Yaya for newborns..

I know I may be to eager since my due date is still a couple of months away.

But I think, its better to have things in order before my baby comes. 

Right now, I am looking for a yaya for my March 2011 newborn.  I am starting this early because I've had friends who until two weeks after they've given birth still don't have a yaya to help them out.  I would like to be prepared in a way - and that's why, this early - I'm looking for a yaya already.

To the mommies out there, what questions should I be asking the yayas I will be considering?  What should I take note of?  What are the important things that I have to consider?

Can you mommies help me me out?

I would appreciate ALL the inputs!!

Thanks in advance!

Of Carriers, Cribs, Strollers, Bottles and Pumps

Okay, since I am a first time mom....

I have a few concerns:

I've been hearing that I should be getting the following items for my baby:
1.  Baby Carrier
2.  Baby Crib
3.  A set of Baby bottles
4.  Breastpump (if I plan to breastfeed)
5.  Sterilizer
6.  Play Pen

Now - what do I really need?  Do I really need all of them or just some of them?

Any recommendations on what brands to get?

PLEASE HELP!!

Malikot, ha!!

Last night, for the first time the baby was moving like crazy.

I experienced the first movements while I was in Seoul, Korea last October.  And last night, it was then that I felt the MOST movement!  And guess what I was watching?  I was watching E!'s segment on Victoria's Secret models!  Hahaha...

It was when Panget said that he was considering names of the angels.  When he blurted it out, the movement was out of this world!  It seemed as if my tummy was rumbling all over!  I think the baby was excited.  Hahahaha!!

For some reason - I can't fathom.

I woke up last night because of my baby's kicking.  Had a hard time going back to sleep. 

But its okay - since I don't feel tired naman today..

Baby - wag masyado malikot!!

Sigh...

Been experiencing numbness and tingling of the hands - often.

I get scared because I have a hard time clenching my fist when I wake up in the morning!

Being pregnant is NOT at all easy... :(

Baby - I hope you don't give Mommy any headaches - Mommy is sacrificing a LOT for you!!

I was paranoid, so I texted my doctor asking if there was a remedy for the tingling/numbing feeling of my hands - she replied saying that it was normal and that there was no medicine for it.  Sigh...

My belly is getting bigger and bigger.. rounder and rounder by the day!! its kinda hard to move around.

The CONS of being pregnant..

Heartburn
It was during the early 2000's that I learned and felt the terrors of a heartburn.  I initially thought that the pain I was experiencing was a heart attack!  This was because I felt sharp pains on my chest!  But when I told my mom about it - she told me what I might be feeling was - heartburn, she then gave me a medicine called Pepcid AC, and it worked wonderfully on me.  Since then, every time I felt the heartburn - I popped the pill.  It has been a while since I last felt a heartburn.  But when I got pregnant - it was often.  The thing was - I wasn't sure I could take Pepcid AC.  I asked my doctor and she said it was safe to take TUMS.  I never liked TUMS, because the local version had no flavor, thus the taste was a bit yucky - to think that you had to chew it!  Yikes!  As I was walking in Shoppesville, I remembered that there were stores that sold PX goods, I went in on each store asking for TUMS and I finally found a store that carried flavored TUMS!  I bought one and since then, heartburn wasn't as stressful as before.  Just chew a flavored TUMS and voila - heartburn, gone!

Leg Cramps
I think I am one of the few who experienced this early on.  As early as 16 weeks, I felt leg crams while asleep.  I would wake up in a jolt because I felt my leg cramping.  Good thing, I learned how to counter the leg cramp.  During pre-pregnancy, I automatically knew that my leg was cramping because I didn't take as much water during the day.  But during my pregnancy, I was drinking water like crazy!  So I got confused - I ended up drinking so much water that I wake up in the middle of the night wanting to pee!  This in turn interrupted my sleep cycle!  Turns out, this too was normal.  Sigh..

Numbing of the hands..
I got really scared one night, because I suddenly felt a tingling numbing sensation on both my hands.  You see, I have a habit sleeping with my hands above my head - then one night.. I suddenly felt the sensation.  I panicked awoke and started to wring my hands!  It took a while for the numbness to disappear, and when it did - I was already wide awake.  I couldn't go back to sleep!  I was so paranoid that the numbness will come back!  It took me a while to get back to sleep and when I did, I felt it again.  I searched online and found out that this was - NORMAL.  Sheesh!!

Helper Skelter Belter Welter..

I just thought it rhymes - no idea what the last three words meant.  Haha!


The recent drama in my life involves me, my Panget and our helper - Manang Letty.


Last night, I let go of her.


I got fed up with her when while reprimanding and reminder her of her shortcomings - she tells me 'Wag nyo akong punahin! Wala pa akong isang taon sa inyo!  Nag-aadjust pa ako!' She was 40 days old with me yesterday.


Why should I effing wait for a year before I reprimand her of the things she's apparently forgotten to do!  My gosh this was when I realized that she was going nowhere and I didn't want to go through this drama anymore! 

You see, she's 45 and she works a little bit slower than usual.  You'll need to give her instructions twice and have her repeat it so that you'll know she understood the instructions.  And when she forgets something - she REFUSES to admit that she forgot it!  You'll go on a lengthy conversation and in the end, she will admit that she indeed forgot to do it.  It takes her a while (4 to 5 days) to finish the laundry and to think, its just me and my Panget's clothes!  She blames the unpredictable rain for the stinky towels that I noticed twice before - i NEVER said or commented on her slowness with the laundry, ever.  YET she tells me its a major major problem for her and she's so stressed about it.  Silly, right? 


So last night, when I asked her to pack her stuff and leave - she suddenly became really nice.  Her facial expression that was angry, was gone - her expression was now the exact opposite.  She then asked me with a begging tone 'Ma'am, baka pwede bukas nalang ng umaga ako umalis, ayoko kasing bumiyahe pag gabi'  My heart said to give in to her request, but my mind said the exact opposite.  I have been very accommodating to her with all of her requests, YET she answered me back with anger when I reprimanded her.  I knew that if I gave in, it would make me look bad - I had to be tough, and tough I was - so, I told her - NO.


I couldn't believe that despite my being nice to her - buying her requested chocolate drink (she said it HAD to be Milo with Calcium), peanut butter, brown sugar (white sugar is not good for her health), the bagoong she liked, allowing her to go on her worship days Thursday and Sunday mornings (she's Iglesia Ni Cristo) when she initially asked to just go EVERY Sunday.  I think I knew that something was wrong when I gave her more than her salary - she was the one who promised me that she will give me back the change of P400.00 - I trusted her, knowing that was a member of INC, I thought she was trustworthy - the next day, she only gave me P200.00 with a sheepish smile on her face telling me to deduct the missing P200.00 on her next salary because she had to send money.  She did not look one bit guilty, it seemed like I owed her.  I got pissed, I mean - it was her who said that she will give the change when she got back, but she didn't - and when she did, it was missing half!  Is that an honest person?  I think not!  This made me realize that I should give her what is only due to her and not any more than that.  She cannot be trusted.

I thought she was different but she wasn't. 

Pregnancy woes...

As early as 12 weeks, I have experiences numbness in the legs during sleep.  I thought this was nothing - as I experienced this even before I was pregnant.  This I thought was cause by lack of water or salt - so the next morning, I make it a point to drink lots of water.

After a few days, the numbness was gone.

Last week, I started experiencing numbness in my hands and fingers while sleeping.  I would wake up from the numbing sensation.  I wondered why this is happening.  I searched online and found out it was normal.  Even if this is normal, I feel like I'm becoming sleep deprived because I often wake up in the middle of the night, trying to shift the position of my hands!  This has been occurring regularly and is becoming irritating.

Is there a way to avoid the numbing of the hands?  Or do I have to just suck it in till I give birth?

Another thing that I am sad/distressed about is - my darkening underarms!

I have always been proud that my underarms are whitish!  But while in Seoul, Korea - I noticed that my underarms were a bit darker.  Thinking that it might have been caused by dirt, I scrubbed it endlessly to no avail.  I then asked a friend and she confirmed that underarms will indeed darken while pregnant, but the darkness will disappear after giving birth.

Sigh...........

Pregnancy is NOT easy and its NOT delightful at times.....