While some people have acne and age spots as their skin concerns, I’d say mine right now are the nasty stretch marks. Yes, I have been getting them already. Mine are mostly on my sides. It doesn’t itch yet but it just looks unsightly. I know it’s quite normal for most pregnant women to have them. I’ve read that there are creams and oils available to make them fade at least. I’m thinking of trying some and see if it works. But if it won’t, then I guess it’s just alright. Anyway, I don’t wear two-piece bikinis or anything revealing since I don’t have a nice body to flaunt with in the first place, lol!

Easy access to online shopping has its perks. But it could be stressful to a point especially if the items you’ve ordered weren’t really the way you expected them to be. Just recently, I have ordered winter maternity clothes since it’s almost impossible for me to go out in my summer outfits anymore, not in this weather. I have also gotten some flat winter boots from a friend online but to my dismay some of the clothes and the boots that I’ve ordered didn’t fit right, so I’ll have to return them by mail. Some have hassle-free return policy but others are just a pain in the buttocks to deal with. I hope I won’t need an anti wrinkle eye cream when this is over. I try not to be upset about it since it’s my decision in the first place to risk getting clothes and shoes online. I think I've learned my lesson well.

How are tea tree oil and eczema related? As we all know, eczema is associated with a common skin condition called atopic dermatitis. It is an inflammatory skin disorder and usually characterized with reddish, flaky, itchy, scaly, and painful skin. It can be a hereditary skin condition but it can also be caused by many irritants including feathers, metals, wool, plants and animal hair, soaps and detergents, bubble bath, cosmetics, fabric dyes, etc. Recent research shows that tea tree oil seems to be an effective option in the treatment of this skin disease. I have a cousin who used to suffer from this condition and I saw how bad it was affecting her social life. She's all better now, thanks to an excellent dermatologist in the PI.

I have not been getting enough sleep at night lately. At first, I blamed it on my short naps during the day. But if I don’t nap, I’d only get an average of 3 hours sleep every night. It bothers me to a point but I have read from pregnancy books that it is quite normal later in this pregnancy to experience insomnia. I have noticed the baby is quite active when I’m ready for bed. I mean he just keeps on doing somersaults, kicking me everywhere which sometimes puts some uncomfortable pressure on my bladder. I can feel and see my tummy doing some wavelike motions and it’s just amazing to look at. Braxton Hicks contractions happen frequently. It’s painless alright, but it sure is uncomfortable. Shifting positions and using lots of pillows sometimes help but I guess when the tummy gets this big, you hardly find a comfy sleeping position. Oh well, I've got only like 6 more weeks to go, so I guess I'll just have to be tough so I could make it to the most awaited moment of giving birth.

Many people choose to stay at home and venture into some kind of small businesses. With the rise in popularity of social networking websites, these entrepreneurs find a medium to market their products and services. Some may just be a hobby and not really getting much from it, but there are actually the lucky ones who own successful home business and manage to take care of their family needs as well. Though I'm sure it takes more than just luck to make it big in the home business industry. It's a good venture to think about but I guess you'll have to be ready for its demands and possible outcome.

You don’t have to go to the gym to keep fit and healthy. Now you can do it in the comforts of your own home. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to acquire exercising equipments these days since some places sell refurbished fitness equipment at a lower price. From elliptical trainers, treadmills, stationary bikes, rowing machines, abs coasters, and other cardio equipments, you can get them at reasonable prices. Your dream to lose weight and become healthy is no longer out of reach. Toss away those non-working diet pills and stick to the proven, natural way of losing weight.

As we all know, the skin is the largest organ of our body. If we don’t take good care of it, we could get different kinds of skin diseases which may or may not be easy to treat. I was glad that my acne problem had stopped when I’ve reached my second trimester of pregnancy. I had so much trouble controlling them prior to pregnancy. Anyway, I’m thankful that I didn’t have to deal with other serious skin problems such as eczema. I remember a cousin of mine was feeling desperate to find an effective eczema treatment that will work for her. I’m sure it was a tough ordeal for her at that time. Her skin looks swollen, irritated and itchy. She eventually end up seeing a good dermatologist who was able to prescribe her an effective medicine.

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We’ve been going to childbirth classes lately. It runs for five weeks and it pretty much covers the most important aspects of 3rd trimester pregnancy, labor, delivery and taking care of a newborn. As first time parents, we were eager to go into these classes as it’s one way of knowing what to expect and how to deal with the challenging situation of childbirth. We may not come out as experts when the classes are over, but it sure helps to know in advance what could happen inside the labor, delivery, operating and recovery room. The OB Nurse who handles the class was very knowledgeable and tried to be thorough in sharing all the information that we need to know. We have been given access to a website that shows several informational videos, which I enjoyed the most. Some women shared about their weight loss success stories after giving birth just by breastfeeding. Next week, we’re going to take a tour of the hospital and look inside the actual OB and nursery rooms. I'm pretty excited about that. By the way, I am already 34 weeks far along. Belly is getting heavier and heavier each day. My doctor's appointment are done on a weekly basis now. Blood pressure and blood sugar level are monitored closely. My BP readings have not been that ideal lately but the doctor doesn't seem to be overly concerned about it as he sees no signs of toxemia on me. I try not to stress too much about it myself but will do my best to limit my salt intake. The weekly doctor's visits will help keep my mind at ease. The closer I get to my due date, the more excited I get but at the same time I feel scared and nervous. I guess it's just normal to feel this way. I just hope and pray that everything will come out just fine.

It amazes me sometimes how a lot of people could come up with different kinds of ideas on how to supposedly get rid of unwanted fats and bad cholesterol. The latest I’ve come across is guggulsterones. My initial reaction? Weird name, lol! Based on an unfamiliar website, these are compounds derived from a traditional medicinal plant preparation in India, and they are supposed to be beneficial in decreasing fats as well as bad cholesterol level, and are now being used as a special compound on some diet pills in the market. Well, if you’ve been a regular on my blog, I’m sure you already know what’s my take on diet pills. I haven’t tried any and have no plans to start at all despite my desire to lose weight. I still prefer the natural way.

It’s almost the end of the year. Time really flies, doesn’t it? It’s probably the best time right now to start shopping Christmas gifts for loved ones. If you want to avoid the shopping madness rush, it might be a good idea to start gift shopping. I was actually thinking of doing that myself. I won’t have the energy and the time to do it if I wait too long since I am getting heavier each day. I don’t think I’ll have the time after I give birth as well since the baby is going to demand so much of our time and attention. So we might start hitting the stores for gifts next week. I remember last year, video console games were a hit. Lots of people have been getting xbox, playstation and WII as gifts. As a matter of fact, I got a WII and DS Lite from hubby that year. It’s one of those forms of entertainment for me especially now that I don’t work and is expecting. I can play hours and hours on WII. I’m currently crazy with Rune Factory Frontier right now. It's just so much fun. Have you thought of what to get for your kids this year yet?

I have always heard the cliché from people that you can’t get rich if you’re only employed. That if you want to be successful and rich, you need to venture into feasible business opportunities. At some point, this could be true. Although at this present global economic crisis, most businesses might find it hard to prosper, let alone survive. Just the other day, a small hardware business in town has closed for good. Hubby wanted to get some stuff for his woodworking but was disappointed when he found out the only hardware store in town is out of business. I’d say the success of a business venture depends on a number of things. I find it safe to just be employed rather than run the risk of losing everything in a snap.

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It’s a given, most women like to shop, while men love to tinker around the shop/garage. When hubby is not on the computer, he’s out in the garage keeping himself busy with small mechanical and woodworking stuff. It’s a hobby and I definitely support him on that all the way. As long as he still spends quality time with me, which he does, so I don’t see any problem if he spends some of his spare time enriching himself. I wish he has a real working place to work on though. The house comes with a shop but it’s not properly ventilated and lit, so we're using it as our storage shed and he's currently using a little space in our garage to do his thing. I know some places sell pre-engineered steel buildings for small shops, warehouse and even a garage, but we don't want to make house improvements since we're only renting the place right now. It's definitely something to consider though when we get to move in to our own house.

The thought of being a mom scares me sometimes. But ready or not, I guess in 8 weeks, I’m going to be an official “momma”, God-willing. Yes, I am excited with this new chapter of our lives, however, I have this nagging thought sometimes whether I'd be a good mom or not. I mean let’s face it, it’s going to be a tough job. It could be equally demanding when you compare it with the jobs outside the house. But I consider not having to work a blessing. I couldn’t imagine myself being a working mother, yet. Well, in a few years time maybe, but right now I feel very blessed that I didn’t have to work. At least, I get to concentrate on how to become an ideal mother for our future angel.

One of the important things to decide on when expecting is whether to breastfeed or formula-feed the baby. I have decided, of course with hubby’s support, to give breastfeeding a try. I have heard from other nursing mothers that it can be tough so we thought it might help to know more about breastfeeding. So last night, hubby and I went to a breastfeeding class. It was a 2-hour class which basically talks about the basics of breastfeeding. There was a film clip shown. Small snacks and beverages were served. The place was cozy and homey. I noticed they were using matouk table linens on the kitchen table. The instructor, who was an OB nurse for 20 years was very nice and knowledgeable. They gave us handouts and an access to a website that has lots of useful tips, info, video, PDF files and such about breastfeeding. I would say it was worth it. I’m sure the real thing is not gonna be that easy but it’s better to learn the basics before dealing the real thing. I just hope and pray that it will work for me as well. There are tons of benefits of breastfeeding for the baby and me so I really hope everything will work out fine on my part.

I guess I could say I’m nesting. As my due date approaches, I feel the need to make sure everything in the house is ready when the little one arrives. I have this surge of energy that prompts me to do some cleaning. But I know I should take it easy for the last thing I would want is to exhaust myself or get hurt or the baby so I sought for hubby’s assistance. He was more than willing to help. We decided to do general cleaning one room each weekend. We did the bathroom first. I took care of the sink and the floor while hubby was in charge of the hard to reach areas and of course, scrubbing the bathtub. I’ve always hated the tedious task of bathtub scrubbing so being pregnant lets me off the hook. Hubby did a pretty good job getting all the scum and grime off. I was impressed with his work so I told him if I can hire him to clean the tub all the time, hehe, and he replied I already have and made sniffing sounds, lol! I wonder if hot tub covers used at spas would help minimize the accumulation of dirt and soap scum. We have a daily clean shower spray but we're not very good at using it everyday.

Expecting a baby can be one of the most exciting events in one’s life. There are so many things to look forward to and so many occasions to celebrate it with your little ones. One of the earliest special occasions to give to your baby is church baptism. I’ve been to a few in the past and I think it’s important to share this Christian celebration to your loved ones. Although the baby won’t remember any of it when they grow up, but there are always special photos, cute and lovely Baptism invitations, wonderful stories and happy memories that the parents could share with the little ones. Ironically, I don't have old photos of my baptism though. I think we lost all of them due to typhoons and moving from one place to another. Anyway, I'll just have to take my parents word for it, besides I have a good relationship with my godparents and I have my baptism certificate to prove that I was indeed baptized.