3rd Trimester Update

So I had the dreaded OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) last week which thank goodness, turned out fine. I also had a CAS (Congenital Anomaly Scan) done and it looked good. I had to get an HBT (Liver-Biliary) scan though because of abdominal pain, but it came back normal. Who knew gas could be so excruciating? My back hurts a lot as well, I can't sleep at all, I'm always tired, and sometimes, I can't even breathe. I pee every 5 minutes, I'm hungry all the time, and as you can see, my belly button has stuck out (and quite obscenely too, if I may add). My face is now like that of a teenage boy's - oily and pimply, and from size 0, I am rapidly getting closer and closer to becoming a size 4. But other than those, I really thank God that we're fine and that we've made it this far and that I'm fortunate enough to have had a pretty uneventful pregnancy so far.

22 WEEKS

24 WEEKS

26 WEEKS

28 WEEKS

Resto love (?): Tim Ho Wan

We're early for my congenital anomaly scan appointment so the hubs and I decided to drop by Tim Ho Wan to see what all the fuss was about. We didn't have to wait in line to be seated (thank goodness!), but the restaurant filled up very quickly and it was only half past ten. Anyway, here's what we ordered.

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork, Php145

Pork Dumpling with Shrimp, Php150

Prawn Dumpling, Php160

Rice with Beef and Fried Egg, Php180

So I like the baked buns, they're soft, kind of flaky, and the barbecued pork inside is really yummy. The har gow and siomai are OK too, I guess. Though I'd say I like King Bee Restaurant's selection of dimsums and fresh chili sauce better. I didn't care much for the rice topping, the beef looked to me like steak tartare and it tasted nothing out of the ordinary. Their pricing is really cheap for a Michelin star restaurant but all in all, I don't really think they're worth lining up for, just another one of those places I can cross off my list.

Stretch Marks

Wednesday marked my 6th month of pregnancy. I don't have stretch marks yet but my skin is starting to get really dry and itchy. Research suggests that genetics plays a role in whether you get stretch marks or not. Meaning if your mom or sister got them during pregnancy, then chances are, you'll get them too. You can have gradual weight gain, drink lots and lots of water and slather on creams and oils and still have them pop up like mushrooms. Being a product junkie however, I couldn't help but try these pregnancy friendly stretch marks products I've been reading so much about. They may or may not work to prevent stretch marks, but if they can at least help with the dryness and itching, then I'm okay with it. Here's my haul for the month.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks

Php595 (about $15)

Bio-Oil

Php495 (about $12)

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion For Stretch Marks

Php475 (about $11)

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E

Php295 (about $7)

St. Ives Naturally Soothing Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Lotion

Php239.75 (about $6)

Who knows, I might be one of those lucky ones who come out of it unscathed with not a single mark. But who am I kidding? I'll let you know how everything goes, of course.

Halfway There

Sorry for my silence. The past several months have truly been overwhelmingly unnerving. Since my PCOS diagnosis last year, I have resigned myself to a quiet, childless life. I've already made peace about the fact that it's just going to be us two, living a life of reckless abandon. So when in May, we found out that we're "unexpectedly" expecting, our world completely turned upside down. If not for the constant kicking and squirming around inside me, I still find it very hard to believe I'm pregnant. It has been an exhausting, terrifying, exciting 20 weeks. I try not to but still I worry I'd inadvertently do something that would harm the baby. I'm suddenly terrified of everything - things I can control, even those I can't. I sometimes work myself up into a frenzy thinking about the million things that could go wrong. I know all this stress is not doing me any good but I can't help it. I am a negative person. I'm just hardwired that way. So far, my baby boy has a strong heartbeat, he moves around a lot, especially every time I play him Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or when Ron reads him stories - wiggles around like a maniac! Despite all my pessimism, his punches and kicks never fail to put a smile on my face. I have a living, breathing, little person inside me and the fact that I am his whole world is just awesome. 

6 WEEKS

8 WEEKS

10 WEEKS

12 WEEKS

14 WEEKS

16 WEEKS

18 WEEKS

20 WEEKS

Resto love: Pho Hoa Vietnamese Noodle House

I love Pho Hoa. It's one of the few places the hubs and I go to on our "cheat days".

I especially adore their nuoc mam cham (nuoc cham?), I'm always trying but failing to replicate it, but the whole menu looks delish, really.

Tenderloin Beef with Rice, Php295

Marinated Prawns with Grilled Pork on Rice, Php295

Chili Shrimps with Rice, Php265

Sauteed Chicken and Mushroom on Rice, Php215

Pomelo Shrimp Salad, Php200

Fresh Spring Roll (Vegetarian/Shrimp and Pork), Php127

Bánh mì

Fresh, tasty ingredients, big portions - Pho Hoa truly is a treat worth breaking your diet for.

Swatches and Review: Revlon Age Defying CC Cream

Alphabet creams seem to be all the rage these days. As if there aren't already enough foundations and tinted moisturizers to choose from, they had to throw these into the mix. I haven't tried a lot so I don't have much say about them, but what are they exactly?

BB creams or blemish balm (also beauty balm) treat and conceal blemishes. They are much like tinted moisturizers, only a bit heavier. They contain SPF, vitamins, anti-oxidants and other skin care benefits intended to promote healthy and younger-looking skin. 

CC creams or color correcting creams (also color control) have all the benefits of a BB cream plus color correcting properties. They calm redness and reduce the appearance of sallowness. They tend to be lighter on the skin than BB creams and they're not very buildable (if at all) so what you get is a very sheer finish.

DD creams are either dynamic do-all beauty creams or daily defense creams for body and foot, I don't know. I'll let you know when I know more.

So anyway, today I thought I'd talk about Revlon's Age Defying CC Cream. 

I have it in 010 Light/Pale (comes in 4 shades - Light, Light/Medium, Medium, and Medium Deep). 

It's very creamy and easy to apply. 

It doesn't provide much coverage, so if you have blemishes and dark spots, you will need to use a concealer or a foundation over it. 

I will say however that it does a decent job evening out my skin tone, so on a really good day, I can use it on its own. It could serve as a primer too, I guess, but it doesn't do much to control oilies or reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores. This is a good everyday product for me. I love that it contains SPF 30 and that it evens out my complexion but I will probably only repurchase if it's on sale.