mindburst!

Here are the things (some) that I know I should prepare before I take a leave.

     Godie Bag

•  Class Notes/Manuals

• Prepared Childbirth Class Certificate of Attendance

• Doctor’s orders

• Stopwatch or watch with a second hand

• Powder Lotion

• Lip Gloss

• Hair Clip/bands

• Back labor aids (hot water bag, tennis ball)

• Focal Point (TEDDY) - to help concentrate on breathing

• Pens/Pencils

• Diversion (magazine’s, playing cards, books, etc)

• Camera, Digital equipment

• Batteries and Charger

• Tape recorder

• Ipod

• Gelatin, lollipops and cup for ice

• Baby Book

• Cellphone and charger

• Medical Information Sheet

• Medical Insurance

• Marriage Certificate

• Philhealth Insurance

Mommy Hospital Suitcase

• Bathrobe

• Sleepwear with front opening

• Nursing bras

• Underwear, girdle, binder

• Lip Gloss

• Toothbrush and Toothpaste

• Mouthwash

• Facial Wash

• Lotion

• Tissue Paper

• Maternity Pads

• Brush/Comb

• Breastpump

• Going home outfit

• Slippers

• Socks

• Wash Cloth

• Towel

• Petroleum Jelly
  

*Documents

(1) Office/Government Papers - this list I got from our HR

• Authorization letter address to SSS to claim SSS monthly salary credits - DONE
• Attendance record
• EAF (to be submitted by manager atleast a month before the maternity leave)
• SSS ID - DONE. I’m just waiting for this to be delivered as of the moment HR is making use of the claim stub.
• PhilHealth form

(2) Medical Information Sheet - This one I got from our childbirth handout. I already transferred this on word document and filled out the information that I know. I still have to show this to my OB to double check and I’m asking my cousin what other information or interview questions needed to be prepared. I dont think I can answer clearly when in labor!

*Link to file -> Maternity Information Sheet

(3) Documents

• Marriage Certificate
• Insurance Policy - this I have to check with Auntie Bing if in anyway my giving birth is covered in my Sun-Milady (sunlife)
• Baby name - a print out of the correct spelling of Vierte’s complete name and our name’s as well. I don’t want to go into trouble of having to fix documents because of mispelled names.

Did I miss out something?

*those in bold i have already 

For Hospital

• Tie Shirts

• Cloth diaper

• Disposable diaper

• Diaper pin / clips

• Mittens

• Booties

• Receiving Blankets

• Cotton balls

• Bath soap

• Wash Cloth

• Baby Wipes

•  Alchohol

• Going home outfit

Clothing

• Gauze Diaper

• Birds Eye Diaper

• Cotton Tshirts with sleeves

• Cotton Tshirts w/o sleeves

• Mittens

• Sock or Booties

• Diaper pin / clips

Bed and Beddings

• Crib

• Mat

• Bolsters

• Rubber Mat or waterproof pad

• Crib sheets

• Receiving Blankets

• Mosquito Net

Bath Equipment

• Bathtub or big basin

• Bath towels

• Sponge or Face towels

• Cotton

• Cotton Buds

• Bath Soap

Miscellaneous

• Thermometer

• Petroleum Jelly

• Vaporizer

• Breast Pump

• Nipple Shield

I still haven’t decided when to take my maternity leave. Will I just wait till I have contractions? or Take a week off from work before my expected confinement date?

My ECD is October 19, my minds’ set that Vierte will be ready anytime around the 2nd week of October.

Relatives have been telling me that Vierte will probably be ready on or after Lola’s 40th day, which is on October 10. During this day though it will only be me, Kuya Dougs, and Jean left in Cainta since Auntie Bing will be leaving for Davao.

The house is not ready, Auntie and I swapped rooms already but renovation is still ongoing on my old room. Ang alikabok sobra! Not healthy nor safe for a new born. And because of the room renovation we have to start sorting things again.

 ay ambot nalang samok!

 I might take an earlier leave just to clean up our room and sort things.

My class with Rome Kanapi at Ateneo every week ended last Sunday, September 16.

I’m still not sure if i’ll be able to give birth in a normal state since from the last ultrasound we had my placenta is still low-lying. I’ll have another one this Saturday, hopefully the status will change.

Two of my classmates, already gave birth last September 6 at St. Lukes, both normal but the Japanese lady (I forgot the name already, I have to check my workbook) had it natural and normal meaning no epidural!

I’m still scared of the pain and the whole lying on the bed with doctors and nurses around me, even if Auntie had the class with me I’m not sure if she’ll be able to master all her strength to be with me during the labor and operation, luckily I have my cousin (Dr. Frank Nacario) with me since he’ll be my anesthesiologist.

Whether I’ll be able to deliver Vierte normal or ceasarian operation I’m glad I took the class. It helped me be informed. Those questions that I had in mind but kinda hesitated to ask my OB was discussed during class. And being around first time pregnant ladies gave such a nice feeling.

I’ve already recommended the class to Ainna and Jhaz.

one thing that relaxes me right now is reading recipe’s all over the net.

jumping from one site to another, i tend to imagine spending quality time in the kitchen baking and cooking delish food..

and for this saturday’s shower party though Coy insisted to stick to easy to prepare food I’ve already managed to collect and print recipe’s that I found online.

tonight i’m looking forward to finally baking cinnamon rolls…

for the past two weeks i’ve been staring blankly at our room trying to figure out which things needs to bid farewell to accomodate space for Vierte’s things.

i already got the hand me down crib from my Auntie Judy last saturday which is like half the size of our bed already.

i still have to buy storage box for his clothe’s, diapers, toiletries and other stuff.

and auntie and i still havent discuss if we’ll take her room instead since its bigger. but what i like about our room is that we have our own bathroom. plus i still don’t have a yaya to help me out.

only a month left and i haven’t made any progress.

We buried our dear Lola Mommy last September 9 at Glorious Memorial, Tagum City. Sadly, as much as I want to be home for this I can’t. Dougs said that lucky us back here in Manila cause the last event we had with Lola was a happy one, his during Lola’s birthday last July and mine during our paradise beach weekend.

With this sad event my Aunt’s and Uncle’s have to discuss things concerning the family. The last news I got from Auntie Bing is that they have finally sorted all things peacefully.

Hopefully the meeting they had was clear enough for all siblings to avoid future conflicts.

Sunday, August 26 we got a long distance call from Manang Neng informing us that Lola was rushed to the hospital because she bumped her head.

Prior to the accident both Lola and Manang had a fun afternoon admiring the lansones tree in the backyard which was full of fruits. Manang asked Lola to get inside the house while she gets the clothes hanging, after a few minutes she heard Lola’s cry for help.

See Lola was used to pulling out weeds and gathering dead leaves which she later on burns. We’ve desperately asked her not to do this because of heat and even hide matches from her but she just finds way.

Manang couldn’t carry Lola so she called our relatives (Pereyras’) house and asked for help. Good thing our house was beside a hospital and she was rushed to the ICU.

Auntie Bing after receiving the call called up Uncle Douglas and informed him on what happened, I called up my sister Bernadette. They all rushed to Tagum from Davao to be with Lola.

She became unconscious in the hospital which later that evening we found out that there’s a blood clot in her brain. The doctor suggested that she be transferredto Davao when she’s stable enough to travel. So that same night Lola was transferred to Davao Medical Center.

The family decided that no operation will be done since Lola is really old and undergoing an operation will only give her more pain.

Lola responded to every touch and conversation by moving her feet, crying, and squeezing the hand of the visitor.

I so wanted to travel back home to be with her, though I have prepared myself already that this could be the week that she’ll be leaving us. I still wanted to be with her but the OB didn’t permit me to travel because I’m on my 8th month.

I’m close to Lola. I spend summer vacations with her, sleep beside her when she come’s here in Manila to visit, listen to her endless story about my Papa and Uncle Dad, how Lolo Daddy courted her, singing Manang Biday till I pronounce the right words, patiently teaches me to speak Ilocano. Lola adored every present I give her, I can ask her to wear make-up without having arguments, post silly or like a child for a photoshoot, she listens to every boy story that I have, compliments and disagree’s with clothes that I wear.

How I wished she stayed long enough to see my Vierte and spend Christmas with us this year here in Manila.

I haven’t shed a tear till now as I write this post.

Lola, thanks for being the greatest grandma I could ever wished for. I will miss you all my life and will continue telling your stories to my son and teach him to sing Manang Biday as well.

Goodbye Lola Mommy.