Am I Ready For Another Baby?

My daughter is turning 8 years old by November and I think an 8-year sibling gap is too much. Now that I'm pregnant with my second child, I have thought about being ready for another baby. Well, I guess it's already the right time for me and my hubby to have our second child. I have longed about taking care of a baby, as well as my daughter have been longing to have a sibling, a brother at that. I know, my hubby wants to have another child too since we've been trying to make a baby since December last year. 

Funny to think, I've searched online to find out a quiz which will give me an answer if I'm already ready for another baby? I found this quiz Are You Ready for Another Baby? by Lora Shinn. It has 13 questions with multiple choice answers.

"A new baby in the house – does the idea make you squeal or squirm? Take this quick and fun quiz to find out if now’s the right time to start decorating a nursery for a new baby."

After taking the quiz, my result shows that.. 

Well, the right time has come for me to have a baby for the second time around. I'm excited as well as my hubby, and most especially our daughter who will be an older sister in a few months. 

Now I can say that, "We're expecting!"

Pregnancy: Nine Basic Principles For Nine Months Of Healthy Eating

Below are nine basic principles for a healthy eating advisable for every pregnant woman. These nine principles are very much helpful to have a safe pregnancy and have a healthy baby. I've found these principles from my baby book and I want to share it to all of you. Please take time to read and understand every principle and I'm going to include some of my comments as well. 

1. Every Bite Counts

    Before taking a bite, consider: "Is this a bite that will benefit my baby?"

• to all Mommy-to-be, let us not forget that we are eating for two persons during our      pregnancy and we need to see to it that whatever we are eating, the baby inside  will also eat. We should not only think the benefit we will receive from eating just any food, but we should always make sure it's good for the baby inside us.

2. All Calories are not created equal

    Choose your calories with care, selecting quality over quantity.

• Eating the right kind of food during our pregnancy is most important to keep us and our baby safe all through out. For the whole nine months of pregnancy, it is just essential to watch over our diet. We must follow the recommended daily calorie intake which is just for our own good and of course the unborn child inside us. 

3. Starve yourself, starve your baby

    A fetus needs regular nourishment at regular intervals. Your baby may be hungry even if 

    you yourself may not feel hungry. Never skip meals.

• For the first three months of pregnancy, I have craved for different foods almost everyday. This may be possibly true to all other pregnant woman out there. I may have not noticed it but I've been eating a lot. The moment I suspected that I'm pregnant, I've choose to eat more and more healthy foods. And the day it was confirmed that there's a baby inside me, I only ate foods that will give me and my baby enough vitamins. Skipping meals will only make a person weak, what more if a woman is pregnant.

4. Efficiency is Effective

    Fill your daily nutritional requirements in the most efficient way possible within your 

    calorie needs.

• As I've mentioned in item no. 2, we must follow the recommended daily calorie intake which is just for our own good and of course the unborn child inside us. 

5. Carbohydrates are a complex issue

    Pregnant woman mistakenly drop carbohydrates due to weight gain concerns.

    Remember that unrefined and/or complex carbohydrates supply essential B vitamins,

    trace minerals, protein, and important fiber. They are good not only for you, but also

    for your baby.

• Well, thank God since my first pregnancy I didn't gained too much weight. It was very easy for me to lose weight just after getting birth. My body was back in to shape in less than a month. But, I don't know this time if after giving birth, I will still be able to maintain my body. I plan on breastfeeding my baby for the first 2 years or more of his life and I need to eat lost of healthy food which I bet will make me gain weight. However, I know that I would need to sacrifice for the sake of my baby's health. 

6. Sweet nothings are exactly that

    Sugar calories are, unfortunately, empty calories. They tend to add up a lot more

    quickly, leaving less room in your diet for nutritionally substantial calories.

• Who doesn't want to take in some sweets at least everyday? Well, I admit I always have sugar intake every day of my life. I often eat chocolates and candies but I always make sure i only eat just enough to fill my cravings and I never forget to drink a lot of water. 

7. Fresh is better

    Choose fresh vegetables and fruits when they're in season, or fresh-frozen or 

    unadulterated canned when fresh are unavailable or you don;t have time to

    prepare them.

• As much as possible, we pregnant woman should eat fresh fruits everyday. It will be best if we can have just the right serving for every meal we have each day. Fruits contain a lot of vitamins and they will help us and our baby to be healthy enough.

8. Healthy Eating should be a family affair

    Make other family members your allies by enlisting the whole household to eat healthily 

    with you.

• In my case, I always have breakfast with my daughter, lunch with my in-laws, and dinner with my hubby and our daughter. Well, every meal my in laws and my hubby serve at the table are all healthy foods and just perfect for me since I'm pregnant. They know what is best for me and tells me what will not be good enough for me.

9. Bad Habits can sabotage a good diet

    The best prenatal diet in the world is easily undermined if the expectant mother

    doesn't eliminate alcohol, tobacco, and other unsafe drugs from her life.

• Good for me because I do not take alcohol, I do not smoke, and never have used unsafe drugs during my recent pregnancy. I love my life and the baby inside me. I want the both of us to be healthy enough and remain healthy. 

My Baby's Development @ 8 Weeks

The baby in my tummy is starting to grow and continues to develop to become a real baby. At 8 weeks today, here are the things that are happening to my unborn baby. 

• Last week, the brain started to develop. Now, so do the other body parts: hands and feet form tiny webbed fingers and toes. - I just hope and pray that my baby will develop all these parts completely with 2 hands having 5 fingers each, a pair of feet having 5 toes each as well as a functioning brain. I haven't done anything or took any thing that will cause trouble to my baby so I guess he will be a normal baby. 

• The tummy works now. The extremities develop and so does the rest of the body. Even this early, the forming intestines carry waste away from the body. - I should always eat healthy foods so that my baby will get enough nutrients and become healthier everyday.

• The umbilical cord forms a loop to fit into the abdomen. Later, with more room in the little belly, everything will untangle again. - My baby is growing more and more each day. I just hope he is doing very fine inside my tummy. 

• The developing nervous system is already communicating with the muscles. The size and shape is now that of a large peanut, from 7 to 17mm weighing about 0.25 gram. - I hope my baby will continue to develop each day. I'm doing everything to make both of us safe all the time. 

Expecting for a Baby Boy

I don't wanna be very positive about it, but I'm really looking forward on having a baby boy this time. Since, I have a 7-year old daughter already, I wanted to have a boy this time around. I know for sure my hubby wants us to have a boy so we'll know how he would look like and of course, it's going to be a new experience for all of us. Our daughter is also looking forward on having a baby brother. 

Of course, part of expecting a baby is choosing the perfect name for him. My hubby wants the name "JOAQUIN" so with me, and I suggested the second name "JACOB", but he doesn't really want it. He's thinking about "LUCAS" which can be our baby's first or second name. It was our daughter who choose the nickname "ACKIE" which sounds so sweet and perfect for the name "Joaquin". Well, my hubby agreed with such nickname because it's unique. 

So below are the the three names we're planning to name our baby if it will be a boy. 

It's kinda unfair I think because I'm not that open about thinking on what to name our baby if it will be a girl. I'm still looking forward for a boy. However, if it will be a girl, what can I do, maybe such names will be reserved until we had a boy if God will bless us. 

My 1st Trimester of Pregnancy

This is not the second time that I'm pregnant so experiencing childbearing is not really new to me. However, I kinda feel different because it took almost 8 years that I got pregnant for my second baby. Most Mommy-to-be will definitely agree with me that every time a woman gets pregnant, it's something new and something to really look forward too.

During my first pregnancy, I was not really aware how the baby in my tummy develops each day, week, and month. That is why this time, I kept on reading blog articles and books regarding pregnancy. And with the help of my pregnancy booklet and every topic included in it, I get to learn more and more about childbearing.

According to what I have read, during the first trimester of pregnancy, these are the things that happen during the first, second, and third month.

1st month

Six (6) days after the egg was fertilized, it becomes a ball of cells that burrows into the lining of the uterus. You may begin to notice slight changes, perhaps in your sense of taste, some breast tenderness, or feelings of nausea.

2nd month

Main organs and the nervous system of the baby begin to develop. The heart begins to beat, and the face as well as joints of the knees and elbows begin to develop. Your breasts begin to grow and you feel tired and nauseous.

3rd month

The embryo looks like a baby now and is technically called a fetus. All the major organs are formed and the skeletons begin to develop too. The ears, nose, and eyes are recognizable. The fetus floats in amniotic fluid, which acts as shock absorber for protection from bumps and falls. Feelings of nausea begin to subside.

Dear Mommy-to-be

Congratulations to me because I'm going to be a mom for the second time. I'm super excited especially I'm looking forward on having a baby boy. 

Anyway, I was so inspired by this welcome note from my baby book, it said.. 

Dear Mommy-to-be,

Congratulations!

You are about to experience the many wonderful (and sometimes challenging) moments of pregnancy. And in the next few months, you will become a proud mother of a healthy baby. Conceiving a child is life's most precious gift and proper prenatal care would help ensure the delivery of a healthy baby. It is recommended that you learn more about the various stages of pregnancy and understand the physiological changers in your body. A well-informed expectant mother enables her to take care of herself and the baby wisely and healthily. It is also very important to start taking prenatal vitamins right away, choosing the ones made with the recommended amount of folic acid. 

It should be noted that this booklet is just a guide and that other specific concerns related to your pregnancy should be consulted directly with your doctor. 

Whew! This message made me more excited. I'm on another very exciting journey and I just hope and pray that everything will be alright. I hope me and my baby will be safe until the day I give birth.