I want this cookie cutter. Imagine the possibilities: decorating them with sprinkles, edible paint, different colored puzzle pieces… Edible AND good fun!
And in life, I’ve got a bunch of puzzle pieces I’m slowly putting together before Timmy gives his big hello to the world. Perhaps you guys can help me put the puzzle pieces together too?
Puzzle piece 1: Filing my maternity leave. When did you guys file yours? Common answers have been (a) two weeks before due date, (b) maternity leave officially starting on date of delivery. I want to maximize my maternity leave as much as possible. 60 days for a normal delivery and 72 for Caesarean isn’t much time.
Puzzle piece 2: Decorating the nursery/our bedroom. How’d you guys choose a theme for your baby’s room? What are the must-haves for a baby room? This is my favorite puzzle piece! Timmy will be staying in our room, and we don’t mind putting baby touches to the wall and decor. We’re still deciding what look to go for. It’s all exciting!
Puzzle piece 3: Struggling a wee bit with eating healthy. How did you guys stick it out till the 9th month?! I’ve been a little more indulgent now that my due date is near. I’ve noticed I’ve been sneaking in more sips of soda, munching on a bit more chocolate… But it’s all good. I am happy to share that I am still within the acceptable range of weight gain during pregnancy. Whew. Still, I wish I had a little more self-control with the junk.
Puzzle piece 4: Running out of clothes to wear. If you experienced this, how did you deal with it? I thought I couldn’t get any bigger at seven months. Apparently, I could. The wonders of the human body indeed!!! With a little over a month to go, I don’t want to buy new maternity clothes anymore. Instead, I’ve bought some loose tops that fit me now and I know will still fit me post-pregnancy. It’s been working so far. If only I could go to work in a sarong everyday, that’d be great.
Puzzle piece 5: Tightening of the tummy. How did you guys know you were FINALLY in labor? I’ve been getting some Braxton-Hicks already. And oh boy, I feel Timmy’s every move now. It’s amaaaazing. When it hurts sometimes (him kicking me in the pelvis, a sharp turn, an unexpected uppercut…), I just thank God for this little miracle. While he’s having a lot of fun cartwheeling inside though, my tummy tightens. Labor will come before I know it. I’d like to know how you knew you were in labor already.
The puzzle isn’t that hard to put together, but I’d love to learn from you guys. This week marks my 34th week (8 1/2 months!) being pregnant. Thank you so much for the support you’ve shared, and the personal e-mails I’ve been getting too. It’s a joy interacting with you and learning from everyone. 
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.
julie
July 14, 2009 at 3:46 pm (15 years ago)Enjoy the remaining weeks, Toni. Soon, you will have your bundle of joy in your arms and delight in having him close to you
Believe, all those little concerns are worth it.
Hugs!
.-= julie´s last blog ..Happy Birthday, Julian =-.
Eper
July 14, 2009 at 4:28 pm (15 years ago)I knew I was in labor when I experienced extreme lower back pain & pelvic pressure. So be careful when you notice these changes.
I’m crossing my fingers you make it till Aug!
I gave birth to my little angel at 35w6d. But we were sort of anticipating it already because I had some complications beforehand and so my OB prescribed steroids just to be sure Quino’s lungs would develop earlier para hindi na ma-incubator.
Stay healthy, Toni!
.-= Eper´s last blog ..Idol =-.
rowie
July 14, 2009 at 4:59 pm (15 years ago)Puzzle piece 1: I went on VL even before my maternity leave, heheh! If I remember correctly I started my VL around 5 or 6 weeks before my actual due date.
Puzzle piece 2: We didn’t really decorate for the baby; our room was recently renovated and we didn’t really add anything baby-ish to the decoration before Rafa was born. Our approach was purely functional: space for baby’s clothes, check. Crib and beddings, check. Storage boxes for baby’s things, check. But now that Rafa’s 9 months old, the room looks a lot more baby-ish (puzzle mat squres on the floor, etc.).
Puzzle piece 3: I had glucose intolerance so I really HAD to eat healthy because Rafa was getting too big (one of the side effects of glucose intolerance). Inisip ko na lang, I don’t want to have to push out a giant baby! So my self-control was pretty strong.
Puzzle piece 4: My friend lent me all her maternity clothes so I didn’t have to buy too many.
Puzzle piece 5: My bag leaked before I felt I was in labor and when I got to the hospital, I was told I was already in labor, but I couldn’t even feel it yet! Although after a few hours, I DID feel it and, yes, it started to hurt …. :-/
.-= rowie´s last blog ..The Playschool Hunt, part 2 =-.
haze
July 14, 2009 at 5:20 pm (15 years ago)hey toni!
a few weeks to go!! i hope you do make it til august. hang in there timmy!!
how to know if you’re in labor? hmm.. sure bet would be persistent lower back pains then it slowly travels to the front and it feels like your worst dysmenorrhea (sp). as morbid and scary as it sounds, it’s not that bad. i’m sure you can handle it. once you see timmy and he’s in your arms. you wouldn’t remember the pain you went through.
keep us posted ok?
and once you’re back, we still have to go on our sushi date! hahaha i shall visit you in makati. and that’s a promise 😀
*hugs*
.-= haze´s last blog ..sweeter than usual =-.
anne
July 14, 2009 at 7:29 pm (15 years ago)hi! i’m in HR so here’s my 2 cents re maternity leave…ask your company what maternity benefits they offer, if any. in our company, aside from the SSS maternity benefit, employees with at least 2 years tenure get paid maternity leave of up to 2 months. this benefit is good up to their 4th pregnancy.
re labor, i had a similar experience as the previous poster. when i saw my OB for a check-up, it was a good thing she did an IE because i had no idea i was already on labor and was 3 cm dilated. i didn’t even notice that my water bag broke the night before; i thought it was just pee. i have a very high tolerance for pain so i didn’t feel any. what bothered me then was my asthma so i had a c-section.
Tinster
July 14, 2009 at 7:49 pm (15 years ago)Puzzle Piece 1: I was planning on a C-section so I told my boss I’d take my ML starting my planned delivery date. My friends told me I’d need more time taking care of the baby kc. But then I popped even before that date so had to go on ML earlier.
Puzzle Piece 4: I didn’t want to buy more clothes too so I borrowed hubby’s shirts as wearing mine (even those I bought in XXL sizes) made me look like Winnie the Pooh!
Puzzle Piece 5: I guess when it hurts A LOT! As in the pain doesn’t stop even if you change positions or do your breathing exercises.
Hope this helps, Toni! Can’t wait to see Timmy!
iris
July 14, 2009 at 10:34 pm (15 years ago)hi toni, lapit na! some tips din, which im sure some of the others have given as well (but reaffirming them just the same
):
-take your VL na rin with your maternity leave if you really want to spend more time with Timmy
-also from what i learned, i think you need to be a bit careful with the caffeine/chocolate intake because even if it doesn’t do much to your weight, it does to the baby’s. lesser weight than expected pag too much. i keep wondering nga if that’s the reason why Mia is on the underweight side now..
-oh, and stock up on leggings 😀
and since you’re experiencing contractions already, i think you better rest more and file your leave earlier. i hope you enjoy your pregnancy up until the time Timmy comes out because by then, nothing will beat that
take care!
.-= iris´s last blog ..where art thou? [i vs p] =-.
sprittibee
July 14, 2009 at 11:37 pm (15 years ago)Congrats on your sweetie! I had my son at 38 weeks (because I begged the doctor – I was huge). He was born at 9.4 lbs 2 weeks early! My first one, though, was 7.6 (a week late) and my second was 8.14 (a week early). Usually first babies are smaller. How you know if you are in labor: your contractions are consistently 5 minutes or less apart, they interfere with your breathing pattern, they usually hurt worse than what you are used to with Braxton Hicks (but not always), and/or your water pops. If your water breaks – go to the hospital! My water broke 2 hours before my son was born this time. My epidural wore off and I had him natural. After having the other 2 with pain meds, I have to say it was pretty intense… but it was fast – and once I pushed him out, the pain was completely forgotten! Strange as that may seem, the joy overwhelms you and erases it all. Don’t worry about it – God made you perfectly for this! Can’t wait to see your photos!
.-= sprittibee´s last blog ..Even Girls can Shoot =-.
sprittibee
July 14, 2009 at 11:53 pm (15 years ago)Oh, by the way – we did owls and trees in our nursery. 😉 Come back and see the final project, but you can look at my blog & see some teaser photos: I painted a mural. My daughter is sharing a room with the baby:
http://sbees.blogspot.com/2009/05/trees-in-baby-nursery.html
http://sbees.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-foolery.html
My baby shower theme was owls, too:
http://sbees.blogspot.com/2009/03/owly-baby-shower.html
As for maternity leave, I stay home with the baby, so that was not a concern of mine – but with my first son, I had 3 months off. I took 2 unpaid leave weeks off before he was born, though – because of swelling. I had 3 months after his birthdate to go back to work. I worked until my daughter was born 23 months later and then was off for a year after her birth. When she was 1, I went back to work for about 6 months and decided it was better if I stayed home. Then when she was 3, I worked at a Christian School for 1.5 years and they attended there. Since then, I have been at home with the kids. My kids are now 12 and 10… and my baby is 4 months.
And about the clothes… you can buy a Belly Cover to stretch your shirts out until the end of your pregnancy. I did a give-away for this Blush company when I was pregnant and they sent me a pink one.
http://sbees.blogspot.com/2009/01/blush-belly-giveaway.html
I needed it at the end of my pregnancy to cover where the shirt wouldn’t go! LOL I was HUGE.
http://sbees.blogspot.com/2009/02/not-so-wordless-wednesday-8-months.html
Here’s a list of what to take to the hospital, too…
http://sbees.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-to-take-to-hospital-when-youre.html
.-= sprittibee´s last blog ..Even Girls can Shoot =-.
blue rose
July 15, 2009 at 8:28 am (15 years ago)yay, super lapit na pala ms toni! good luck.
as for the maternity leave application, i filed it a month before my due date because i need to secure clearance too from the office. and para din maprepare na ng HR ang salary ko before ako manganak. but it’s effectivity date was 2 weeks before my due date. naalala ko ang due date ko is april 24 then ang effectivity date ng leave ko is april 10 but i gave birth on april 7.
and as for your puzzle #5: the first sign was, i saw blood stain in my undies. tapos ng pinacheck ko sa doctor 4cm na pala akong pero wala pa akong sakit na naramdaman.
.-= blue rose´s last blog ..my dream as a mom =-.
Asianmommy
July 15, 2009 at 9:49 am (15 years ago)I love your puzzle cookies!
We were moving, so I just quit my job & didn’t have to worry about asking for maternity leave.
I chose the bedding first, and then decorated the rest of the room to match.
I ate as usual, but I did avoid deli meats, caffeine, alcohol, raw fish. Not too difficult for me.
I ran out of clothes that fit in the last month, too–I ended up just doing laundry more often & wearing the same things over & over again.
I knew I was in labor when my water broke.
Good luck with everything! It’s an exciting time.
.-= Asianmommy´s last blog ..Bowl & Cup (Mandarin) =-.
fortuitous faery
July 15, 2009 at 12:16 pm (15 years ago)pastry puzzles! oh what fun! now that’s what i call…”brain food!” haha
sorry i can’t help you in the mommyhood department…never been there. 😛
.-= fortuitous faery´s last blog ..Look What The Cat Dragged In =-.
renin
July 15, 2009 at 3:26 pm (15 years ago)most of my workmates filed their ML a week before expected delivery (but it is advisable to ask OB re: this matter). Just recently, an officemate of mine filed VL then her ML effective on the date of delivery.
btw, ML (from SSS) for normal delivery is for 60 calendar days, while ML (from SSS) for C-Section if for 78 calendar days.
.-= renin´s last blog ..Orange cellphone holder =-.
renin
July 15, 2009 at 3:31 pm (15 years ago)few more days to go before you deliver your baby…^_^
question: will you change your blog name wifely steps into something related to mommyhood?
with regards to puzzle # 1- most of my workmates filed their ML a week before expected delivery (but it is advisable to ask OB re: this matter). Just recently, an officemate of mine filed VL then her ML effective on the date of delivery.
btw, ML (from SSS) for normal delivery is for 60 calendar days, while ML (from SSS) for C-Section if for 78 calendar days.
.-= renin´s last blog ..Orange cellphone holder =-.
kaoko
July 15, 2009 at 4:05 pm (15 years ago)Ooooh, I wantses this too!
.-= kaoko´s last blog ..Bento with Pasta and Baby Potatoes =-.
rowie
July 15, 2009 at 4:34 pm (15 years ago)Hindi, nag-leave without pay na ako (VL pa ba tawag doon?). I didn’t want to give birth right before or in the middle of exam week, so I told my boss it would be better if someone took over my classes several weeks before exam week para hindi naman mabitin yung mga students ko.
Regarding leaking: oh my gosh, my bag had been leaking for a week already before I went to the hospital and I didn’t know! Bad me, hindi ako nagpatingin kaagad. The first time it was trickle — as in super small trickle lang talaga — that I felt down my leg, parang water lang talaga. I didn’t want to appear paranoid so since it didn’t happen again, hindi ko sinabi sa OB ko kaagad (bad ko, di ba?). And then a week later, it happened again. This time I went for a check-up and cin-onfirm ng doctor amniotic fluid na pala yun! Then they put that machine around my belly to check for contractions and nagco-contractions na pala ako kahit di ko pa nararamdaman.
Anyway, they gave me medicine to induce labor more quickly so as to avoid infection (since my bag was already leaking). But after 22 hours of labor (whew!) and 2 hours in the DR, ayaw pa rin lumabas ni Rafa so na-CS din ako. Hwehwe. Mahal ang bayad kasi para akong twice nanganak (na-DR na nga ako, na-OR pa ako, and per hour ang bayad sa labor room so dagdag gastos pa yun). But after it’s all over di mo na iisipin yung gastos because of course your baby is priceless.
(Although I think si Mike yung medyo nahilu-hilo when he saw the bill and had to go to the ATM, hehehe!)
.-= rowie´s last blog ..The Playschool Hunt, part 2 =-.
rowie
July 15, 2009 at 4:46 pm (15 years ago)BTW regarding managing expectations … I wish someone had told this to me beforehand, because I wasn’t prepared nor psyched up for it, so I’ll share it with you na lang: the first month after baby is born will be really hard. Pero kaya nyo yan, and isipin mo na lang that millions of parents before you have managed it and so will you! And after the first month it really really does get easier.
Basta when you’re there na, if you have any questions I’m just a text away. 😀
.-= rowie´s last blog ..The Playschool Hunt, part 2 =-.
odette
July 15, 2009 at 6:54 pm (15 years ago)ohh toni, 4 weeks to go! you have the same due date with my SIL in holland! i will keep you and baby timmy in my prayers, take care! {{{hugs}}}
p.s. i love your farmtown tshirts, would they ship international? i want to consider it for a giveaway in the future….and for me and farmer kj as well! ^-^
.-= odette´s last blog ..one year in the cold =-.
anne
July 16, 2009 at 7:56 am (15 years ago)in addition to my previous post….but i don’t really know if this is applicable to you. anyway….i am a control freak and don’t want any blindsides. i live in marikina and my hospital is st. luke’s. my OB’s clinic is in pasig so on the duration of my pregnancy, we didn’t know what the traffic situation was along st. luke’s (i.e., where the u-turn slots are, are there detours, road works, etc.) and we don’t want to be stuck in traffic when i’m already in labor.) my husband did a trial run a week before my due date and true enough, there were road works that had to be avoided. i had an august delivery and august is a stormy month and marikina is notorious for flood so i had a back-up plan too for that. i have a sis-in-law who lives very near st. luke’s so we made arrangements with her. luckily we didn’t need that co’z i didn’t even know i was in labor. oh another thing….check if your hospital has valet parking. should you be in pain, you wouldn’t want your husband looking for parking instead of attending to you.
rowie
July 16, 2009 at 9:01 am (15 years ago)*Hugs!*
In addition to anne’s comment above, one of my friends suggested that when it’s time to go to the hospital, have a third person with you other than you and your husband. Kasi daw, you’ll want your husband to be with you and you’ll need another person to handle all the paperwork, arrange for the hospital room, etc.
.-= rowie´s last blog ..Thirsties Duo Wraps are here! =-.