My Cravings!!!

It's been months since the last time I've tasted these favorite food of mine. I'm really craving to eat chocolate mousse cake, sansrival cake, and pistachio & cashew ice cream. I hope I have enough money to buy all of these. Unfortunately, the cakes are expensive and the specific flavor of ice cream I like is most of the time out of stock. 

Oh well, I bet I need to save a lot of money so I can buy and get to eat all of these food I've been craving for.

Tips To Healthy Exercises During Pregnancy

Who says you cannot do exercises when you're pregnant? When you're pregnant, exercise is essential but that doesn't mean you will have to enroll yourself at the gym, although you can as per the advice of your OB. Simple exercises like walking and stretching at home or outside is important for pregnant woman as well. If you want a healthy pregnancy then you should take note of these three things: Diet, Exercise, and Visit your OB.

According to my pregnancy book..

"Unless you're having a high risk pregnancy, it is generally okay to engage in some form of exercise. Choose a physical activity that you enjoy like aerobics, calisthenics, weight training, water workouts, yoga, and other relaxation exercises."

"Aerobics like brisk walking, swimming, and biking improves circulation - enhancing oxygen and nutrient transport of the fetus and decreasing your risk of hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and fluid retention. Aerobics also increases muscle tone and strength - preventing backache, constipation and helps you to cope well with the extra weight of the baby."

"Aerobics helps build endurance for you to be able to handle lengthy labor better; helps control blood sugar; burns calories; lessens fatigue and promotes good sleep; and heightens your ability to cope with the physical and emotional challenges of childbearing."

Important Tips:

1. Get Started - choose an exercise you enjoy so you can stick with it 

• my daily exercise is walking and that includes doing household chores every day.

2. Start Slow - allow your body to adjust by warming-up

• I always start my exercise slowly like doing some stretching as soon as I wake up just to warm up my whole body.

3. Finish Slow - don't stop abruptly, adjust by cooling down

• I start slowly and I end my daily exercise slowly. Of course I don't wanna feel so much stress in my body.

4. Timed exercise - workout for 30 minutes to 1 hour

• Doing household chores at home means the working and moving the whole day but I always find time to take some rest and I schedule all the stuffs I need to do and finish.

5. Sustained and regular - exercise 3 to 4 times week

• As I mentioned already, doing household chores means the whole day. I clean the house almost every day and that's what I consider as my exercise and it means 7 times a week. But of course, although it means 7 days a week, I see to it that I don't get over fatigue.

6. Exercise in moderation - never exercise to the point to exhaustion

• I don't over fatigue myself because I know it will not be safe for me and my baby.

7. Stay cool - never exercise in hot and humid conditions

• Well, my everyday walking makes me sweat a lot but of course I always find time to take enough rest. 

8. Make it fun - enjoying what you do makes the regimen sustainable

• I love doing household chores which serves as my daily exercise and it makes me feel so much better thinking I am keeping myself healthy and at the same time making the house clean. 

My First Pelvic Ultrasound

This is my very first pelvic ultrasound. I was asked by my first OB to have this ultrasound to check if the baby inside my tummy is doing okay. According to the ultrasound report..

• Within the gravid uterus is a single fetus with a crown - rump length of 1.2 cm.
• Real time scans show active fetal cardiac flicker.
• The bulk of the placenta is anteriorly implanted. No areas of hemorrhage are seen.
• The internal cervical os is intact.
• No adnexal masses are seen.

I feel so happy when the doctor told me that my baby's heartbeat was already detected as early as that moment. It only means my baby is alive!

Thus, the impression based from my pelvic ultrasound are:

• Single live intrauterine pregnancy of a diagnostic gestational age of 7 weeks and 3 days.
• EDC is 10 February 2013 +/- 10 days

Whew! I'm so much happy with my expected date of delivery because February 10 is my hubby's birthday. How I wish I will really give birth on that said date so that my hubby and our son (hopefully) will have the same birthday.

My next ultrasound will be by late November or early December where I'm hoping to know my baby's gender already. I'm really positive about having a baby boy. So I really hope and pray God will grant my wish this year, a healthy baby boy.

My Everyday Prayer - Lord of Pardon

I'm a Roman Catholic but I'm not a super religious person may I say. I often attend mass for personal reasons. I don't pray the rosary every night, but I do always pray whenever my mind and heart say so. It's not funny to say but I never forget to say my prayer when I'm taking a bath. Yes, I do pray while I'm shampooing my hair, I'm used to do it everyday and even my daughter does it when we take a bath together. 

Now that I'm pregnant, all I ask from Jesus is to keep me and my baby safe all the time until I give birth to him and as he grows up. My Mom gave me a prayer booklet, the Lord of Pardon which she told me to read at least once a day. I remember she gave me one when I was still pregnant with my first child. I even hold it and praying it while I was giving birth and it generally helped me a lot thinking that the Lord God will be there for me and will never leave by my side. 

The Lord of Pardon prayer booklet is not only for pregnant woman but for all those who seek guidance and help from the Lord. It's a 32-page booklet that includes bible verses, prayers, notes, and dedications.

For my particular situation, this part of the prayer booklet suits me most:

" Any woman who is about to deliver should hang this prayer on her neck, will deliver easily without any danger."

I know God the Father will never leave my side. I know He is always there for me, for all of us guiding us and encouraging us to do good. I am not a sinner so I know God will bless me and my whole family. I trust the Lord God.