Birthday and Prepping for Birth-day

Mystery Solved!

Finally, baby has opened his legs to reveal his jewels. Yup, it's a boy and so, Ronnel has the privilege to name him. He'll be known as Joaquin Israel T. Rodriguez. At least I get to pick his nick name "AQUI". Aqui from Joaquin, translates to different meanings in three languages. In Bicol, Aqui/Aki means "child" or offspring. In Spanish, it means "here" and in Japanese (yes, blame our anime and jap drama addiction), Aki means Autumn or Fall which coincides with the season he'll be born.

Hopefully, we won't get any surprises on d-day. Scans are not 100% accurate so there's still a tiny chance that it's a girl. Will we call her "Aqua" then?


Things We Learned From Ante-Natal Classes
A couple of months to go and we'll be holding Aqui in our arms but before that, Ronnel and I both know that we have to prepare for that day. Unfortunately, our family members won't be here when I give birth so it's just up to us two. Sure, we'll have friends to help us out but there's only so much you can ask of a friend (I couldn't really ask a friend to wash my perineum right? haha).

To help us prepare, we've enrolled in Ante-Natal classes which we found really helpful especially for first time parents like us. There were about 11 couples in class and I think all of us are 1st time mum and dads. My preggy friends outside NZ are asking if these classes are worthwhile and what we get from them so here goes....

Session 1:
>Class was shown things to buy and not to buy - which are must-haves and nice-to-haves such as:
Some must-haves:
Car Seat / Capsule
Merino Sleeping Bag (esp for NZ winter)
Bath Towel
Breathable mattress (must not be plastic or foam - note that optimal temperature for babies is 17Cdeg. To check, feel baby's back. Make sure your hand's not cold!)
Nappy liners - can be used as bathing sponge

Nice to haves:
Reusable Nappies (You'll be too tired to wash so just go for disposable during first few weeks)
Wool blanket

Session #2
Class was shown different types of baby clothes
Class was advised on what to bring to the hospital


What must be in your hospital bag:
Food! (especially for the dad)
Loose Clothing
Thick Sanitary Pads
Camera and back up camera just in case
Lip Balm
Old underwear (you'll be throwing them away after anyway)
Toiletries
Socks
Car seat
Mobile phone
Mum and Baby's Clothes for leaving hospital

Optional:
Entertainment stuff (a good book, relaxation CD, PSP?)- just in case labor lasts for hours

Danger Signs during Labor
> High temperature/fever combined with swelling and vomiting
> Leaking blood (1 tsp of blood is ok but more than that, call doctor/midwife)
> A presenting baby (he's ready to get out and you cant go to the hospital anymore)

Session #3
Watched Birth DVD
More tips on labor
> Go to hospital when contractions are 3-5 in 10 minutes
> Don't wait for your water to break to go to hospital
> Labor induction is done when you're 10 days overdue
- Labor-inducing stuff: Castor Oil rubbed on tummy, Evening Primrose oil rubbed in cervix, Clove Oil in bath, eating fresh pineapple, raspberry tea

Session #4
Learned Baby First Aid: CPR, Choking - Baby heimlich maneuver

Session # 5
Labor Exercises - pelvic tilts
Breastfeeding Techniques

Session #6 - missed this one coz we spent the whole afternoon in the hospital for my gestational diabetes sessions but this one was just a get-together class-closing session.

There are 2 more sessions after we all give birth (in June?) so there are still a lot to learn.

My Birthday
Yaiks! I'm another year older! Too bad we had to spend my birthday in the hospital since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. But it's not too serious (I hope) - I think I was just over a bit (9 is the cut off and my results were 9.6). As a result, I have to monitor my blood sugar which meant pricking my finger for blood 6 x a day! It's also good that the government subsidizes the gadgets and medicines for this (yay, tax in action). Anyway, back to my birthday. We didnt really have the time (& energy - after being in the hosp for hours) to celebrate so Ronnel and I just had a simple dinner at home.

I guess it's a blessing in disguise that I have gest diabetes. Now, I really have to take what I eat seriously - especially that there is a chance that I might have it again in the future (on account of my family history of diabetes). I've created this nifty carb counter and Blood Glucose Level spreadsheet which tracks what I eat and my levels. This is not only good for diabetic people but also for those who want to go on a low-carbo diet!

PS Thanks for all the bday greetings sent in via email, friendster and facebook :-)

Last Outing before the big "Out-ing"

In 2007, Ronnel and I spent Christmas at a friend's bach at Waikawa beach. This year, we came back with reinforcements. We brought our friends along as an experience like that was really something worth sharing. Problem was, the weather wasnt on our side. We were having second thoughts the morning we left because the skies were dark but we consoled ourselves to the thought that there were lots of DVDs to watch in our friend's place anyway.

With Joel, Agnes and their cute baby Liway Megan, we trudged the sand in search of the beach. This time around, we took the bridge to get to the sea. Last year, we didnt realize there was a bridge and had to wade through the river! We got a bit lost in search for the sea (Ronnel was our navigator!) but we found it eventually. The water was freezing though so we just enjoyed basking in the scenery.