Welcome to the world, Rosalie Mae!

You always envision what your birth experience would be like, and after 9 months of anticipation, it's hard to believe that I'm actually on here writing about mine! You always read about it in the books, but it's so surreal when it finally happens to you. I wanted to type it while the feelings are still fresh, and thanks to all the help that I've been getting from my husband and 2 sets of parents, I'm able to sit here and do it.

The week between Xmas and New Year's was my first week off of work, so I took my time cleaning the house and visiting friends...running all my errands while I still could. I was getting awfully tired of being pregnant...the discomfort, the tightness in my stomach, and the sleepless nights. I was constantly joking with my friends that I was ready for this baby to come out! Little did I know, she was as ready as I was!

It was just another New Year's Eve and  Anthony and I were looking forward to celebrating our first midnight countdown together. We had scheduled to take maternity pictures with our good friends, Bethies and CQ. At 3 PM, we started our shoot and at by 5PM, we are eating dinner at Yard House with them. I felt totally fine, just a little exhausted from the walking around and all the posing we were doing from the pictures. I did feel awfully hungry though! It's a good thing I ate a pretty hefty meal, I'm sure it contributed in helping me keep my energy up for all the pushing I was about to do.

When we got home, at around 6:30, I wanted to take a nap before we went out to my Uncle's house down the street for a New Year's Eve party. So, I hopped into bed. I tossed and turned a little bit so I never really got into a deep sleep. I was laying on my side, when all of a sudden I felt a POP. I figured I should go to the bathroom and check it out cause I was starting to get a little crampy. When I stood up, I felt a trickle of water go down my leg. Uh-oh. I grabbed a dirty shirt from the laundry and covered up. Lo and behold, the t-shirt was getting wetter by the minute and I knew my water had broken. The first thoughts in my head were "Nooo way" and "What do I do now!". I ran outside and Anthony was playing video games. "Babe, something happened" I said as I showed him the stained t-shirt. He smiled in anticipation and said "Is it time?? I'll go grab the stuff". He was so calm and composed and my head was running 100 mph on all the things I had to do before we left, why wasn't I feeling contractions yet, who should I call, etc. I grabbed my phone and the first person I called was my dad. Told him my water broke, and coincidentally, they were 5 minutes away from my house because they were already on their way to the party down the street. They told my sister who was in Hawaii at the time. She was devastated that she couldn't be here.

By the time they got to my place, I told my dad to take Romwell to their house and my mom would ride with me and Anthony to the hospital. When we got in the car, I started feeling the pain of the contractions. They were about 5 minutes apart, not too strong, but pretty painful. They felt like really strong period cramps that would escalate and then drop off. When we got to labor and delivery at the hospital (felt like a 2 hour car ride!), they admitted me right away because I still had the stained tshirt with me and they knew it was my water. The pain was starting to get worse and worse as we waited for the midwife to come and check my dilation. When she got in, her eyes widened and she said "Wanna guess how dilated you are?" 3-4 centimeters I thought (10 means you're read to go). "Nope, You're 8." Holy crap! This baby was coming tonight! It was only 9 pm so I hoped that she'd stay in there for 3 more hours so she could make it to the New Year and have a 1/1/11 birthday.

The pain was starting to get unbearable and I asked for the epidural right away. It took a little while for the anesthesiologist to come, but by 10:30 I was pain free. I was feeling fine and even let my visitors come in and say hello as I waited to dilate to 10. My parents, Anthony's Parents, his brother Paulo and his Girlfriend Cheryl, and my cousin Kristina all waited in the waiting room. One by one they said hello to me and were so surprised by my calm composure and the fact that I was still smiling, full makeup and all (still on from the photoshoot).

By 11:00, the midwife came in and checked me. I was 10 centimeters and just about ready to go! They were also hoping that I'd be their first baby of the New Year because they'd feature us in the paper and we'd get a ton of nice gifts from the hospital. Since I wasn't feeling the need to push yet, I was determined to make it to 12! They said that they would let her labor down for a little bit anyway (let her head slide down on it's own so I don't have to push so much) so we'd check again at 11:45 how she was doing.

At 11:45, midwife checked again. "Hello there! Her head is coming out! Get ready to push!" Well, that was fast. At 11:50, I gave it maybe 3-4 sets of strong pushing and by 12:14, my little Rosalie Mae was born into the world. I requested a mirror so I could watch her birth, and it was truly amazing! I must say, it really helped with my pushing cause I could see how much progress I was making. When I saw her little head and body slip out, it was so surreal. They put her on my chest and I was so overwhelmed with love and awe. "She's perfect! Oh my gosh she's perfect" is all I remember saying. As she laid there crying, I was still pain free and couldn't believe how fast it all happened. Just 4 hours ago, I was laying in bed watching TV! It was truly a blessing that I had a safe, fast, and pain free delivery. I couldn't have asked for anything better. I'm so happy that she's here, and that she's healthy. At 5 Pounds 13.2 ounces, 18 1/2 inches long, she is my tiny bundle of joy and Anthony and I are still in amazement that we made such a beautiful little girl.

The past few nights have taken quite a bit of adjusting. The healing process has probably been harder than the labor itself. I can't wait to start feeling and looking like myself again and I'm very excited for everyone to meet her! We are still a little exhausted and adjusting to our new schedule, so we'll give it a little time before we going out and saying hello to everyone. I am truly grateful for all the love we have gotten. It has been an incredible experience and I STILL can't believe that she's here. I am looking forward to spending the rest of our lives watching her grow.

Thank heaven for my little girl.

An American Favorite: Shepard's Pie

This is another easy dish brought to you by improvising and experimenting. I just love this because it can last you a week if you cook enough and it's mighty delicious. It's a great hearty meal for cold nights like the one's we've been having recently, so if you're ever in the mood for some traditional American food that will warm up your night, try this!

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground beef
An assortment of vegetables of your choosing: (This is what I usually use but you can choose basically anything)
2 Cans of Corn
1 Bag Shredded Carrots
Finely Chopped onions
1 Can Beef Broth
4 Large Potatoes
5 Tablespoons of butter
Shredded Cheddar Cheese


Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
1) Peel and boil the potatoes
2) While those are boiling, saute the onions in about 2 tablespoons of butter
3) Add  1/2 cup of shredded carrots and cook until tender
4) Add ground beef and cook until you see no more pink
6) Add the beef broth as needed to make sure that your mix is nice and moist
7) Season with salt and pepper. (Worchestershire sauce also adds a nice flavor if you have some available)
8) Place the mixture in a glass baking dish. Spread evenly.
Cover with one layer of corn and cover with cheddar cheese.
9) Mash the potatoes with the leftover butter and milk
10) Distribute the potatoes evenly over the meat mixture in the baking dish.
11) Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese over the top of the mashed potatoes (Should look evenly layered with meat, corn, cheese, potatoes, and more cheese)
12) Put baking dish in the oven


I don't really have a time frame for how long to leave it in the oven, but just bake it until you can see that the mashed potatoes are a little brown and boiling. Make sure you don't burn the cheddar cheese on top! It should be nice and melted.


Prep time: 20 Min
Cook Time: Approximately 15 Min

Left -1st layer of meat            Right - Finished Product. A little eaten :)

This dish is a little harder than my recipes, but trust me, you won't regret trying it! I'll post pictures soon.


Enjoy!

Confessions of a Pregnant Drama Queen

I've noticed that I haven't publicly talked about my pregnancy much or posted many pictures. I think it's about time that I share with you some of the many thoughts that have run through my mind these past 8 months in hopes that this will help me release some of those pre-baby jitters that have been keeping me up at night.

Have you ever sat down and talked to a pregnant woman for more than an hour? Well, who wants to do that right? Sometimes I feel like I need a psychiatrist just to help me sort out all my thoughts. On the outside, pregnancy looks like such a happy time and all people really see is your growing belly and newly glowing skin, but oh my gosh, there is so much more than that! Ever since I was a kid I always wondered what it was like to be pregnant. I was always so fascinated by the possibility of my body doing all those things that you see in movies and read about in books and now my turn is finally here! No words can describe the whirlwind of emotions that you feel throughout your pregnancy, and if your a natural worrier like me, then you're in for a treat.

So let's rewind back to June. 3 weeks after our Maui Honeymoon, I could not bear to  eat or even smell fish, which usually was one of my favorite dishes. I just figured that after eating so much of it in Hawaii, my body was done with it. You know how they say when you're pregnant, you'll just know? Well, the night we went out to an all you can eat Korean barbeque restaurant and the smell of the smoke made me gag, well, that's when I knew that something was up. Who gags at the smell of Korean bbq? Seriously! I called my sister who came over right away, pregnancy tests in hand, and giggling at the possibility that she might be getting a niece/nephew soon. After the first initial test which lightly revealed that second line, I felt a sense of denial and panic because all of it was just happening so fast. Those 2 line tests are never clear anyway, right? But when we came back to take the digital one which we scrambled to buy and it clearly read "PREGNANT", my whole life changed.

Anthony came home from work a couple hours later to find the positive tests sitting on our coffee table. "Babe.What's all this?" I stayed in the room holding my breath so that he could process what he just found in front of him. Then it hit him. Probably like a ton of bricks because he got up and started pacing back and forth, talking to himself. Saying what? Who knows! So finally, when I sat down and we actually got a chance to talk about it and get past all the "how did this happen" questions, we smiled and shared a reassuring hug that we were chosen by God to become parents at this exact moment in our lives. What a blessing! And now, let all the baby excitement begin!

10 Weeks

The first few months of pregnancy was just us adjusting to this new "challenge" in our life. We had just finished saving for a wedding, and now was the time to start putting money away again. No more expensive vacations or splurging at the malls. And that's when all these new worries started invading my mind. What if I miscarry? What if it was a false alarm? How many babies are in there? But when I saw that first image of our little "peanut" on the ultrasound screen, only 10 weeks old, and already having a strong heartbeat, all those worries melted away for a moment, only to come back about a week later when I started googling things and reading forums. Seriously, stay away from those things! They can really come back to haunt you.

8 Months down the road, I'd have to say that I've had a fairly easy pregnancy thus far. No morning sickness. No unusual health complications. No worrisome test results. And luckily for me, I've been pretty energetic and was quite motivated to continue working out in the early months. Not so much now in my third trimester since I've gained about 20 pounds now. But I'd definitely have to say that getting in shape before the wedding has really helped me out in preparing my body for pregnancy. I feel great most of the time. As for my hormones, I wouldn't say that my emotions are running TOO wild, but my fuse is much shorter now. Anthony has been very supportive and helpful, massaging me and picking up things that I drop. He has even picked up some of the slack with chores especially now that I'm feeling lazy nowadays. I'm trying to teach him how to cook so we'll still be able to eat once I'm out of commision but that's still a work in progress.

15 Weeks

As we reach this final stretch of the last 6 weeks, I've found that my pre-baby jitters are now starting to get the best of me: I get worried when I don't feel her kick. Every ache and pain could be a contraction..or could it? When will she finally be here? I want to see her face so badly! I just want to make sure she makes it out okay. I hope that she is healthy and beautiful. Will I be able to breastfeed? What will my delivery be like? What kind of parents are we going to be?
....Can someone say emotional overload? It gets hard to concentrate on other things. Maybe it's my maternal instinct kicking in? It's one of the coolest feelings when all the things I've been reading about in my baby books start happening to me. I waited and waited for my belly to finally "pop" and now, I just can't wait to get this extra weight out so that I can have a good night's rest without having to make a trip to the bathroom every 2 hours.  Work is getting harder and harder to wake up for, but I am officially on leave on December 23rd, and believe me, I am counting down the days!

30 Weeks - 3D Ultrasound

All I know is, I love her already. I love her deeply and I am so thankful that she is in there. After every feat in my life and every accomplishment, getting this far in my pregnancy with her still thriving is what I am proudest of so far. I am savoring the last few weeks that we will physically be together because before I know it, she won't be safe and warm in my womb anymore and I'll have other things to worry about. I never thought that the day would finally come when I'd be a mom, but let me tell you, it's been quite an interesting journey. The miracle of pregnancy and how your body changes proves that God does indeed exist. It is truly just amazing  how a person so far from what you think a mom is or should be all of a sudden transforms naturally into a nurturing, self-sacrificing human being all for the sake of the baby she has yet to meet. Now tell me, that can't all be hormones can it?

Easy, breezy, beautiful.....SPAGHETTI!

This is a very special spaghetti with meat sauce recipe that my dad taught me....He's been making it since we were kids and I love it! Everyone I make it for now loves it as well. You can try your own variations..but this is a very basic spaghetti recipe that is just as yummy as it is easy.


Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 large white Onion (Cut into strips)
1 tbsp Minced Garlic
1 LARGE jar of Spaghetti Sauce of your choice (I use Prego Fresh Mushroom in the 67 oz jar)
2 boxes of what or white spaghetti
Sugar (Optional)

Steps 1-3 Pictured Above

Directions:
-Sautee the garlic and onions in 1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil until light brown in a large pot.
-Add the ground beef, stirring constantly. Cook thoroughly. (Meaning you should find NO pink left if you sift through the meat!)
-Add the entire jar of spaghetti sauce and stir occassionally
-Bring to a simmer. (Be careful not to splatter!)
-Add sugar to taste and simmer again <--For all those Filipino spaghetti lovers
- Serve with cooked spaghetti pasta

I like to eat mine with whole wheat pasta..not just for the health benefits, but it's oh-so-flavorful as well. I highly encourage you to make the switch!

This takes about 20-30 minutes to make..perfect for a quick meal that will serve 4-6 people if you're having guests over or want to save some for later. I know that before the baby comes, I'm gonna make myself a pot of this to store in my fridge and heat up for myself because it's THAT easy...So, enjoy!!

Ode to my pre-pregnancy body

One of the hardest things for some women is accepting their new motherly bodies. I admit, I've been obsessing over the changes that have taken place over the last 7 months: Constantly looking in the mirror and inspecting every part of my body for that first sign of stretchmarks. Staring at myself in profile view thinking "Wow I'm getting huge!" And scrutinizing myself in pictures because my face is getting rounder. Will I ever look the same again? Is the body that I worked so hard for before my wedding lost forever? My likely, yes. I've come to accept the fact that my bodyframe and skin will never quite be the same and that no matter how hard I fight it, the change is inevitable. The only thing that comforts me is that I am sacrificing myself and my body to bring a baby into this world. My baby.  So with that in mind, I say goodbye to my former self and will happily let go of my stretchmark free stomach, breasts, and buns and trade them in for a body that has experienced the miracle of birth and nursing..No matter what it might look like.

Left: 17 Weeks Pregnant - Right: 30 Weeks Pregnant

During my first two trimesters, it was easy for me to take long walks and continue doing light exercise video routines, but this past month, it has been really difficult for me to remain standing for long periods of time because of the baby sitting on my sciatic nerve (my lower tailbone area). I hope I've prepared myself enough to be in good enough shape for a fairly "easy" labor, but I can only keep my fingers crossed that timing and luck are on my side! With the lack of exercise and the all the cravings I've been giving into (In N Out, WingStop, Ice cream!!), I see the pounds packing on faster and I feel guiltier and guiltier every day that I'm not giving my baby the proper nutrition and activity that she needs. I really have to try and stay focused on remaining fit and healthy, but it's so so hard! I just have to keep telling myself "Healthy Mama=Healthy Baby". Hopefully during my maternity leave, I'll have more time to walk before the sun goes down and will be bored enough to fit in more exercise videos.


I can only imagine what I will look like postpartum. Legs and butt a little more plump. Extra skin on my abdomen. Oh man. I hope I still have the time and determination to fight to remain healthy and fit. As soon as I am given the OK to start exercising again, I plan on getting active, baby in tow, and as in shape as possible before next summer (easier said than done!). I will document my weight loss journey in hopes that it will motivate me to have some kind of progress to share with everyone.


But until then, here's an ode to my pre-pregnancy body. You've been good to me but I'm trading you in for something....better. 

Me at our Honeymoon in Maui May 10, 2010