The Truth About Baby Showers

When I was pregnant with Sophia, I threw myself a simple baby shower at home with a little help from a friend. Being young with no enough knowledge on proper etiquette and all, I did that for the gifts, apparently. As how we know it, "gifts are central to showers." That's the main reason why there is such to begin with.

My baby shower cake nine years ago

At the onset of my current pregnancy, I thought about it and discussed it with my husband. He said that no one will come to our baby shower anymore (should we have one) since most of the friends who attended the first are no longer in our circle. Even if it hurt me big time, I agreed with him. Sometimes, for one to finally accept the truth, it has to hurt first. I have moved on easily, though and gotten over it already. For me, growing up means losing some friends in the process.

How We Finally Got Pregnant After 9 Years

That's a tough title to prove, I know. Also, I can just give a one-liner boompakganern to support it but I'm feeling a little chatty today (uhm, like I always do, by the way) soooo here it goes...

A revelation that some of you might not know yet - Sophia is a love child. I mean, every child must be made out of love but you call those that way when you got them out of wedlock. It was the holidays in 2007 when my ex-boyfriend (now the husband) R and I were left in their house. We were young, wild and free. Haha. OK, to stick to this blog's wholesome, God-centered, and family-oriented image, we were so in-love... that the minute I laid my eyes on him that one cold holiday evening with just the two of us, I saw him as the corny dad joker of my children. And the rest, as they say, was history.

Fast forward to 2012, my daughter Sophia was about to turn 4 when I felt an excruciating pain in my lower right abdomen. I'll save all the space here for happy thoughts so kindly click this link to know what happened - I got an ectopic pregnancy. We may be already married that time but that unborn baby could have been another love child. We didn't plan for that 6-week baby blood; we were fine with having one kid. After all, we knew our finances aren't fit for more. And that an active preschooler has made me not to wish for another of her kind, hahaha!

But as how God knows me well (a hard-headed child of His who loves surprises), He gave me this rainbow baby - the gift to welcome the new season of our lives. Up to this very day (I'm approaching my 31st week as of this post), I am still in awe. After 9 long years, I am now carrying a tiny human being, who's been a blessing to us ever since we knew about her. I may have quit my job for her but we still carry on as God promised us that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. My marriage with R is so much better, too; it's even at its best. Most of all, my dear darling Sophia will never be alone anymore. 

Ford Philippines Baby Shower

Blogging has brought me many things --- freebies, a bit of fame, confidence, something to do, getting invited to events, etc. But there's this one thing I really like most about blogging --- gaining friends. 

I was very fortunate that Kim of Mom on Duty, whom I have featured in A Mom's Life on its 7th episode, invited me to one of the well-organized events I have ever attended; not that I have attended a lot. But yes --- it was an intimate lunch with fellow mommies.

I'm 6 Weeks Pregnant!

Gotcha! Well, I hope I'll be, soon. ♥

Wikipedia Says:

Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other.

Review: Lactation Cookies by Crumbs & Grubs

It was more than a month ago when I received a package from the owner of Crumbs and Grubs, mommy Jeanne Marfal. No, I'm not feeding my 4-year-old Little Bebeng through my breast, but I just wanted to try their products & she sent me the cookies. I might not get the best of the other products (brownies & other breads from its sister company) if it will be shipped to me so she advised me to meet her instead. We have already scheduled a meet-up but we both got busy with some personal things that it ended up her shipping a pack of cookies to me. That was a little after I had my dramatic ectopic pregnancy. 

Self-Theories on Why Ectopic Pregnancy Happened to Me

When something good happens to you, you rejoice and happiness is just everywhere! Have you noticed that? But when it's something bad, you question. You sulk in and wonder why of all people, that one bad thing happened to you. It is so human, isn't it? When I knew I had a miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy, I asked why. I contemplated on why it happened to me. I thought I was at my healthiest. I thought nothing could go wrong. Most of the good people around me said God has a purpose on why He let me experience this phase. These good people also told me that He let me had the pain because He knows I can endure it, because He knows I'm strong. And well, some people even said (I don't know if it's with empathy) that the operation was like giving birth through ceasarian section. Yes, it was actually almost the same, except that a Fallopian tube and an appendix were taken out from me and not a baby I could cuddle with after. I agree that there must be something reasonable about all of these. I am a logical person. I don't just sit in with the idea that something occurs out of nothing. So I asked my OB what caused the ectopic pregnancy. She said, in a matter-of-factly statement: "it just happens, Denise". My battle mode self was not on at that moment that I didn't inquire for a more detailed information. 

Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Medical Center

A week after the very cinematic operation I had, I still wonder what caused those lazy egg and sperm cells to form outside my uterus. My mom, a no-nonsense woman, told me that R's sperm cell and my egg cell were too lazy to go inside the uterus and initially decided to relax themselves in the Fallopian tube, thus having what they called a tubal pregnancy. She actually has a point. Being the ever curious cat that I am, I went to my cyber bestfriend, Google. I stumbled upon a million links to my question "what causes ectopic pregnancy?" I scanned all the possible answers and eventually led me to some fruitful but practical explanations. I gathered the causes from different websites, which I deem related to me. First thing that shocked me was from ehealthMD, it says there that "it's important to remember that in most cases of ectopic pregnancy, the cause is unknown. However, several factors can raise your risk for an ectopic pregnancy"; one of the four factors the website mentioned is SMOKING. 

Someday, Baby

Dear Baby Blood,

Tatay came home before my birthday so we could be with you 9 months after. We really wanted to be with you. We prayed and wished for you. Even Ate Sophia was practicing how to be a big sister. She sometimes think of you as her toy dinosaur, Dino. Or her imaginary pet animal, Rekeli. My little angel, Tatay could have been the happiest man if we could be with you. But we lost you.

I am very sorry. I didn't know I already had you.