The one with the spoiled Ate

I'm now staying at my parents' home full-time, and I'm absolutely loving it here! Abet and I used to shuttle back and forth between Las Piñas (my parents') and Sampaloc (which is so much nearer UST where Abet works), but lately my preggy belly and I are staying put in Las Piñas. Abet still stays in Sampaloc most days of the week because they're preparing for a concert this weekend and rehearsals don't end until late in the evening, but by next week he'll be here with me as we wait for Audrey to arrive. We'll be staying here until after I give birth because God knows I'll need my mother around to help me care for a newborn.

I never realized just how much I missed my parents' home. Don't get me wrong, I will forever treasure the pre-baby time Abet and I spent together, just the two of us, in our tiny rented home in Sampaloc. But coming from a home with 4 siblings and more pets than I could count with my fingers, I missed the chaos. I missed the constant bantering and joking and singing. I missed the very noisy family meals. It feels good to be back! Good luck to you, Audrey. You're up for a whole lotta craziness when you arrive.

What I'm loving most right now is how utterly spoiled I am. My parents dote on me, but that's kinda expected—their baby girl is having a baby girl after all. My mom cooks/buys every single thing I ask for. But to have my younger siblings spoil me? I'm enjoying every minute of it. I'll enjoy it while it lasts. I love how I can boss them all around, haha! I also love how they get me whatever I want. I just text them my 'request' while they're in school, and I get my bola-bola siopao/Mineshine/pineapple juice/sampaloc candy/buko shake or whatever it is I ask for when they get home. My sister May, future OB-GYN, isn't very easy to ask food from, though; she's very strict with my sugar intake. She does buy me milk tea when I ask her, and she goes with me to doctor's appointments if Abet can't. And I know she'll spoil my baby the most. May and my brother Mako, who are both RNs/med students, also take care of monitoring my blood pressure.

All this attention from my family is definitely one of the best things about being pregnant. Add to that the attention I get from my dearest husband and it's more than enough to make little papansin ol' me happy. I only have a few weeks of being pregnant left—Audrey's coming in 2-5 weeks!—don't blame me for enjoying it as much as I can while it lasts.

The one with the new niece

Welcome to the world, Baby Evey! Happy Birthday!

My little brother is now a dad, my parents are now grandparents, and I'm now an auntie! Our family will be ringing in the new year with big smiles plastered on our faces. 

Thank You, Lord, for this wonderful blessing!

The one with the pregnancy advice from my dad

"Don't scratch your tummy if it itches, you'll get stretchmarks."

So says my father.

He's seen my mother go through five pregnancies (six if you include the fetus floating around in formalin in my parents' cabinet), I guess this makes my dad more than qualified to give me pregnancy advice.

My mom has ZERO stretchmarks, so my dad probably knows what he's talking about.

I hear ya, Papi. I hear ya. No scratching my tummy, it is.

*image from here

The one with the father-in-law

Abet, together with my in-laws, visited his dad today. I stayed behind for health reasons.

I've been thinking about my father-in-law a lot in the last few days, with the holidays and all. He died when Abet was 1 year and 3 months old, Abet's brother Obet was still in their mother's tummy. He died at 28 years old--both his sons have outlived him.

I often wonder how different Abet's and his family's lives would have been if his father didn't die so young. Things probably wouldn't have been as difficult for them; his mother would not have struggled to raise two boys all by herself. But then again, they probably won't be as strong as they are right now. Abet, my mother-in-law, and my brother-in-law are some of the most resilient people I know. One thing's for sure: if Abet's dad had lived, Abet probably won't be a musician now, which means that we probably wouldn't have met. Ah, the twists and turns of life.

With our pogi nephew Ycko, who will be the best kuya in the world

Hi Daddy,

You're going to have a granddaughter soon. Please watch over her from heaven, okay?

Love,

Your daughter-in-law

*pictures grabbed from my brother-in-law