Quick Pregnancy update

A quick update since It's been a while!

 Good news, I don't have Gestational Diabetes! Such a huge relief. I was almost absolutely certain that I had it since I was more at risk for it, but I guess being active and the healthy eating does pay off. My past two weeks have consisted of catching up with old friends, which I absolutely love and need to do more of! I will be the first to admit that I am the worst person to keep in touch with. Despite the busy schedule, I firmly believe that if someone is important to you, that you make the time regardless. Also, it only takes like 5 seconds to text someone, and an hour or so to meet up for lunch is not asking for much.

I've also made it a habit to walk at least for half an hour every morning, which I think has actually helped with my energy levels. I've been adjusting to my new dosage on Levoxyl and I have good and bad days. On my tired days, I literally feel like my body can't even move and I'm dead weight. Either way, I'm still taking it one day at a time, and I literally have about two months left! It flew by so fast! I've also been preoccupied with planning for the baby shower. They have the cutest baby shower ideas and themes out there! It's been fun planning and organizing everything with the help from my family. That's all for now, this was initially supposed to be a quick update (yet it never is). Here's a couple pictures from yesterday. I managed to do all our laundry yesterday too! I love days where I can mix leisure with productiveness!   

      True Foods Kitchen in Newport Beach, CA 

Caramelized Onion Tart

Edamame Dumplings with White Truffle Oil

Tuscan Kale Salad

$100 Macy's Gift Card! (Gift from University HS Counseling Department!)

Where I used the Gift Card =)

Love this little box!

It's like opening up a present!

Red Velvet and Vanilla Coconut Cupcake

Absolutely delicious.

Boy or Girl? 8 ways to Predict the Baby's Gender!

We've said it to a few people already (yet we're still not 100% sure), but we already received the great news that we're having a baby girl! We haven't even had our baby shower yet but we've already been given a lot of gifts for our baby. I feel as if our family and friends are just as excited as we are! We seriously have so much pink baby stuff right now, I'm a little paranoid that the baby will turn out to be a boy, and we can't use half of the stuff we've been given! For our baby registry, I tried my best to stay as gender neutral as possible! It's funny, because in the beginning everyone actually thought it would be a boy, but I guess the only sure way to know is when the baby comes out.

I've heard of so many different baby gender predictors, but I just had to share because some of these are quite bizarre. And yes, I am guilty about being slightly superstitious (I mean I am Filipino; you guys know what I'm talking about), so a part of me may buy into a little bit of it (But not all!)! Based on the fact that I already know we're having a baby girl (fingers crossed), I'll tell you whether these are true for me!

 


Here are the ones I've heard about:

Low or High?

I've heard of this one a lot! They say that if you carry the baby low, that it's a boy, and if you carry her high, it's a girl. For me, this is actually true!

 Stolen Beauty

They say if you are plagued with a lot of acne and skin blemishes during pregnancy, then you are having a baby girl. Legend says that your little princess steals all your beauty during pregnancy!


I haven't had any skin issues during pregnancy (yet), so for me, this is false!

It's in the Swing

I've heard two variations of this; one includes a necklace with a cross, and the other a piece of string with your wedding ring!

                                                                                                                        With the cross, you're supposed to hold the cross really still above your palm. If it swings back and forth, it's a boy, if it swings in a circle, it's a girl.

                                                                                                                                   With the wedding ring, you hold it really still above your belly. It's opposite from the cross prediction results; so if it swings back and forth, it's a girl, and in a circle, a boy.

I've tried the necklace with the cross before, and it said that I was having a girl. So this one for me, is also true!

Drano Experiment                                                                                                                                                                                         This one is really unusual, and a new one for me. Mommy-to-be pees in a cup, and pours in a tablespoon of Drano. If it turns green, it's a girl, if it turns blue (you've guessed it!), it's a boy. I have not tried this one yet, something about this makes me feel a little uneasy. Nothing against Drano though!

Baby's Heartbeat                                                                                                              Another predictor I've heard of is the baby's heart rate. If the baby's heart rate is over 140 beats per minute, it's a girl; if it's under 140, it's a boy! I have to get back to this one, because I wasn't paying too much attention to the beats per minute at my last ultrasound, I always get too excited!

Sweet or Sour?                                                                                      

                                                                            If you crave sweets during pregnancy, it's a girl!

                                                                                                                                                                             If you crave sour or salty foods, it's a boy!

This one is a little tricky for me, because in my first trimester, I craved sour and salty. It may have been the morning sickness, but I couldn't even stand the sight of anything sweet. In my second trimester, I started craving a lot of sweet things again! And now that I'm in my third trimester, I literally just crave everything. So with this one, I'm stumped.

Chinese Gender Chart

You can get the chart, and more info here: Chinese Gender Chart

This chart uses the month when your baby was conceived, and your age at the time of conception. There are claims that this chart is about 90% accurate in predicting the sex of your baby! For me, this was surprisingly true!

Morning Sickness 

                                                                                                    Rumor has it that if you are stricken with a bad case of morning sickness during the first trimester, it's a girl. If you're one of the lucky ones and sail through the first semester without hugging the toilet, then it's a boy. For me, unfortunately, this is true. The first trimester was absolutely horrible! 

So in review, four out of eight of these baby gender predictors points to a baby girl! Ultimately, I guess the only sure way to tell is when the little one is finally born. It's really up to the parents-to-be to buy into any of these.  Boy or girl, we're happy as long as our little one is healthy! We're so excited for her (or possibly him) to pop out already!

Takoyaki!

We decided to make Takoyaki the other night! A lot of it was trial and error and  requires some practice, but it was definitely fun trying to figure it out!

This is what we used:

An Electric Takoyaki Maker
Regular skewers as a takoyaki pick

The Ingredients:

Blanched octopus, diced
Beni shoga (pickled ginger), chopped
100 grams takoyaki mix or okonomiyaki mix
1 1/2 cup water (340cc)
1 egg
oil, to brush

Topping:
Takoyaki or Okonomiyaki Sauce
Kewpie Mayonnaise
Ao nori  (green/blue seaweed flakes)
katsuobushi (bonito flakes)

It always looks really bad at first, but it eventually starts to look better!

Here's what our process looked like: 

First, add the batter, then add the tako & beni shoga, and then flip once it starts getting brown around the edges and the batter starts to thicken & bubble in the middle!

Here's our first batch:

 Not so pretty, but still so yummy!

Our Second Batch: 

 The other half was just topped with soy sauce, and it was just as good! It's always fun when we get to make dinner together, even if it doesn't go as smoothly! 

Happy Sunday! 

 

A Little Taste of Home

I crave Filipino food all the time, Philippines was my first home afterall! Interesting fact: Tagalog (Filipino) was my first language. I actually didn't learn English till I moved to the United States when I was about five years old. To help me learn English, my mom and dad hired one of our neighbors to be my English tutor.  (Anyway, back to the point.)

My family in the Philippines is the most loving, caring and hospitable people you'll ever meet! I was born and raised in a small province called Bataan. My mom had eleven brothers and sisters, and most of them all live on the same street! I loved visiting back in December, and despite not being home for over fifteen years, it's as if I never left. Everyone treats you like family; including neighbors, family and childhood friends! When I went, I had such an overwhelming sense of belonging and warmth. It was so nice to find similarities with all my cousins and how we tend to bond over the smallest quirky habits or annoying pet peeves. 

To everyone back at home:

I MISS YOU.

This in no way compares to the real deal back at home, but until I come back to visit with the baby, this will have to do!

Biko (Filipino Rice Cake)

Not even going to lie, I took a bite before I took a picture!

Find the recipe I used here:


Filipino Rice Cake Recipe

Happy Friday the 13th!

Fun with Food dye

It's fun to add color to anything!

These were made with my sister & cousin a while back, but it's a little funny when I think back on it because we messed up in the recipe somehow. The frosting came out a little runny and was not fluffy at all! Despite the setback, we still made it work, and they turned out whimsical & delicious!

 This is the what we used:

This is how they turned out:

It was a lot of fun! Baking and doing creative projects are so much more fun when you have other people to do them with! Come bake with me! =)

 

A Box of Chocolates

A cute gift idea!

Cookies and Cream Chocolate  

My sister came up with the idea!

What you need:
 white chocolate melts 
whole oreos 
A chocolate mold (You can get one from Michaels)  
Mini baking cups
A cute little box (Go to Daiso!)
Ribbon & stickers, etc.

Directions:

1. Crush whole oreos in a bowl.
2. Microwave the chocolate melts in a microwave-safe bowl on the defrost setting for about three minutes!
3. Mix in the crushed oreos (make sure it's pretty fine so it fits into chocolate mold).
4. Use a small spoon to put melted mixture into the chocolate mold.
5. Put in the freezer for about five minutes.
6. Take out chocolates from the mold and place the chocolates in mini baking cups.
7. Place in a cute little box, and decorate however you like!

***Quick tip: Make sure you keep it refrigerated until you give the gift to a special someone =)

 

Pregnant with Cancer

Warning: Stop reading right here if you don't like hearing people complain.

So blunt, I know (And borderline over-dramatic).

I don't like talking about it much, but yesterday was a little overwhelming as I received some unwanted news from my doctor. Right now, I really don't care if it's an over-share, I just need to vent and process my thoughts (writing has always helped me with this.)

Yesterday, my endocrinologist expressed that she was worried about a nodule that was found in one of my routine ultrasounds a little while ago (before I found out I was pregnant). We put a hold on any further tests or treatment when we found out I was expecting, so we could take care of the baby (which is obviously my priority). I always feel a little down when I receive bad news concerning my cancer (although I should be used to it by now), just because I can't help but feel a sense of helplessness, and because I always have to put the rest of my life on hold. It took three and a half years to get my TSH at a desirable level, and I have had to undergo radiation treatment twice. (During radiation treatment, I have to go into isolation for about a week.) Oh, and did I forget to mention that I also have Hashimotos? Yeah.

With my cancer history, I see my endocrinologist twice a month (including blood work) to monitor my TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and ensure that it's at a safe level for the baby. My hormone levels during pregnancy have to be suppressed so the cancer doesn't grow, and this puts me in danger of being hypothyroid during pregnancy. She also just increased the dosage of my medication, which always puts me on edge because the adjustment period, for lack of a better word, sucks. She recommended that I see a perinatologist (An OB that specializes in high-risk pregnancies) on top of the OB that I was already seeing when I first found out I was pregnant. I chose my OB because she specialized in Thyroid conditions, so I was comfortable just sticking with my OB (who I absolutely love!) and talking to her about my concerns.

Anyway, my endocrinologist wants to get right back on track once I have the baby, and resume tests and treatments immediately. This seriously just makes me so upset . But what choice do I have? I'm just so glad that I have my family and friends that are so supportive, and have already said that they're going to help out with taking care of the baby. I seriously get teary-eyed when I think about going into isolation after radiation, and being away from my newborn baby='( I really don't want to miss anything! On top of all of this, there's a controversial theory that states that cancer grows more rapidly during pregnancy. My doctor also informed me that women with my condition have a higher risk of gestational diabetes. I take my glucose test next week, wish me luck!

There! I feel a little better. After you go through tribulations in life (like everyone else), you learn quickly the things that tend to alleviate the pain, and help snap you out of it.The two things that usually help me:

Working out and food.

So I went from Kickboxing and Tough Mudder, to walking on a treadmill and kegel excercises. Not as exciting, but at least I get to wear these again:

I had my pandora station set on Florence and the Machine, and had my book to accompany my one-hour walk on the treadmill this morning.

Watermelon was what I was craving today, but I was so tempted to just get a spoonful of nutella (But I didn't! Especially after finding out that bit about gestational diabetes).

I also talked it out with my parents, sisters, and of course Yosuke. It always helps. Thanks for putting up with me, I know I can be a cry-baby.

Such a long post, but it helps me make sense of things, and helps keep my sanity. Don't get me wrong, I know I am really fortunate in so many other ways, and I have to stay positive and just do what I have to do (for myself and my baby)!

Have a good day!

A Quick Fix, Healthy Breakfast!

It is seriously getting harder to get up out of bed these days. Sometimes, I'll feel energetic enough to make myself a big healthy breakfast, and sometimes, not. Today, I just wanted something fast and sweet (yeah I know), but still healthy at least! So I opted for this:

Nonfat Greek Yogurt & Blueberries, drizzled with Honey

 

So, I don't care much for the taste of Greek Yogurt, but the health benefits really convinced me to give it a try! Plus, it tastes really good with various fruits (I've tried bananas, blueberries, and strawberries), and I always top it off with honey! This literally took a minute to put together! And just for fun, here are some healthy facts!

Health Benefits of Greek Yogurt:

1. Good source of Protein! On average, one serving has about 13-20 grams of protein! 
2. It has about 50% less sodium!
3. It's low in carbohydrates! Greek yogurt has about 9 grams of carbs, compared to regular yogurt's 15-17 grams!
4. It's easier to digest because it has less lactose (the sugar found in dairy)!

These are just a few! Find the article here: The Health Benefits of Greek Yogurt!

  
Honey vs. Sugar:
There are many reasons as to why I prefer honey!

1. It's a natural sweetener!
2. It's an immune system booster! "It's antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties can help improve your digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease."
3. It's anti-cancer! (This is a plus for obvious reasons.) 
4. It can help with heartburn & morning sickness during pregnancy (Both things I've been a victim of)!

For more info on the health benefits of honey (...and there are plenty!), go here: 
The Health Benefits of Honey


Have a beautiful day! 

Basketball Withdrawals

So on top of playing in a soccer league and training MMA every week, Yosuke plays basketball every Sunday evening. Picture this little pregnant lady on the sideline yelling throughout the whole game (Yup, that would be me). Maybe this is a sign that I really need to tone it down before I become a soccer mom.

Most people know, but I've been playing organized basketball since I was in middle school. Since I am my mother's daughter, I tend to get too into the game sometimes (okay fine, all the time) and literally am vocal the whole game. Anyway, since my mobility is limited, I have a serious case of basketball withdrawals. I just really like competition sport, team or individual.

Nonetheless, I always enjoy watching Yosuke play basketball! Side note: Our first unofficial date was actually playing basketball together at the ARC (Anteater Recreation Center)! 

His new Nike ID basketball shoes

My husband, the baller. lol

Tommy Bahama Island Grille

Lunch in Newport Beach on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Honestly, I didn't even know there was a Tommy Bahama Restaurant. This place was absolutely delicious!

Mango Colada (I had two of these, virgin of course!)

Ahi Poke with Guacamole and Flatbread

Lobster Grilled Cheese & Tomato Bisque

Thai Shrimp & Scallop Curry

Pina Colada Cake

Yum!