I started dusting my OB books and notes this morning. I wanted to brush up my knowledge on fetal development, organogenesis, toxicities, prenatal care, estimated due dates, etc.
First, I calculated my due date according to Naegele's Rule.
My Last Menstrual Period (LMP): 6/21/2009
Subtract: 3 months
Add: 7 days
Add: 1 year
My Estimated Due Date (EDD): 3/28/2010 <----- this is our 1st year anniversary! =)
I was really surprised to have come up with that date. But honestly, I would rather choose a different birth date for him/her or him+her (twins -- crossing my fingers!).
Why, you may ask. Well, it's because my parent's anniversary and my dad's birthday fall on the same day. And every year, one tends to be "overlooked". It's either we are throwing a party for my dad (birthday milestones), or they are celebrating their anniversary somewhere. Basta, nakakalito! And I don't want that to happen to us.
Hence, as much as possible, I would like to keep our anniversary as "ours" -- a special time just for the Jay and Honey. And by being born on a different day, I think our baby/babies birthday would feel more special too -- because it would be an entirely different celebration.
Anyhow, it's just an estimated date. My actual date of delivery could either be earlier or later by a week or two. So I'm hoping there'll be no more "surprises" by then. =)
After learning my EDD, I computed my baby/babies gestational age. Based on a 29-30 day cycle, I would have ovulated last July 4-5. Therefore, my baby/babies is/are now 25 days old! Want to see how that looks like? Warning: It's not cute at all!
It's actually kinda creepy, with its tail and all! =)
Nevertheless, I am excited to have my first sonogram tomorrow. Hoping for two or more heartbeats!
Jay and I celebrated our 4th month "anniversary" last Tuesday with a movie and javanese lulur massage.
Later in the evening, being 8 days delayed, we decided to do that home pregnancy test. I have been having irregular periods ever since. Being delayed doesn't surprise me much. And furthermore, on our last visit to the OB, I learned that I have PCOS (a condition where it's a bit harder to conceive). In short, I really didn't know what to expect.
I asked Jay to do the "checking". I told him that if he sees one line, that's negative. If it's two lines, then it's positive. I peed. Then we waited. It must have been the longest 5 minutes of our lives. Hehe.
He almost finished a bottle of roasted peanuts while waiting. He sometimes resorts to compulsive eating when he's nervous. =)
Jay did a quick look and smiled. We hugged, and we cried.
Waiting is finally over. Our little miracle is here. 9 months seems too long! Cant wait. =)
Keep it coming girls (and a few guys)! I will try to answer each and every question as detailed as I can. It may take a while though.
But just so you know, I am now addressing inbox message number #168. Whew! Konti na lang... Konti na lang, baliw na ako. =)
Kindly note if yours need an URGENT or ULTRA-URGENT reply.
{Gee, why do I feel so guilty for not answering emails right away -- from people I don't even know, nor haven't even met yet! Hard to explain. But I guess, I am just trying to "pay it forward"}
{Chug, Al, Junjun, and Jowell -- were also there but on invisible mode. Hehe.}
Want to know some **juicy** behind-the-scenes stories.... *wink*wink*
A few days before the shoot, Jay and Randall had this funny conversation:
Jay: Is 12 noon call time okay na for our shoot?
Randall: San ang location?
Jay: Victoria Court -- Moulin Rouge Room
Randall: Ayus! Maganda dun!
Jay: Hehe. Talaga?
Randall: Yup. Okay dun. 3 - 5 layouts.
Jay: Nakapag-shoot na kayo dun before?
Randall: Hindi. Check-in. Hehehe.
Jay: Ayus!
[haha...naughty, naughty boys! =P]
Hence, we initially planned to "check-in" as a couple, and just "sneak-in" our photographers and videographers, para 6,000 na lang ang babayaran. Haha. {Their rule: if more than 2 persons will use the room, the rate is 15,000 for 5 hours or what they call "party rate" inclusive of food and drinks for 10 persons. if only 2 persons will check-in, it's only 6,000 for 5 hours, or what they call "couple's rate".}. Kaso, no matter how much I think about it, di talaga sila pwede i-takas! We called most of our family/friends looking for a **heavily tinted** van/suv that can fit the 8 of us.
Here's another interesting convo between Jay and one of his groomsmen:
Jay: Heavy tint ng CRV mo di ba?
Groomsman: Yup, heavy tint. Bakit?
Jay: Kasya ba 8 dyan?
Groomsman: Not sure. Para san ba?
Jay: Kelangan ko pang-check-in sa VC. Sneak-in namin yung photogs/videogs.
Groomsman: Hindi pwede yun. May camera sa loob!
Jay: Talaga?!
Groomsman: Yup. Dun sa may garage.
{i wonder how he knew about that camera thing... haha!}
Since Jay was deadset to have our shoot there, he already decided to pay the "party rate". But up until the morning of the shoot, while I was having my hair and make-up done, I asked {actually begged} him to do the rounds, look for connections or anybody who might be connected to VC!
Thank God, Jay was able to talk to the manager. He explained that we are not going to have a party. We just need the place for photoshoot. Ayun, awa ng Diyos, the manager agreed to give us the couple's rate. And then we just ordered a la carte from their restaurant. So happy! =)
Photographer: MangoRed Videographer: Chug Cadiogan Location: Victoria Court (Moulin Rouge Suite) Gowns: Jun Escario and Farley Castro Hair&Make-Up: Mich Lim
Special thanks to Jordan aka jocoaquino (Victoria Court Banquet Specialist) for being so accomodating! =)
This is the slideshow that MangoRed created for us. It was shown during the dinner reception. Jemuel Victorino, together with Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, sang "The Last Time" as background music.
It was a nice surprise because Jemuel selected that song on-the-spot. We're so glad that the rhythm and timing of the song matched the slide sequence. Like the rest of our guests, it was also our first time to view the pictures/slideshow during that time! I was holding my breath the entire 3 minutes because I really have no idea how our shoot turned out. Whew! I *love*love*love* MangoRed! =)
Download this and other original video files with Multiply Premium.
Just got back from Palawan. We spent 4 lazy days bumming around. How come I still feel sooo tired? Hmmm... =P
It's either that or my sleep deprivation is catching up with me!
Coron is such a beautiful place. Love to share every bits and pieces, but I have yet to attend to so many things! In the meantime, will leave you with a few of my favorite pics....
I dont know what got into me the day I decided to have the swatches for our ninangs be packaged/presented like these. Perhaps it was my extreme OC-ness? Or maybe I was feeling crafty? Or maybe both. =)
After booking our flight to Palawan, I started my hunt for hotels/accomodations. One friend highly recommended this one place. He urged me to call them right away and book a room as soon as possible. I didnt waste a second, and I followed his advice.
The booking officer told me there was just one room left on our travel dates. Gulp. I asked her what it looks like, how big the bathroom is, what are the amenities, etc, etc. She said it's their smallest room. (Oh my!) It fits two persons comfortably, but certainly, it's not their prime room. Hesitantly, I asked her, "is it good enough for honeymooners?" Even though I'd probably take it even if it wasnt. It seems like I have no choice anyway. It's their last room!
But upon hearing that we are "newlyweds" on vacation, another surprise! surpise! moment happened. She sounded a bit more excited, and more eager to please. "Oh wait, I have a special room for you. Hold on. I have to double check first."
I am getting excited by the minute. "Really? That's great!" I kept my fingers crossed. While shuffling through some papers, she told me that it was the exactsame room where Marian Rivera stayed for a week while in Palawan. She kept rambling how pretty Marian was, etc, etc. I patiently listened and shared her enthusiasm, as I wanted the room sooo badly.
Seconds passed. What she said next almost made me fall out of my chair. "There's somebody pencil-booked on your preferred dates." (what?! why!?) She added, "I'll call them, and if they dont confirm, the room is yours."
We put the phone down. I called Jay. I updated him about the room/s available. When he heard that Marian Rivera used one of the rooms "available", he sounded so much more excited! "Dun sya natulog? She used the same bed?" Etc, etc.
I cant help but ask him, "Excited ka ba because its our honeymoon or excited ka dahil we'll use the room that Marian used?" He laughed out loud. Ang sweet. Grabe.
We finally booked our flight to Palawan last Tuesday (2/3/09). We got a really good deal from Cebu Pacific. I realized that, sometimes, doing things on the last minute can be good too. (hehe, i-justify ba ang procrastination?)
I've been planning to book this trip since last September, when Cebu Pacific launched this newest route. But our wedding timelines then werent so clear yet. During those days, we were still discussing whether to take the "risk" and fly to Singapore the very next day for our Asian Cruise, OR have a 2-part honeymoon, with Palawan as the first leg. =)
Back then, Palawan fares were really low, because it was under Cebu Pacific's "newest route" promo. I told Jay that I will really feel bad if I dont book our flight that very moment, and fares suddenly increase the next coming days. He understands my dilemma. But there was really nothing we can do that time as our schedules were still fuzzy.
If we book, and our schedules suddenly change, then we'll be wasting money, as promo fares are non-refundable/non-rebookable. On the other hand, if our timelines remain the same, but we didnt book during the promo, and fares increase as they usually do, then we'd also be losing the supposed "savings".
Anyway, to keep my sanity, I stopped thinking about it. Months passed, and I got preoccupied by a lot of other things. And guess what happened next?
Last Tuesday night, I got "inspired" to check CP's site. I saw in their banner that there's a summer promo to be launched the next day (Feb 4 - 10).
But since it was just a few hours before 12 midnight (making it Feb 4 technically), I decided to make a mock booking. And surprise! surprise! My booking went through, and I was quoted an even better deal than the promo fare I wanted to book last September!
One of our take home assignments was to complete a Pre-evaluation Marriage Checklist. Our Pastor carefully instructed us to answer as fast as we can, to jot down the first thing that comes to our mind, and to avoid over-thinking or over-analyzing.
We both had our own copies. But to make sure that neither of us cheats or takes longer time than necessary, Jay and I decided to answer it together. We finished the first half of the questionnaire while eating halo-halo at Razon's.
We did the second half after dinner at John and Yoko. I used John and Yoko's menu folder as my "cheat-proof" folder. =)
I breezed through most of the questions, except for one. This question made me think whether I'll be honest or modest.
I really wanted to answer honestly, but I was too embarrased to tell the truth. What if Jay's answer was different from mine?! I'll die of shame. (lol) I literally blushed while mulling over my answer.
You are in the mood for physical intimacy, but your partner is not. You would:
watch TV
sleep
try to seduce him/her
others _____________
Barely controlling my laughter, I asked Jay out loud, "B, what's your answer to .....?"
Without waiting for me to finish the question, he replied, "watch TV". I said, "okay, I'll check "sleep". We had a good laugh. I am amazed by how he can seemingly read my mind.
It was only during the "evaluation" part with our Pastor when we learned about each other's honest-to-goodness answers. Whew!
Jay and I had our first ever pre-marital counseling last Wednesday. Our first activity was to share with our Pastor "our love story".
Jay doesn't really believe in love at first sight, neither do I. But his answer to Pastor Raul's question -- "So, how did it all begin?" -- absolutely melted my heart.
He said, "The first time I saw her, I already noticed something special about her." Huwaw! (lol)
Of course, I have nothing left to say, but "I felt the same way." (kidding!) =)
It was really fun and sweet to reminisce how we met, how we went through the courtship stage, all the ups and downs, the break-ups, the challenges, the milestones, the proposals, etc. Basically, we shared how our relationship evolved throughout the years.
We shared lots of laughter and ribbing while telling our story. Meanwhile, I heard a lot of "wows" from our Pastor. =)
10 years -- It truly is an amazing journey. Thanks to Him.
Jay experiences mild shivers whenever he sees something like these. For him, it's very inappropriate to dress a little girl like a grown-up lady.
Thus, for our flower girls' dresses, he specifically requested that it should be cute and bubbly, not sexy and daring. (lol). His definite no-no's are: spaghetti straps, haltered neckline, plunging neckline, and mini-skirts. =)
Me? I am actually impartial about it. I just want to post these pictures to creep him out once again. =)
I finally found the perfect shade of plum that I love. Some color experts call it merlot, some call it deep dark magenta, some label it as aubergine. My mom calls it "talong". Gold and black will be our color accents.
I thought it would be really easy to come up with an invitation. Especially since we have a general idea of what we want -- classic/traditional. And we already have the major info (date, time, church, reception) that we need to disseminate. That's all I need to be aware of, right? Wrong!
While in the process of designing our invitation, I came across so many invitation etiquettes. More or less, these "etiquettes" helped "shape" our overall invitation.
A few examples of wedding invitation etiquette can be read here and here.
Although I am thankful that I learned about these "rules" before we had our invites printed, I am also partly wishing that sana di ko na lang nalaman. Haha. Why? Well, I find some of the rules "unreasonable", or not really applicable to our present time anymore.
Take for example addressing the envelope: they state that -- you should never print addresses with a computer, but always handwrite them.
What?! Why? They say that it's just one of those polite, personal, I'm-a-great-hostess touches that isn't totally obvious -- unless such touches are absent, in which case they're glaringly obvious.
But almost all the invitations I got from the recent years were not addressed via calligraphy. Instead, my name and Jay's name were printed using a computer. I find it nice. I didn't get "offended" that it was not "personally" handwritten by the hosts/couple. Actually, I didnt care whether it was handwritten or not, as long as my name is spelled correctly. Haha.
My handwriting is nice. Jay's handwriting is .. never mind.
Should I study calligraphy, and address all the envelopes all by myself? Should I hire a professional calligrapher to write for us? Should I just run the envelopes in a computer printer? Or would that be too awful?
Honestly, would you feel more special if your name was handwritten? Would you even notice the difference? Would you know about this "rule" had I not mentioned it?
There are so many little things that have been bugging me lately. I try not to let it get into my system. Because as I've said, these are just "little things". I try to shrug it off, and pretend that I dont really care whatever happens to these "small stuff". But I discovered that these are the exact same things that keep me awake at night. Bottom line: I do care! I do care a lot about the small stuff!
Invitation: I've been to the printer back and forth countless of times! We changed the font type twice. It took us several days to decide on the pantone shade (511c). Jay spent quite a while designing the map. Now, we're debating on how to address the envelope: Should we hire a calligraper? Or should we be more practical and just address it on our own? I am so tempted to just run it in the printer as most couples do. Less mistakes, more uniform pa. Etiquette schemitiquette!
Entourage Dresses: There are still 3 girls/ladies who havent had their measurements taken yet. A few ladies, plus my mom kept on changing their minds! -- about the design, the color, the tela, etc. One even said that she wants to be the prettiest girl that day! **aray naman**
Bridal Car: I cant believe how much they charge for a 3-hour rental! That's why I want to be really practical about this one. I wonder why none of my relatives have a decent car in Black or White! The closest one is a Silver Volvo. I wonder if that would be okay already. Jay kept on kidding me -- "yung green corolla ko na lang" --- the car we used during the first half of our dating years. Haha. I think that would work because I am quite the sentimental person. Pero it was just sold recently. =(
Church and Reception Styling: I have compiled the designs I like. But I havent created an album/mock board for our stylist yet. And we are due to meet anytime next week!
Diet/Weight Loss: I've been eating sensibly for the past 100++ days (lol). There are momentary lapses, but I make bawi with exercise. I like how my body is transforming back to its pre-med weight -- slowly but surely. I dont want naman drastic weight changes as it causes the skin to sag. So I am very thankful that it's happenning really gradually. But this past month, I felt like I was stuck in the same scale. Just 6 more pounds to go. Why is it so hard to shed the last few pounds?!
Guest List/Invite Distribution: Our original plan is to deliver the invites personally. Oh how I love "personal" touches! But it will take a lot of time preparing the logistics, zoning, etc. And as it is, we are already running short of time. So the next best thing is just to mail them. Argh. This breaks my heart.
I asked Jay if he wants to send "proposal" cards to his guy friends. He looked at me like I was crazy!
But I was feeling a little creative that day. So I proceeded and thought of revamping my "girly" cards into a more "masculine" card. I came up with this....
Dude,
Will you be my groomsman?
Jay
When I showed it to Jay, he laughed so hard he almost cried! Guys are so different talaga. Di ko sila ma-gets! Why, what's wrong with sending a card to another man?
All he did was send them text messages, and that was it! **tsk tsk**
My girlfriends and flower girls were so delighted when they received my personalized "Will You Be My Bridesmaid/Maid of Honor/Flower Girl?" cards.
(Card Front)
I purposely delayed my "proposal" to them because I want it to be a surprise. And I want it to be a bit extra-ordinary. It left them wondering if or when I'll ever ask them.
(Inside Left)
(Inside Right)
I was hearing hints and questions already, but I kept my mouth shut. I waited until 3-4 months before the big day before I popped the question. =)
(Card Back)
Jay and I made sure that each and every card is special. Because I want to let them know that it's such an honor for me have them in my life.
(Card & matching Envelope)
These were the responses I got...
Bridesmaid #1 - Of course! I will stand beside you on your special day. =)
Bridesmaid #2 - Yes. I'd love to be your bridesmaid!
Bridesmaid #3 - Yes. I'd love to! Thank you so much.
Bridesmaid #4 - Sure Ni! I am so happy for you and Jay.
Bridesmaid #5 - **A sweet sweet smile**
Bridesmaid #6 - **Speechless (or deadma? hehe)**
Bridesmaid #7 - Yes, of course! Mas maganda pa proposal mo sa bf ko! =)
Bridesmaid # 8 - Why not? Haha.
Flower girl # 1 - Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! **while jumping in joy** coz all along she thought she's gonna be a ring bearer. =)
I am so happy that they are happy. I guess that's my ultimate goal. To let all my loved ones feel how special they are to me.
How about you? How did you ask your special girls?
This picture served as my official "swatch". 
(Card Front)
(Inside Left)
(Inside Right)
(Card Back)
(Card & matching Envelope)