Gianna's 1st Month

Today marked my daughter's 1st month. I can't believe it has been a month since i gave birth to this beautiful little girl (time flew by really fast!). To make this momentous day really special i ordered a cake from Harvest Baking and my mum cooked a Filipino traditional noodle dish "pancit". It's a shame Paolo isn't around since he's meeting deadlines at work.

(Chocolate Fudge cake from Harvest Baking is to die for!)

(Happy 1st month Little Girl!)

Dearest Baby Girl,

We are very happy to have you around the house! It has been a month since you came and our lives have changed BIG TIME! It was usually just me and your dad together celebrating birthdays, christmas, and other events but with you around it will be a different experience. We can't wait to celebrate more events as a family now!

Today, you were indeed very lucky, because your lolas (grandmothers - Lola Fely and Lola Baby) cooked dinner for us! They actually flew in from Manila to see and meet you and spend christmas with us!And in 2 days time, Auntie Rhea and your cousin Asha are coming over as well.

Your dad and I are getting more excited about you growing up so quickly. It was just last month that we were so worried about you staying behind in the hospital recuperating from hypoglycemia (you had low sugar level) and jaundice (your skin was very special that it turned a bit yellow). But now, you are doing well! From your last check-up you were 3.5 kilos and I am not quite sure how much you weigh now considering the way you drink milk!:)

Despite, the sleepless nights and the gazillion soiled diapers (mommy's exaggerating!) we are extremely delighted you came because YOU means LOVE. Both daddy and I feel the love by having you and we will do everything to make you the best person you can be.

Be a good girl and continue to mesmerise us with your developing character!

We love you!

Mommy and Daddy

My beautiful baby

I have a beautiful companion in our house - and I can't stop staring at her, both Paolo and I are in awe of how gorgeous our little girl is. We still cannot agree as to whom she got her looks from but all we know is that she is half and half in many ways!

She sleeps like her dad with her one leg crossed on top of the other.

At this very young age, she already enjoys pampering herself - daily massage from her physictherapist - Mr Hoai during her stay in NICU (just like her mum)

Gianna is a happy baby if i may say, she is not fussy at all (hope this won't change). She only cries when she is REALLY hungry but most of the time she amuses herself by staring at different things around her. She does not even whine when her diaper is soiled, we will know if it needs changing when she starts kicking her legs or makes a grunting sound.

I know the importance of books and reading and at this early stage I try to instill a love for books to her. When she was still in my tummy, I started reading to her and I think it was a good idea because now I can see that she enjoys listening to our storytime at night. I have been reading Spot books series to her and she responds by smiling or staring at my face when i read them.

And what's the magic of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to her?! she calms down when I start singing that song to her especially when I cradle her to sleep. I know all children LOVE that song and I can vouch on that because whenever I am at school and ask the children what song they like to sing, Twinkle would definitely be on TOP of the list.

It has only been 3 weeks baby girl and I am amaze at how quickly you turned our lives around. I am enjoying every minute of it and looking forward to more great time with you - ( really loooking forward to more stable sleep patterns from you though )

Love,love!
Mommy

Welcome Baby Girl - Gianna Lucia

Last 20.11.2011 at exactly 10am, Paolo and I welcomed our little bundle of joy - Gianna Lucia. It was the most beautiful experience i have had in my entire existence! I was 38weeks and 6days in pregnancy when she was born but she was a small baby so she had to stay in NICU for 6 nights to monitor her sugar level and jaundice. Those 6 nights were the most difficult, intense times my husband and I have had endured so far. It was hard for me especially to be separated from her a day after i gave birth to her, but the situation called for it and we had no choice.

I commend the maternity and NICU departments in FV Hospital as we both were very well taken cared of during our stay. So after 4 nights stay in the maternity ward, i was discharged but unfortunately, Gianna had to stay behind to ensure that her glucose level is stable before we can take her home.

We are a proud parents to this beautiful baby girl and we were so happy to be able to take her home just in time for us to celebrate her 1st week with us sans the IV infusions and phototherapy .

It has only been 11 days since we met this beautiful baby and both of us can't get enough staring at her. I have only started with the usual motherly routine and I know i have more to learn.

Welcome to this awesome world Gianna Lucia - remember what we have been telling you when you were still inside my tummy? It is much better here than inside! :)

Walls' BlackBean "Munggo" Iced Drop

One good thing about being my pregnancy is that I get to enjoy food so much. I have never had a particular craving for the whole time I am pregnant and i never had a difficult time gulping down food compared to some women I know. Indeed, I was lucky! :) As what my good friend Tet always tells me whenever I say how much I love the taste of the food I eat "you love it because you are pregnant." I just really have this palette that appreciates food so much that even a normal snack would taste extra-ordinary tasty (blame the surging hormones).

A few years back, my husband and I would complain at how much we miss Selecta ice cream back home. It is one of the things we look forward to every time we have a chance to fly back to Manila. But not anymore, as Selecta has its counterpart here in Vietnam - WALLS ice cream. They have been slowly introducing different ice cream flavors to Vietnam market and I was delighted to see and taste their Blackbean iced drop which is very similar to what I am used to back home when I was growing up.

(It's very milky and tasty and morsels of blackbeans made it even more tastier)

It's a Girl! - the Baby Shower

I feel very blessed to have made few but very good friends here in Saigon. I am in my most comfortable when I am with these lovely people!:) So last November 5, they staged another baby shower for me, Paolo and the little girl! It was a great night indeed because all the people who were there are the ones i know who will shower love and care not only for me and Paolo but most especially to Gianna Lucia :)

I'll make the photos speak for what went through the whole night of fun!

(the bunting Dick, Fel, Kat and Eric painstakingly cut and prepared the night before the shower party)

(Well done to both Kat and Fel for making this diaper cake!)

(Kat and Eric hosted the shower and prepared a sumptuous dinner for all of us.)

A baby shower won't be complete without the games. And I am really amazed at how much they have thought of all the things that were done.

(Majority of the girls are preschool teachers except for Fel and Kat. And so when this game was done, all of them were very competitive as to how they want the decorate the onesies for the Gianna)

(Look at the finished products! Well done girls!)

Next game involved the couples! The wives were blindfolded and were tasked to feed the husbands with baby food. Paolo and I lost unfortunately:( but it was sheer fun to have both Eric and Dick joined the game.

This time, Dads were asked to put a diaper on a baby doll, both Dick and Eric were really good at it whilst I commend Paolo for trying his very best despite of taking the whole sticker off the nappy :)

(Gianna is indeed delighted to have all these gifts but I know she is more grateful for having so many people around her.)

It was a lovely evening full of fun and enjoyment and it was made more special with people whom we know will always be there for us as we take a journey to parenthood.

I am now just waiting for the Big Day (am now on my 37 weeks). I am getting really excited to meet our little girl and i know my family and friends are also looking forward to see that precious little bundle of joy that we have been waiting for.

I'm patient baby girl and I will wait for you when you are ready.

Mum and Dad love you very much.

Surprise!!

"Dinner at home", i was told by Tet early morning last 28th of October, it did not give me a hint since we normally invite each other over to our places. Little did I know that they were up to something, even Paolo and our nanny kept me clueless the whole time!

"What's keeping you so long?!" she asked me on the phone around 5.30pm, so without battling an eyelash, my nanny and I went over to her place even without Paolo in tow, since he was still at work finishing a deadline. And SURPRISE!!!

(I was caught off guard! They were all there, even Paolo!!!)

(Here's a photo of Tet's family who are here for a vacation.)

It was indeed a surprise baby shower for me with food, gifts and a lovely company from people very dear to Paolo and I. I know for sure that even our little girl was delighted to feel the love around from everybody even if she's still inside me :)

(The food was great! Thanks to Tet, Tita Lolit, Ate Kriz and Marj for preparing all these great food!)

And a baby shower wouldn't be complete without gifts! As early as now, I am in awe at how much clothes our little girl has already acquired, mostly as gifts from people I know and some from shopping I did back home. We know for sure that she won't be clothes-less until she is about to turn 1. Thanks everyone!

Right now, we are waiting for The Day! Our bags are already packed, Paolo and I have finished our birthing classes and I am scheduled for another check-up next when I turn full-term. I am hoping to give birth anytime soon and not reach my due date at the end of November anymore. But I am not rushing, I can and will wait for when our little girl is ready to come out and show us her beautiful smile. :)

Happy Halloween!

Since I moved here several years ago i have not joined in any halloween activities happening around and so when Lyra of Hello Saigon emailed me to ask if i want to be included in the activity, I happily obliged. We both live in the same apartment complex in Phu My Hung and I know it would be a great time having kids dressed up to come and do trick or treat! Many Filipinos families live here in Sky Garden complex and so all of the kids who visited are Pinoys :)

I particularly adored these 2 kids! The little boy in pumpkin costume is Sam, Lyra's son and the other ballerina is Sophie (not quite sure with her name though). When they arrived in my apartment, the first thing they both notice was not the sweets meant for the trick or treat but the christmas tree by the door. Both were like "christmas tree!" as they touched and played with the stuff hanging.

It was indeed a fun trick or treat not only for the kids but for me as well. I was invited to come along for the little get-together to a nearby yoghurt shop but unfortunately, was not able to join as i have some relatives over.

I hope all of you have had a nice halloween as much as I did!

30 minutes or FREE

I found ordering-in very convenient if there are random situations and you don't have time to whip up something to serve for yourself or for friends visiting. And since relocating to Vietnam, food delivery has been a part of our routine at home. And so, when some friends visited, I have decided to call and order pizza for us. We have been loyal patrons to Domino's Pizza since it opened its first branch here in HCMC. I think we still have one branch back home and I grew up enjoying their food. Domino's Pizza is love for us especially on Tuesdays when they do have a promotion of Buy 1 Take 1 pizza. Anyway, I love how they are able to serve their customers with great pizzas and be able to deliver in no time! However, today was different, it took them more than 30 minutes to deliver my orders :( I was wondering why at the beginning, because like I said, I am a loyal customer and i applaud their delivery system (no hassle of repeating or spelling your name or address) because they already do have their customers' information saved so when you call, your details will be shown straight away.

30 Minutes or Free - this is what you will see on their packaging, store, website etc. And so, when my order came in late, I asked the lady about this. She seemed clueless about what they have been telling people. My orders were received at 5.07pm and she came in almost 45 minutes late - and as a paying customer who believes on what is due for me - I asked her politely as she gave me a startled look. She just told me how sorry she was that it took her a long time looking for my place and she was just new to her job. I told her i will just call their hotline to ask about it and if she could wait until I speak to someone who can give clarification on this "30 minutes or Free" tagline. Those 4 word phrase was somewhat straightforward to me - "my pizza came in late, so was it free then?"

Unfortunately, this was not the case. I was made to believe that if orders came in beyond 30 minutes - you need not pay. I intended to pay them as I am concerned that the cost of my order will be on the staff and i don't want that to happen. I called the hotline, just to let them know that this situation arose and I would like to know how they would respond to it. I must say that they have a very clever marketing strategy - it is indeed 30 minutes or FREE but ....

Instead, it's 30 minutes or FREE - Medium Pizza voucher on your next purchase. Their tagline which you can easily see on every packaging is misleading in my opinion. But who am I to say? Had I not called them to clarify, would i know that my orders aren't free - NOT! The manager told me that i need to pay (which I did) and they will only give me a FREE voucher instead.

This post is not meant to tarnish their brand because i will still be ordering from them. I actually applaud their response to the situation and to my call. It was very quick! it did not take 30 minutes or so for them to come back to my place and hand me the Free medium pizza voucher. I don't know anything about advertising or marketing - I am just a paying customer who believes on every thing I read from brands, products that I use. For me To See is To Believe but after this incident, I learnt a lesson - Not all things I see or read is real - there is an underlying truth behind it - and I just needed to ask.

Goodbye Ms Grace - Hello Mummy Grace

I bid my last day at school on Friday and it was very heartwarming! I can't believe that I am starting my maternity leave now and will be away from school for quite some time. I have been prepping my children about me missing in action for quite a while and why Ms Grace has to stop working and last week's farewell went really great.

All of them were aware that I am having a baby since they always see me and my tummy getting bigger everyday. They have been so sweet asking me every single day about how i feel or how the baby feels. They would always me ask if the baby is happy of if she is dancing!:)

As the day went on last Friday, i had no idea, my 2 teaching assistants were planning something. I did not realise it because I was busy seeing parents, saying thank you's and all that. To my surprise, the children came back from the soft playroom with a cake and poster board with their drawings of me and my little one!

I was really happy and I told them my baby is dancing with joy upon seeing the cake and their artwork!They all laughed! I was clueless the whole time and I was not expecting my teaching assistants to do something like that and even prompt the kids to help out :)

(This particular one is hilarious - i have been noticing this little girl for the past few days seating beside me and touching my "starting to swell" feet - did not realise that the sight of my feet will "haunt" her )

(Children are very perceptive, most of the drawing they did were either a picture of me with a bulging belly or a protruding belly button.)

(This cracked me up when i first saw it!)

( and this one is just too sweet not to post :)

I will miss this group of children definitely! and before they left they asked me if i would bring my baby to school so they could play with her. Bless them!

Crib Bumpers not Allowed

When i found out i was pregnant, one of the first things i did was to subscribe to numerous parenting/baby websites. And one those is Baby Center , this website was literally a huge HELP for all pregnant women and expecting couples (yes, even dads too!)

I start my morning reading newsletters from different websites that I am subscribed to and I don't miss any from Baby Center as I know how helpful each article they send me. Since I am now on my 34th week, I have started sorting my baby's stuff at home and one of those things was making sure that she has her bed completed with all the beddings. I've already purchased all that is why it came a surprise to me that crib bumpers actually pose a risk for babies according to the website.

Baby Center agrees that

"The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its policy statement on SIDS. It recommends that crib bumpers should never be used in cribs. Crib bumpers do not prevent injuries and can cause suffocation, entanglement and death.

Per the AAP: SIDS is “the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age, which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history.”

SIDS is rare in the first month of life. It peaks between 2 and 4 months of age. More than 2000 babies die each year from SIDS in the United States. The incidence of SIDS has decreased since the introduction of the Back to Sleep program. Other risk factors for SIDS include secondhand smoke exposure, co-sleeping, soft bedding, and prematurity.

Crib bumpers have been noted to be a risk factor for SIDS for sometime. I noted the danger that crib bumpers presented when I was reviewing Mariah Carey’s new baby nursery. The dangerous plush bumpers tied with ribbons were featured as they coordinated well with the fabrics in the room. Even thin bumpers pose a risk. Mariah Carey, like many new mothers, was likely not aware of the risk associated with crib bumpers.

The new policy on SIDS also includes the following recommendations:

1. Breastfeeding decreases the risk of SIDS and is strongly recommended.
2. Infants should be immunized. The AAP reports that immunization may reduce the risk of SIDS by 50%
3. Place your baby on his back for sleep every time. Car seats and other baby seats should not be used for sleep.
4. Babies should sleep in the same room as parents, but not in the same bed.
5. Do not use crib wedges or positioners.
6. Supervised tummy time is recommended daily to help with development and to avoid flat head syndrome

For a complete list of recommendations, go to healthychildren.org.
Sources:AAP, Healthychildren.org "

(image from Baby Center)

I reckon that the use of crib bumpers and other gears for the baby is in the parents' discretion. The safety of your child is always the top priority and reading/following revised policies like this is a reminder that anything could happen should adults turn blind eye to the situation.

After school Club - Baking/Cooking

Today marked my last day in my after school club. In the past 3 years, i have been sharing an hour per week with primary children at school doing various activities. I have tried all sorts of things just to give time for these children to enjoy school apart from the normal routine they do during the day. I have tried facilitating playdough club, arts and crafts, aerobics but the one activity i have really enjoyed doing is baking/cooking club. I have been doing this for about 4 terms now and so far i can say that this particular club is something very close to my heart.

The group of children i have in this club are from years 1-3. I facilitate this club together with Ms Crislet (my friend, Tet). And this afternoon, i told them this will be my last day doing the club with them as I need to have a rest in time for the baby's birth and so we are going to have a "sandwich party" (not really!). It was just that, Tet and I planned to teach them how to make egg and tuna sandwiches! :)

(that's me (with a bulging belly) talking to them about what needs to be done - see how attentive they were?)

(they were quite amazed at how easily they can peel off the shells off a boiled egg)

It was a simple, no-fuss sandwich but i reckon they loved what they have made because they made several batches!

33 weeks and 4 days pregnant today

And I am feeling it! I feel really heavy, my back and legs are killing me not to mention the hideous sight of my swollen feet! But i'm not complaining, i know i am very lucky with this pregnancy and i am almost in my full term that i only feel all the symptoms kicking in.

I'm due to start my maternity leave on Friday (yay!). Our initial plan was for me to give birth back home but things have changed so i will be staying here until the little girl arrives. I have been busy both at work and home finishing paper works and tasks to be handed over to the cover teacher as I juggle doing a few more shopping sprees for the baby and myself!:) The baby essentials are almost complete and I have already packed my hospital bag just in case. The last time i went to see my OB, she told me that I could give birth anytime between 37-41 weeks (2nd week of November til the 1st week of December). I am hoping to deliver the baby early on (2nd-3rd week) so I could spend more time with her and maximise my maternity leave.

My nanny has started washing some of the baby's clothes and are now ready to be packed for her own hospital bag. Both Paolo and I can't wait and we're really getting giddy everyday thinking that by the end of the year, we will be 3 as a family!!

Here's the 4D image of our baby taken about a couple of months ago.

For now, i will just enjoy the free time i have in my hand because i know in a few weeks time i will start a new journey with a baby in tow. :)

Happy Sunday everyone!

Palitaw ( Glutinous rice ball)

My weekend was a busy and exciting one starting my Saturday with a visit to the Consulate to accompany my friend Tet. We were out the whole day of Saturday, exhausting my energy come Sunday. And so again, i have invited Tet over for lunch and a session of Filipino food try-outs!

I am a self-confessed dessert addict! I enjoy eating nonetheless, but I always look forward to the end of a meal just for me to devour on sweet creations a restaurant if we are dining out or a house if we happen to be invited in for a gathering on offer.

This afternoon was no different, early in the morning, my helper and I went to the market for our weekly market shopping. I have already thought of having "palitaw" (it's a filipino dessert/ afternoon snack made from "galapong ". It is then rolled into balls or flattened then drop into a boiling water until it comes floating on the surface and you will know it's already cooked. It will then be rolled into grated coconut then topped with sesame and sugar. Here is Vietnam, i buy the glutinous rice flour from the supermarket and mix it with water. This is very convenient as opposed to the one i'm used to back home. You just have to mix it with water until you get the right, sticky consistency you like and easy to roll between your palms.

(that's the glutinous rice dough being rolled into balls, some choose to flatten it like a disc but we opted for something quirky!)

(it is then dropped into boiling water to cook - "litaw" means "to surface", hence the name of the snack "palitaw")

(to complete the snack, it is rolled into grated coconut, sesame and sugar!)

Pinoy Ingenuity at its best

I can't help but to share this video about how a simple man helped in creating an inventive way of lighting the dark in many houses in his area using recyclable plastic bottles and cheap resources such as water and bleach.

Electricity in the Philippines is one of the highest in Asia and I can truly attest to the fact that with the increasing rate of poverty, people are left with little or no choice of using the electric power especially in remote places.



I really do hope, that this simple act can make the government feel the need for millions of Filipinos to cheap and easily accessible resource such as electricity. Or help improve Mang Solar's solar power initiative come to life and reach many places.

Mabuhay ang Pilipino!

Of pregnancy, birthday and banoffee pie :)

29 weeks along my pregnancy is still doing pretty well (thank God!). I am back at work for a month now and I can say that nothing has changed despite of being and feeling big! It is really nice to hear people asking me everyday how i am feeling and I do not get tired telling them how great i feel and how excited i get as the big day approaches.

I am now 29 weeks and 3 days pregnant to be exact and we are slowly trying to purchase things and whatnots for the baby. So far, most of the newborn essentials are complete and just need to be washed. The wooden cot and the mattress have been delivered yesterday! yay!! Perhaps, i'll start preparing our hospital bags when i enter my 32 weeks. I will start my maternity leave in a month's time and I hope by that time all the necessary preparations (e.g. closet clean-up, small things purchases, hospital bags etc.) are done so i could only focus on the big day!

(That's me and a very good friend Tet after a hearty dinner at home, eagerly anticipating kicks and nudges from the baby girl!)

Today, is my husband's birthday so we had a very,very small dinner at home. This is an extraordinary birthday for him because of the anticipated birth of our little princess. It is a no-fuss dinner with Tet at home over home-cooked meals which i gladly prepared because i know i might not be able to do that for quite a while once the baby arrives. We might try to have post-birthday breakfast tomorrow, for a change!:)

Tet brought in a whole banoffee pie from Jaspas! It's a to die for dessert! We both prefer this version than what we have tried back home. The cream on top is just too nice to ignore and every inch of the pie compliments each other making it a very rich but not too overwhelming dessert!

My weekend started really great and I hope to begin my work week the same way i did today!

Sorry we're closed..

I was supposed to have my glucose tolerance test at FV Hospital this morning. My OB rescheduled me to come today because she wanted me to fast before the test is done. So, 8.30am, i went off with an empty tummy to get this done and over with. I know it would take some time for this test to be performed but I was ready for this "battle". 10minutes later, I arrived at the hospital. It was a very smooth journey since I live around the vicinity but lo and behold, the hospital is surprisingly very quiet! It was like a "ghost town" to me, no security guards or the concierge waiting outside, ready to open the car door for you or welcome you in the hospital! Shoot!! i forgot that today was a public holiday in Vietnam! Today marked the Independence Day of this country. But it didn't matter to me and to my friend since this is a HOSPITAL,it is always "on-duty" like ones back home or perhaps other hospitals around the world. I proceeded to the laboratory since I am scheduled to have a test done, but no Grace, the door is CLOSED!!! So off we went upstairs to see the OB department to try and speak to any staff, but again, no one was around to accommodate a hungry pregnant woman today!! Both Tet and I could not believe this strange realization happening at the moment! We are aware how important this public holiday to all Vietnamese people, but why leave the hospital unmanned? why?!! i just could not fathom that!!

(This is the reception area, normally, 6-8 uniformed staff are available to help any guests, but today, that was not the case. But i am pleased to see that the flower vase was still there and waited for me to arrive.)

(My friend Tet checking the notice board inside the OB department just in case they left a note about closing it in time for the holiday.)

So we've decided to check the emergency section, since it is designed for emergency cases we had hopes that it will be open. And yes, finally, a uniformed man was there and was available to speak to me. Unfortunately, since their laboratory is unavailable (because according to the staff, it is Vietnam's public holiday) they could not give me the service I was supposed to be taking at that time of the day! So there we were amazed at this luck we got, went out to hail a taxi but again, even that ever helpful taxi man was on holiday! Because in Vietnam today marked their Independence Day!

I hope you have had a relaxing Independence Day in Vietnam!