the uterus. Ken and I had to go about another route to avoid the kind of traffic that we experience the last time we went to Tokyo Healthlink for an ultrasound. Still, we got there just a few minutes before closing time. I was nervous and with my instructions, Ken positioned himself with his camera phone so he can grant my wish of having photos taken during the ultrasound. Baby’s form is now more pronounced with a head, finger buds and with a heartbeat of 175 bpm. According to the OB Sonologist, Dra Cathy Medina, the baby is moving a lot– could be hungry. ( I was sooo hungry that time). It was a great relief… to see our little one moving. We went to see my OB, Dra Judith Galang-Perez this morning to have the ultrasound checked and I was given another week of bed rest plus 3 weeks more of the medications. She was able to assure us though ...

Today, we are scheduled for another ultrasound. I am experiencing all possible first trimester symptoms which I hope will go away when the 2nd trimester of my pregnancy comes. We are on our 8th week 6 days of pregnancy. The first ultrasound went well (I will scan and post the results here when I find the time) except for a hemorrhagic fluid that was seen inside my uterus. My OB advised bed rest for 2 weeks! Duphaston and Duvadilan 3x a day for 2 weeks as well. I hope everything will look better later. I am excited to see our little one again because according to this week by week fetal development resource, this is what we should expect: Your baby is now approximately 13-17 mm crown to rump length, or about 0.51 – 0.66 inches. S/he also weighs in at 1 gram! Toe rays are present as the toes begin to form. Gonads have become testes (for boys) or ovaries (for girls). Baby will move away if touched through the uterine wall, and can spontaneously move as well. Ossification (h...

I’ve started reciting this prayer which I got from Girltalk forums yesterday: O Great Saint Gerard, beloved servant of Jesus Christ, perfect imitator of your meek and humble Savior, and devoted Child of the Mother of God: enkindle within my heart one spark of that heavenly fire of charity which glowed in your heart and made you an angel of love. O glorious Saint Gerard, because when falsely accused of crime, you did bear, like your Divine master, without murmur or complaint, the calumnies of wicked men, you have been raised up by God as the Patron and Protector of expectant mothers. Preserve me from danger and from the excessive pains accompanying childbirth, and shield the child we hope to carry that it may see the light of day and receive the lustral waters of baptism through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

We are scheduled to have our baby’s first ultrasound later in the afternoon at Tokyo Healthlink Clinic near ATC. Transvaginal Ultrasound costs 1,700 which seem pricier than other clinics. But we love going there for check up with Dra Galang- Perez because we don’t have to wait for long and the facilities are all okay. We are both excited but I must admit, I’m also scared as I cannot forego remembering my first ultrasound with my first pregnancy last year: the sonologist (who was also my OB) did not find any sac or anything that would confirm the pregnancy and then I miscarried. I know I have to shoo away these negative thoughts as it won’t help a bit in preparing me for the baby. I put all my trust to God. Here’s our baby’s first photo:

Today is also my dear mother in law’s birthday. I am 6 weeks and 3 days pregnant now. Here’s how we found out: November 22, 2009 - First Day of my Last Menstrual Period Week of December 16, 2009 - I’ve been experiencing early pregnancy symptoms but It was too early to test. December 19, 2009 - We have a night out with friends and due to the extreme pregnancy symptoms that I’ve been experiencing; I felt the need to do a test before deciding to order a cocktail that night. I tested in the morning, while Ken was in the office. It came out positive but with just a thin purple test line. But it’s still a positive result. December 21, 2009 - I tested again and the purple test line is clearer. December 22, 2009 - Another test done, still positive December 25, 2009 - Announced it to the Javier Family as we are having our Annual Gift Giving Activity. December 26, 2009 - Final PT— very clear purple test line. Announced it to the Ansis Family. Kenny handed out my Having a...