"Napakasakit, Kuya Eddie"

I earned the biggest insult this afternoon and I don't know how to react. I'm smiling inside 'though. =)

(flashback)

Burmese lady housekeeper/dispatch lady: "You pregnant?"

Eileen: "Yes..why?"

Burmese lady housekeeper/dispatch lady: "Oh, I thought you were becoming fat and still single."

Eileen: "No, I'm 5 months already and happily married."

Burmese lady housekeeper/dispatch lady: "Ah..that's why it looked so strange that you grow big only in front. I'm sorry. "

Eileen: "It's alright."*chuckling*

Gosh..all the while I thought I'm sooo obviously pregnant. I should have heeded my colleagues' advice to start wearing this:

...with Wings

Bunny's movements are becoming more pronounced now. Indeed, it feels like there are butterflies in my stomach, i.e., literally. Soon the butterflies will mutate into birds then into bats then into a healthy baby Boy. ;p

The entire afternoon, Bunny seemed uneasy. I felt him move round-&-about, here-&-there. I'm uncertain if my pants was squeezing him a bit in that I am seated or I was often pressing my tummy against the edge of the table which bothers him a lot? *paranoid*

Kidding!!

Of course, we all know that nothing can directly affect the baby for the amniotic fluid cushions his body well...AND...the baby is starting to stretch & flex his arms & legs, hence, the movements. And moreover, Bunny's a boy kaya malikot. *wink*

If only MEN can experience this too. They'd love it. I swear! =)

Mic Test

Is Blogger encountering "technical difficulties"? I've created a new post that appears to be invisible after publishing.

Grrrrr!!!!! ano ba yan! ;p

Hopeless Case

I'm nearly 5 months preggy and yet I still don't have any specific, special, whaddahell craving -- the most significant symptom I'd been waiting for. *sigh*
I guess it will never occur for I have passed the "crucial period". It would be a one of a kind experience 'though if it starts to emerge on my last trimester. Aba! I didn't go with the trend! Kakaiba 'to!

...hoping...hoping...

When I wasn't preggy yet, I used to lust for this & that kind of food at the wrong time & at the wrong place. And if it strikes, I always try to satiate my taste buds by hook or by crook unless it's during the wee hours of course. No need to worry for the pang can wait.

In my case, I may not have a liking for a specific something, however, I do have a few things to shove away like milk, rice and oily oily stuff. Maybe that's already IT.

Sayang! I could have exploited Hubi to find an exotic food available only in a galaxy far, far away and he would have proven that He will do everything to pacify me. Ay sus! sa pelikula Pilipino lang yun! ...exaggeration to the maX!

For sure, he's thankful that the paglilihi period is over. I dunno if deprivation does initiate it.

...reminiscing...reminiscing...

"It's getting hot in here!"

Is it global warming or is it just Bunny?

I feel so irritated by the warm weather. As far as I can remember, this day last year was so cool and breezy. Could it be that the trend is indeed changing? At the same time, I have a little one inside me, thus, the magnified heat to the Nth power.

Haaay, please send me some fog! A.S.A.P.! ;p

The faulty stars fell...

...and my outstretched arms were 'fortunate' to have caught them all.

Looks like the trail is neverending. My deepest, darkest secrets are starting to surface.
Another revelation in the life of Eileen. Well, who would be interested anyway. ;p

I got the biggest shock of my life yesterday when I learned that I was a carrier. Nope! not HIV or any STD. =) ...but the alpha thalassemia trait. Had I not conceived, I/we wouldn't know.

I had my routine blood test and hemoglobin electrophoresis done more than a month ago & I was diagnosed to be iron deficient so my doctor prescribed an iron supplement to be taken for one month then have the test repeated to rule out thalassemia, if present. I did as I was told. Then, last Tuesday, I went to have the test done again. After 2 days, the nurse called me and said that the results were exactly the same as my previous result. Therefore, the tablets didn't have effect on me at all. It's been confirmed even before that I am anemic, but being thalassemic is another issue. I have doubts whether the results are really conclusive.

Anyhow, there won't be any adverse effect on my pregnancy unless Hubi is also a carrier. And definitely, he is not. So, Bunny should be alright. Definitely, he will be!!!

So, what's the next blow?

Should I start digging out the roots of my family tree now? *sigh*

Pig Out!!

I was invited by my Aunt and her family to their CNY reunion dinner tonight but my body is slightly hesitant. As their house is far from my place (from east to west), I was not feeling well. I initially planned to go by hook or by crook but my konsensya has constantly been reminding me na baka mabinat ako. I was looking forward even to her sumptuous dishes- the duck soup, popiah, sambal prawn, kueh lapis, chicken curry, pineapple tarts, plus Pinoy style skinless longanisa etc. , anything hot & spicy etc. Sayang!! =) I will definitely miss all of these.

*sigh* Better to heed than be sorry. Perhaps, I'll make it up to them some other time. I guess I will have to celebrate the eve all by myself...(don't wanna be). Rice & Igado plus Mandarin Oranges for dessert, pwede na! *wink*

Not all of us get to celebrate the Lunar New Year; I'd greet all of u anyway.

GONG XI FA CAI!!!!

It's Bunny's Year!!! Oink! Oink!Oink!

It's Valentine's Day...

...so what? =)

Sometimes you need to be sour inorder to savour this sweet day especially if you & your special someone are apart. Yeah, right? Hmmm...it's just an ordinary day anyway. *kidding*

I am very sure that couples generally treat today as a day full of love and surprises and a day which is not supposed to be taken for granted. Many allot much of their time preparing and innovating inorder to make the 14th a very memorable occasion for the two of them. Some opt for a candle lit dinner aboard a cable car or a romantic cruise through a man-made canal. ;p

In whichever case may be, it just goes to show that people celebrate Valentine's Day solely because their partners are important to them and they want them to feel that they are being treasured and sincerely loved forever and ever. Amen.

Kaya?

OR some guys are up to something fishy afterwards, hence the lavishness. *he*he*he*

I hope all goes well for everyone, except me, that is. WHY?
I have a verrrrry bad cold & I don't feel well. *sigh*

HAPPY HEART'S DAY TO ALL!!!

I felt Bunny move....

.....I think.

Actually, it's been going on for weeks now, however, I couldn't decipher if these really are his movements. First time ko? =)

Either I experience random bubbles inside synonymous to passing gas or at other times a gurgling sensation synonymous to borborygmi. I didn't make a big fuss out of it for I have lived with it eversince. Oh ulcer, layuan mo ako! =)

The only difference is that I usually feel the tumbles after eating, before I go to bed or when in bed, so perhaps, there really is something different going on in there. *echo*echo*echo*

Well, accdg to this book I'm reading now for Preggies, some resemble a fluttering feeling as if after "swallowing a small bird" or a creeping to the bone sensation or, just like me, gas movements. YES!! It's not mere hallucination. But still, I am in doubt. Unless, I feel the kicks then will I be secured. =) *kidding*

Hmmm..but the most important matter here now is, I am absolutely enjoying every single minute of it.

So if i were you, Come on! Join the Club!!!

"Anatomy of a Pregnant Woman"

*source: SciencePhotoLibrary

Ambiguous Aura

Whilst the locals are all busy shopping, cleaning and preparing for the Chinese New Year which falls on the eve of February 17, I am likewise, somewhat joining the buzz. Today, I've begun freeing my luggage (yes, I keep them in one for my convenience) from unwanted documents - printouts, fliers, brochures, photocopies, cv's, bill statements etcetera etcetera. It appears that I have accumulated a lot in a span of 2.5yrs. I guess, I'm already starting to prepare for a major shift come mid-year. I'm really sad but as if I have a choice.

Not looking forward to any fancy celebration since I am a Noypi, unless, of course, invited. For the Chinese, the holidays are solely devoted for their respective families 'coz it's just once they could get together and make this an excuse for excessive splurging. This is gonna be my last CNY here in Merlion's haven.....but who knows?

It's so difficult to let go for I have loved everything about this place. Read: place, not people, well..perhaps only a gentle few. I will definitely cherish all the memories I've had.

Pardon me if I'm being too mushy. With all the hormones pumping, then I have more than a hundred reasons. All it takes is an unbiased ear to understand.

*note: I've got Mrs. already attached to my name, so I am no longer entitled to "ang pao"s *boohoo* ;p

• my CNY chronicle

"Hi there, I'm a human being! What are you?"

FRANKNESS
- being straightfoward, with open & sincere expression 'though at times with bluntness


RUDENESS
- being straightfoward, with open but without sincere expression and at all times with bad breath

FLASH!

GOODNEWS:

We did the Doppler scan yesterday & was soooo ecstatic upon seeing the results. Sitting at the lounge while waiting for my turn for ~45 mins made me verrrrry, verrrry anxious. Days prior, I had conditioned myself 'though to accept the worst. Eileen a.k.a. the pessimist...but who's to blame? *Refer to my previous post =)

And now, on my 18th week, we were able to see Bunny In & Out. Bunny equals HE and HE is normal. Of course, we have to accept that not all anomalies can be detectable even by such full assessment. But inspite of it all, I am more hopeful and more positive than ever.

Happy thoughts....think of happy thoughts. See how cute the pics are --

his kidneys, bladder, genitals(?), leg, feet & hands....

...and my R&L uterine artery, his head, spine, orbits, lips & nose, thorax and abdomen.

Sometimes you have to imagine then visualize how they look like. =) The exam went well, with the thrill of hearing the swish-swoosh, wee-yoh wee-yoh sound of the baby and the blood flow.

However,

the NOT SO GOODNEWS

As you can see, Bilateral Uterine notches were seen. My O&G simply and subtly explained it as irregular flow of blood in the uterine artery to the placenta. So, in order to "correct" this, she advised me to sleep on my left side with a pillow semi-tucked under my back, at the same time take deep breathes m-o-r-e often to permit oxygenation. If after a few weeks & there's no change, I'll have to ingest aspirin.

I've been reading articles 'bout the notches and I guess I'm starting to get panicky again. Notches could result in IUGR (intrauterine growth retardation), low birth weight, premature birth etc..etc..blah..blah. After a few clicks, I stopped. Anyway, I was assured that it is not something that alarming. The readings may still change since the scan was done earlier than the recommended time. Luckily, Bunny cooperated, otherwise we will have to be rescheduled after a week or so.

Gosh! Is it fate...or is it just me? *wink*