Last week, our office manager requested me to create a Baby Pool invite for Katherine. I have done the Baby Shower invite and Karen’s Baby Pool invite using Adobe Illustrator. This time, I wanted to give it a different feel so I remembered about the feel of digiscrapping so I did research on free digiscrapping kits online. I found quite a few and absolutely enjoyed it!!! So, almost all of last week, I was downloading freebie kits so I can try it even more.

I think one of my faults as a graphic designer is my preference for the minimalist look. This first attempt was quite a challenge as I really loved the elements that were available in this Promise Collection kit so I really pushed myself to put quite a lot of them together. I saw from many digiscrap designs that “More is more” appealing. Well, it’s time to post a preggy pic so I thought that this would be the best pic to work on.

Well, this is my very first attempt so please bear with me. It took me hours just to get this to the point where I was happy with the result.

I definitely enjoyed it so next time I might end up buying some kits to get some really beautiful ones to work with. :)

Credits: Promise Collection © 2008 Shabby Princess Designs / The Shabby Shoppe

Template Copyright © Red Leaf DigiScrapping, 2008

Thanks to such generous digiscrappers who provided these freebies!!

A few days ago, we (the preggy club in the office - 4 of us) asked HR about Medical procedures when we caught her in the kitchen. It was only then that she made me realize that I will not be getting Maternity coverage from our insurance. Apparently, the full 9 month period wait will complete only on the 1st Dec. I am due on the 23rd November!!! Furthermore, based on my observation from first time mommy friends, it seems the trend is giving birth 2 weeks prior to your due!!! Waaahhh!!! It’s only my boss Katherine (who is now 8 months pregnant) that says one could deliver 2 weeks later than their due date. Gosh! Baby & I would be so lucky if this happens. Although, my best friend Tina gave birth quite late too, I am worried that I could deliver early. :( This only means we have to shoulder a minimum of $2000 delivery costs, plus epidural, plus a major worry of extending to maximum $3000 if ever emergency caesarean is necessary. boo hoo.

The medical coverage was suppose to be $2000. This was why I really opted for a private hospital near our place. Yeah, I have an option of going for Al Wasl Hospital which is like 50% cheaper in every way. Al Wasl Hospital is a public hospital but well known for being a good hospital.

The truth of the matter is I am really not a public hospital type of girl.  I have told hubby about this from the very beginning of my pregnancy.  This was one of my first major decision when we got back from Pinas - which hospital to deliver in.  Of course, this also determined where I would be getting my prenatal care.

- I don’t like the hours and hours of wait.

- I prefer having proper appointments, wherein the set time is followed.

- I like to be treated like a well paying customer.

- I need to feel at ease & confident with the doctor.   I will be treated by this same person for nine months max so I might as well be comfortable with her.

- I like it when the nurses and staff are friendly and very helpful.

- I prefer a place that is highly recommended by many satisfied patients who have been treated and delivered there.

- I don’t like being passed around different doctors unnecessarily.

- I can’t imagine the inconvenience of having to risk getting stuck in traffic when I am due to deliver, therefore, proximity is very important.

- I need to get a good feeling of the place.  Ambience is very important to me.

Reading the points back, I feel like I am looking for a Spa or hotel. hahaha.  Although, all these are met by the current hospital I keep coming back to. My doctor is nice like a mom.  The staff are all friendly and helpful.  The place has a very comfortable ambience that encourages me to keep coming back. We still have to go for a maternity tour to see how the maternity wards or suites look like.  Sigh.  All these definitely come with a price.

Well, this is our first baby so I would like the delivery to be good experience.  We do plan to have more in the future. :)

Sigh. I better start filling up my piggy bank just for the delivery costs.  hahaha.  Think about the other expenses that will follow… ah well… that’s just money.  Imagine the bliss when we finally get to hold our baby in our arms!!!  As a friend said, it is that time that you will realize “It’s all worth it!”

I cannot the understand the logic as to how this pregnancy months is calculated. I just checked my pregnancy calendar and discovered that I am already in my fifth month since 5th of this month!!! That was my 16th week. No wonder, the past few days I seem to feel like I slept with a bump the night before and wake up like someone blew more air into my ballooning tummy. :) It’s actually exciting because now, I no one can deny I am preggy! hahaha.

I am feeling the tug on the sides of my belly already and it is just the start of the growing belly!!! These past weeks, I have been having a hard time sitting down because my belly is getting squished. Plus, I feel like my belly skin is being pulled on both sides. This afternoon while I was in the office, I had a hard time breathing because my skirt seemed to feel tighter and limiting so I had to fold it down. That’s another piece of clothing deducted from those that I can wear. I definitely have to go shopping this weekend!!! I don’t have anymore to wear for the office!!!

So this is how big baby is right now. They said that this is the time that I should experience “quickening”. Quickening is the first recongnizable movements of the fetus in utero, appearing usually from the sixteenth to the eighteenth week of pregnancy.

I think I felt it more than once but it is quite difficult to differentiate it from gas, as sometimes, I burp after I feel it. hehehe. I always put extra effort in my observation when I am lying down. Apparently, this is the best time to feel it as your body is relaxed and the “fluttering” can be more recognizable.

Friends and sis described this feeling to me in different ways. Sis said that it is like having butterflies in your tummy. A friend said it feels like having bubbles in your tummy.

Surely, this fifth month brings lotsa exciting new experiences. The one I am looking forward to most is finding out whether it will be a boy or a girl… that will be on our upcoming visit to the doc next week!!! YIPPEEEE!!!

Now hubby & I are playing the guessing game. I am guessing it’s a boy while he’s saying it’s a girl. We shall see… :)

Joy tagged me with this meme two weeks ago.   Like her, I am always supportive of this too. This is normally held in October in Dubai.  I wish that these things were not restricted to particular months but instead become a regular thing.  Anyway, hope even in this simple way, it helps in spreading the word Breast Cancer Awareness’ for the month of June.

• The first sign of breast cancer usually shows up on a woman’s mammogram before it can be felt or any other symptoms are present.

You can help the lives of many women by spreading the word aboutThe Breast Cancer Site pink button as many times as you can. If The Breast Cancer Site receives 8 million clicks on the pink button in June, their premier sponsor -Bare Necessities- will donate $10,000 for more free mammograms. CLICK the pink button today!

Please help spread the word too!

Any mom-to-be would be excited to know whether she would be having a boy or a girl.  During the first trimester of my pregnancy I wanted our first baby to be a girl.  Well, this is for reasons that hubby’s family consists of all boys (except for his mom of course!) down to the very first grandchild.  Hubby didn’t want a girl at first because he found that girls are too fragile and he’ll always be worried to death about his daughter. hehehe.  Based on the earlier signs, hubby & I thought that we could be having a girl.  When the second trimester entered, based on our observations, now we seem to think that it could be boy.  I have absolutely no qualms about it.  As for me being a mom, as long as the baby is healthy and complete in every way, I will be happy.

Just for fun, I have taken some Gender predictor tests online.  ABSOLUTELY ALL of them say that it will be a boy.  When come to think of it, I got really excited about it but of course, until the doctor confirms it I will still keep my mind open.  :)  Just let God be in charge.  For sure, whichever one we are blessed with it is for a greater reason that my meagre mind can ever contemplate.

This coming July, on our Church Wedding anniversary, we can find out from the scan whether it is really a boy! I can’t wait!!!

Sidenote: Now that my tummy is sticking out more and it seems to be more outward than wide, plus add to it my preference for sour food & meat, I am even more convinced that it is a boy!  Should we start thinking of baby boy names?! hehehe

Dream: The other night, I must’ve been so engrossed with this thought after a fellow preggy friend shared a Gender Predictor test online that she said accurately predicted her baby boy, I dreamt of a baby boy…. and he looked so much like hubby! hihihihi. Could it really be our prince? hehehe

That’s it for now from me… Hope life is treating you very well!