Saint

7 mos ago. since we met and said goodbye to our little peanut. We lost our baby here on earth, but gained a saint in heaven.

14 weeks and 3 days preggo bear :)

I was putting off writing about the symptoms of this pregnancy coz I'm not sure if anyone is interested in it, though I marvel at it everyday...  I have no idea what to expect day after day. AT week 14, I started noticing the Linea Nigra... a runway-like line dividing my belly lengthwise... fascinating :) I need a few more lines next to it and I'd be a watermelon.

ANYWAY, symptoms such as nausea and appetite loss is definitely wearing off... I am starting to eat... and eat I mean EAT. I gained 3lbs throughout the first trimester..which isn't that bad... I'm expected to gain... a few lbs. as baby and my uterus expands.

ALSO, I'm now off the progesterone pill that helps keep my hormones at a good level and avoid spotting or miscarrying... so I think we are doing well on our own now :) Baby and I :)

We're just taking our multivitamins with folic acid and iron, plus a food supplement and they give me HEARTBURNS... really bad ones... so I drink them at night, so I will sleep on it and not feel a thing... I used to take it earlier after dinner and it's just bad that I actually SHAKE and CHILL... but after experimenting on myself... taking them before bed time works the best... I have to be asleep before I feel anything... I dont know if that's good... I'm not sure what happens in my stomach why it gives me so much pain just to take those two capsules of preggo vitamins but I'm almost done with it in time for my next pre-natal visit with the OB.

THENnn. I drink Anmum Chocolate flavor.. coz I cant tolerate the taste of milk, so I have it in chocolate... it's for my calcium... I used to like drinking it in my first trimester... but now... I had to lessen the tablespoon full I put in my drink to 3, coz i put 5 tbsp before... NOW, that sort of gives me a woozy stomach. So i drink on intervals too... MWF.

OTHER symptoms... PHYSICALLY, I do notice that my skin is very sensitive... I developed rashes with my regular toothpaste so I changed that to herbal aloe gels... also my shampoo, conditioner, soap... I use all herbal stuff... coz chemicals just makes my skin break out... plus their smell is too strong for me.

SMELL. That's my number 1 preggo peeve. I hate everything that's too fragrant... too foul... I dont like smells... :) The detergents are the worst for me, even the dish washing liquids... ugh.

Now, I have to write baby a letter... for being good at 14 weeks and 3 days...

Dear Baby,

Keep growing, I hope you are not too sensitive with what I eat coz I crave bad things and that's BAD, I know... but I still eat them... I have to change that soon, I promise. I am trying to be the best for you, I know you feel that I'm a little scared to be your mother... but I know that you need to be protected, to be taken cared of, to be loved... I know you will depend on me for everything once you come out... so I have to be ready for that :) I will be ready... I have to be ready.... You are small and fragile, I guess... you will be more overwhelmed with the big wide world you will live in... than I am overwhelmed to have you :) Thinking about that makes me braver :) I will do my best to be the mother you deserve :)

I love you little one, daddy loves you :) I always pray for you to be safe... for me to be safe, so we can enjoy this journey together.

see you on the next ultrasound, pose better this time okay? :D

love,

mommy

Life Update : 13 weeks preggo :)

It took me a while to finally write about my "BIG" news... (literally... I'm just 3 mos. and a week pregnant BUT my belly is like a 5 month old baby bump,growing teeth, 'going to school with a trolly bag.) HUGE.

I have a friend who is 5 mos. pregnant and it's nothing like this belly.

ANYWAY. We waited 4 years for this baby to happen. Went to sorts of medication, fertility work ups and everything. But we didn't go to the extent of IVF and IUI... just fertility pills and counting ovulation dates. Haha it's a meticulous process... more science that romance. ALSO, I had trouble conceiving in the past because I dont ovulate on my own, I have erratic periods, heavy bleeding, PCOS and finally, an ACUTE Hyperplasia w/o Atypia... all those sent me to an over all total of 3 D & Cs. (Dilation and Curettage)

I know for a fact that  D&Cs could lead to the scarring of the uterus and then "NOT" ovulating worsens my chances of conceiving at all. But, after 2 failed tries on fertility pills ... THE 3rd, worked.  I just ovulated, I felt like the moment has come, I just knew I'd get pregnant this time... even without much further help from Science. My OB said... "it's a gift"... and it is. The window for being able to "fertilize" an egg is just 12 hrs.... I cannot imagine an "accidental" pregnancy at that tiny window of chance.  I think everyone is a GIFT. :)

AND so... everything so far is well... amazingly, my baby is positioned beautifully, I am not a high-risk case ... in spite of feeling that my uterus has been scraped and dug up a few times that I feel I should be vulnerable... but Baby isn't and I'm happy :)

So here is  "baby" ( he is just called "baby" for now... we dont know the gender yet :) at 11 weeks.

HIS back is turned. sorry. I guess he doesnt like camera after all... haha but we saw on the monitor that he has a face and 2 arms and legs.. and the heartbeat was good. Whew! thank God!

Well... that's it for now. Life is good :)

xoxo

sassy

Tea for Moms to Be

Tea Hunt.

From last Saturday {april 21, 2013} we found out that I had ovulated with 2 gorgeous eggs, left ovary and right ovary… My OB was delighted to tell me the news that if everything goes well with this cycle, I could be expecting TWINS!

Isn’t that the most amazing thing I’ve heard? Being TTC (trying to conceive) for years! AND has not seen an ovulation happen in my ultrasounds, ever?!! It was music to our ears and starry-glory in our eyes to behold an ultrasound of 2 raptured follicles 

However, the exciting news was of course… like I expect would have a “glitch”… nothing comes easy in my life, {I’ve always known that.}

The “glitch” was, my uterine lining is thin… very thin… I should at least have 8mm thick lining, but I only have around 2mm which wont be enough for the fertilized eggs to burrow and grow… so I knew that I could still lose the chance of being a mother after all in this cycle.

But since, I’m still on the 2-week “waiting” process until I miss my period to confirm pregnancy… I decided to look up on ways to help my uterus, just so the future embryo will have a chance… I read at forums that RED RASPBERRY LEAF TEA is a natural supplement to nourish the uterine walls for pregnant women. I know… I’m not sure to be pregnant, but I knew I ovulated and been busy trying to conceive…  I am still hopeful to be expecting…

SO, after reading off on pregnancy forums and on the benefits of organic raspberry leaf tea…. I had the desire to try and look for that here in Manila.

I went to the SM Megamall and at the Healthy Options, I did see just 2 brands of pregnancy supplement teas… that has red raspberry tea leaf ingredient… although I was hoping to get the pure form and without lemon peels..etc unfortunately, there isn’t one… so I settled for the brand Yogi…Woman’s Mother-to-be.

The Ingredients 

Organic Raspberry Leaf, Organic Peppermint Leaf, Organic Stinging Nettle Leaf, Organic Spearmint Leaf, Organic Dandelion Root, Natural Lemon Flavor, Organic Fennel Seed, Organic Cardamom Seed.

The Packaging

pretty impressive, it has very intricate designs outside and inside the box. It has also taken effort to write inspiring quotes on the box and on the tea flap at the end of the string… what do you call that?? The tea are separately packed in pink paper with the same details as with the box… I love it.

The Taste

Minty. Like toothpaste  … it doesn’t taste bad like other teas that taste like boiled fresh forest root.. this is highly tolerable.

So that’s it for now, I am going to drink more of these in the next few days, see if theres any improvement in my uterine lining… I am in no way promoting this product to every pregnant woman out there, please do consult your doctor about the product before taking. This is just a personal opinion based on my research and reads.

thank you! ’till next time.

ciao!

xoxo

Sassy

{i also blog at : http://getprettyhealthy.wordpress.com/2013/04/23/tea-for-moms-to-be/

TTC and Progynova

I've been advised to take 2 pills a day for 3 days of Progynova (estradiol valerate ) as part of our TTC (trying to conceive journey) It was because my uterine lining had become thin due to contraceptive pills that I took for 2 months... also a part of our TTC to correct and monitor my cycle. Anyways.. the OB said, it would help thicken my my uterine lining in preparation for pregnancy...also I read on the label that it's an Estrogen Replacement Therapy used by women who are in menopausal and wont produce any more or as much of estrogen. Other TTC girls say that it helps with cervical mucus.. which is good for the "swimmers" to swim easily on a lesser hostile environment and hook up with the egg. :D

ANYWAY, here's what it looks like... looks like a pack of oral contraceptive pill but has no numbers, instead it has the day marked on the back side. I just took the first 6 pills as instructed. (consult your doc)

P627.00 at the Mercury Drugstore, Philippines.

inside the box, you'll get these:

That's it, I'm on my last pill today... and I have no symptoms or side effects, I feel well... I don't get cranky or moody... or I don't notice coz I always am.. yeah.

so bye, baby dust for me everyone!

xoxo
sassy

Sassy Scribbles is now Scribbling Sassy!

Had had to change my URL coz somebody else is using it for the past-i-dont-know selling jewelry and stuff that people think I own it... I dont. I wish I do but I dont.

Anyhoo, so I changed my URL ( http://scribblingsassy.blogspot.com/)and quit my job and had a positive OVULATION PREDICTION result! that's what is up with me :) yes, I did quit my job, FINALLY. "got the courage to do so and 2 weeks had been gone since. I did house chores like a mad woman, cooking stuff.. (learning how to cook) and monitoring my reproductive systems. WE are trying to conceive since late last year and was unsuccessful, 'been married for 4 years to a wonderful man who is taking care of me really good... and this APRIL 2013, we are trying to conceive again. I've went through a lot of medications and non-invasive operations involving my uterus. I had PCOS, I had Simple Endometrial Hyperplasia w/o Atypia ... polyps... physiological follicles... whatever they call themmm... it was a lot. NOW, we try to conceive so we can totally get rid of the whole reproduction area. I'm scared of getting more complicated stuff to deal with it in the future, so I'm considering that, after at least 2 kids :)

LIFE has been good, I am blessed. There is not a day when I am not thankful for everything that I have. Good and not so good, I still am grateful.

here's what the ovulation kit says: (positive and ready for action!)

here's me and the hubby from church last sundayyy:

xoxo
sassy

accidental pet owner: A Kitty!!!

Couple of days ago and I really mean Sunday, we came home from the church around  9pm to a loud meowing from the house porch...we have a porch ohaha, I forgot to tell that we've moved to another city but it's very close to the old neighborhood that we used to have. still GHETTO. haha. but at least we have a living room. ya know, city life.

ANYHOW, the husband and I went on to searching for this tiny, miserable meows...like it's lost-helpless-and-dying all at once. It was dark and we really meant to find a kitten instead of a monster pretending to be a kitty. 'Good enough, after a few second of search we found it [indeed a kitty] in one of my suede shoes... scared, wet and shaky. HOW bad are the kids in my new neighborhood!! ... we know they had put that poor kitty though the tiny hole on our gate, rolled the screen to one side that only tiny hands could fit in!! argh....  these kids also rang our doorbell weeks after we moved it until it busted. argh argh.

FRIDAY. First night, we tried putting it out coz cats here are just roaming, wild creatures...unless they are bred or something, they just stay on the rooftops of houses, and we thought MOTHER cat will just get the poor thing. SO we left the kitten on the street [heartless as we are] though it was crying, we pretend not to hear like it's normal and kittens that arent bred are dirty, they could be carrying diseases or whatever.

THE next day SATURDAY at lunch...after hearing, cars, trucks, children playing and everything...we heard the tiny cry...still out there on the street was that poor little creature. I looked at my husband in a "awwhh" kind of way and he said, "alright...if you want it I'll get it but you will take care of it" ... I took a can of milk from the pantry, hurriedly open it and then poured to a bowl. The kitten is grey, brown, stripes... ugly cat I thought haha, but it's... tiny and hungry, my heart is breaking into small cracks I cannot ignore... BUT then it wont feed on the evaporated milk I gave it, silly me... but I had nothing for a cat...it was actually mine...that was my milk....

LATER in the afternoon, after church choir practice...around 9pm.. THE husband and I are bothered that we haven't fed the cat all day and that it wont feed on canned, for human milk... also, it was helpless to feed it using a spoon...A SPOON. A SPOON? we are geniuses.haha doesnt work for a 3 week-old kitten.

We looked for medicine drops and bought full-powdered milk... kitten substitute milk isnt available at the stores we went to, so we decided to give it BEAR BRAND MILK...

THe dropper...after 4 sips...the kitten is done. HE cant suckle into it coz it was plastic... I'm growing frustrated and sad, that I dont want it to die. The medicine dropper didnt work either.

SUNDAY. Tried again to feed it before going to the morning service...4 sips and thats all... crying and tried my best to put it to sleep until we left the house.

LUNCH time came that SUNDAY and KITTY was gone. Just like that GONE. We noticed the screen being rolled to the side again and we knew... kids got the kitten... after all the work we've done!! They took my cat :(

MONDAY. Guess what? he was back... i was in denial, but I'm actually happy it's back... the husband.. not so sure about it though haha... still... frustrated at feeding it... it cried and cried until it sleeps and then wakes up to crying again...walking about the porch... I tried cotton balls, I tried making a hole to the rubber end of the medicine dropper.. nothing worked.. I was afraid it would die... and so, I went online, went to YOUTUBE... found this video... [youtube has everything.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVJ49NEH-y8&feature=share

I saw this and I thought this would solve my problem!! So I asked a friend who owns many cats...19 cats in the house... [yeah, true strory]  of where to get those feeding bottles with tiny nipples for kittens and she told me to go to this MALL and it was great that it was near to my place.

TUESDAY. So we went there this morning... found the store...Animal House at Market! Market! ... 'found the feeding bottle and I'm bit taken-aback by the price... it's 380 pesos... OMG, the things I could buy with 380 pesos [it's around $ 9.50] ... made from Illinois. That's what. But it did solve my problem...though he was squirmish... I had to force feed it...but the nipples are soft so I know it wont hurt his mouth :) I bought gloves also coz his paw nails [whatever you call it] are like raven claws...

ANYHOO.. here's what the feeding bottle looks like...if ever you encounter an unexpected delivery...

and here's what Kitty looks like on the FIRST day... um.. we ought to name it : Mayor [haha] Like.. "where is the Mayor?" ... "feed the Mayor"

[aww... in my suede shoes]

 [spoon feeding...didn't work]

HUWELL... I hope he survives, but the moment I saw him feeding properly... finished a table spoon of milk and his tummy fat... I think it'll survive :) I really like how he waits near the gate when we come home and cries loud when I'm near the door to get him... aww... I'm a pet owner now.. by accident, to an orphaned, ghetto cat :D

xx
Sassy
     

one more chance :D

HELLO. HELLO. Is anyone home? I am here and I did went on a loooong holiday with writing my stuff and trying to do work, do life. It's been a journey that I kept track in my head 'wanting to write about it but end up on Facebook. [wait, I dont even do facebook that much, either]

BUT I'm good :) my husband and I went on to 4 years and going, 'still waiting and working for that baby [ugh] baby come, come! If he/she comes along, we're so ready... if there's such a thing as very-very much willing parents, we're on that level already!  The workup in itself is stressful and you're told not to stress which is very ironic but we're on our 2nd cycle. I hope this time, the universe conspires to finally bring in the bean.

'much love,

SASSY

VISUAL MUSINGS #01: Boston - Part 1

Taking time to share you some of the pictures I've unearthed.... this is very nostalgic, I wanted to cry. But it's with tears of good memories and YOUTH.

2012 is a new format

I guess I'm a bad bad blogger, I don't blog anymore as much as I used to and so that is not a guess, I'd correct that. I've seen many changed among the people I follow... You've become even better! I'm surprised at how long I've been gone that everyone's blog looked so new and fresh! I couldn't be more proud of that I was following people with directions!!! :)

Well as usual about me and the husband, still together with no kids :) we really hoped every year we'd have one but then 2009, 2010 and 2011 came viola! Nada.

But still we try and not giving up, our prayers are answered in many other areas in our lives and so we believe that in the right time, the baby will come :)

He might come and going straight to college!

I'm happy, couldn't ask for anything more.

hey :)

Hello! I'm happy! I guess the term "happy" will make all of my friends and family feel good that I'm doing fine and I haven't jumped off a bridge or something coz I've been working too much and stress is my murderer.

Anyway, I have been busy and that's always my excuse for not writing. I am working on a project which we call 1717 Granite Broadway  but is better known on the outside world as the Marriot Hotel in New York. Nooo, sadly we are not going to New York this time to see it. hmff.

well here's what it should look like:

Current Read: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Noooo, I wouldn't be left out (again) when people are starting to read over the current 
"It" book. Like the Twilight Sagas and the Harry Potter that went on to films and 
everyone's blogs, people collecting memorabilia about these series and I wasn't even 
halfway reading the FIRST BOOK, I tried not to fall into the craze and swore not to 
watch the movie until I finish reading but Heck I failed that soooo nyeah....it is 
frustrating.yes. that I went to almost all of the movies made about those books that 
eventually got me thinking if the scenes were actually how the author would've wanted it portrayed coz I wasn't able to finish reading so I have nothing to compare on....it's frus-traaa-ting.


BUT, one of these days I would go back to them and read from book one to 
finish...trust me on this, I looove things OLD and classic, so they'd still fit right in and I will read them!Anyway hush, my current read is a book that I saw at the bookstore that I frequent, it stood out for me coz it said IMMORTAL... like everyone hyped about vampires/mystery/goth/epic storylines I got curious about this book that goes with the title THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS. I immediately thought it would be one of those creatures with mystical powers sort-of-stuff (again) like many other books written these days falling into the bandwagon.


This book isn't fiction. So I got so intrigued and bought this book in less than a 
heartbeat!

XXO

Sassy

yey

Finally! I was able to get FRESH new pair of glasses tooooday with pink rims! why?? besides bad eyes I dunno I just want em' pink! Maybe I'll have yellow next, then blue and green ...etc. etc.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Life : Overtime

I am so tired...
I'm so funny that when I was being talked to, I was blabbering about non-related things to the conversation and people laughed at me. That's just how tired I am, I was neurotic.

Well ... I've worked all day and there wasn't a second that I wasn't working. Even when I had to go to the toilet, I'm doing this calculations in my head and counting how far long should I still be working...It's just so bad right now that the owner of the building and his whole "consultant" team has thought of changing the designs... we're going back and forth with their "concepts" and it's time consuming... my deadlines hasn't moved in the factory...and I have to get things done coz they are going to start manufacturing stuff or else the delay will cost us HUGE.

There, there I'm talking about my life with STEEL, BOLTS, GLASS, INSULATION, GASKETS.... sexy, sexy stuff.

Anyway, I'm tired but am okay... I still can smile and joke around, though no one really talks to me when I'm working coz I really CANNOT listen to anyone anyway :)

AND>>>I had put this cute red polo on and no one has seen me from 7:00 a.m. till 11:30 pm... that's kind of SAD... I should not put effort on how I look anymore...I should just go to work in sweatpants and  no one would notice....

ugh. tomorrow.

see ya, God bless!

xxo
M.

Hey Tuesday!

So this day was kind of weird. I started off with a feeling of "sadness" almost like a depression and then later in the day I started to feel better and better. It is disturbing :) I need to see a doctor or maybe I just need more sleep coz this seems to happen every morning when I wake up and my purpose in life is to work.

Don't get me wrong, I do love my job it's just that I want to be doing more for the community than just be in my job and I believe I should use my life in something productive for others. Um... That felt like giving an answer to a Miss Universe question haha which by the way we won 3rd Place, thank you very much Shamcey Supsup our candidate... You see she is very pretty and very brainy, she graduated magna cum laude in the University of the Philippines that's like the school of schools here! And she even topped the board exams for architects!!! OMG!

While me...haha I won't even start ... For the past week I was working and getting sick that's how amazing I am :)

Oh but then, I still love life and I will take care of myself better coz we are older now :)


xoxo
sassy

9/11

Just sharing a couple of photos I took during a visit at the World Trade Center-Ground Zero, New York in 2008 in honor of the heroes of 9/11 attack.

                                                  The Site

                                                  WTC-Ground Zero

                                                  WTC-Ground Zero

                                                 WTC-Tribute Center

                                           

                     The Future Structures on the Site

Praying for World Peace :)

xoxo
Sassy