Hello again!

It's been a while, and I have a couple of pending posts that need attention! But hey, mommies are always B-U-S-Y right?

But I have a couple of minutes to squeeze this special little post in, just because...

Don't be alarmed with the blog title... NO, I am NOT PREGNANT! hehe, but my sister is! And I'm excited for her! My kids are excited to get a cousin too! Yay!

I also have friends who are expecting or just gave birth, and it makes me happy seeing them carrying those baby bumps and experiencing the miracle of birth.

I can still remember when I was pregnant and gave birth to my two little darlings. Each experience was different, but both were simply joyful.

That being said, I recently shared a photo of my sister on my Instagram account, and with it, shared my thoughts about the Beauty of Pregnancy.

Don't you think it's amazing, that a mother can carry life inside her? And how that belly grows into a nurturing home for nine months, at most?

I was simply happy that my sister asked my to shoot her grown baby bump. Of course I said yes! Oo na, feeling photographer-slash-stylist nako. Or trigger-happy lang talaga. But I had a lot of fun doing the shoot.

Also, I wanted to return the favor, since my sister took shots of me too when I was pregnant. Yes, ganon kami mag-bonding, pareho kami mahilig magpicture at magpapicture, haha.

So I'm happy to share some more of her photos. 

We didn't have a fancy location, just here at home. She did her own makeup, picked her own clothes, basically styled herself. We didn't have any lighting, just the beautiful morning sun. And the photos, I'm proud to say, turned out pretty good :)

I shared in my post a while back, about why every mother should have their maternity photos taken: 

...[I think] as a woman, having a maternity photoshoot, whether at home or at a studio, is necessary. But you don't have to do complicated poses or pick fancy fabric...just pose and smile! Be proud of that precious miracle!

To add to that statement, I think women should also be proud about the changes that pregnancy has brought about in their body, and that they should have a memory of that, through photos.

Care to share your thoughts on this post? I'd appreciate any feedback, just leave some on the comment box below.

Talk soon.

Every one of us undergoes some major change at some point in our lives, and, whether if it's good or bad, we become a stronger, better person than we used to be. 

For me, that major change would be becoming a mother. During pregnancy, I underwent physical and emotional changes: My hips expanded and my shoe size and cup size increased, I became picky of what I ate, I took extra care of my body, I was physically and emotionally sensitive... my whole world suddenly changed. And when I finally met my baby in person, I was determined to become a hands-on parent: I breastfed, I co-slept, I became a stay-at-home-mom.

And now, I have two little ones to look after, and Motherhood, for me, is a constant learning process. 

Isn't it nice to have support throughout those stages of Motherhood? I'm not only talking about support from family or friends, but as well as personal essentials, like belly bands, nursing bras, and shape wears.

Fortunately, Urban Essentials provides just those for the modern mom. 

Urban Essentials is a company formed to cater to the needs of all women at any stage in their lives. The company has a goal of providing the essentials of womanhood by giving them products that are of the highest quality and have been tried and tested. To set itself apart from competition, the primary target market of the company is moms and females in the mid-market segment and up, who are sophisticated and in tune with the latest trends in keeping themselves fit, healthy and beautiful. However, these women are also money-sensible, who would want to enjoy the best value for their money when investing in garments or accessories so they feel their purchases are more acceptable when it is more than for cosmetic or vanity purposes only. (Urban Essentials Facebook)

Urban Essentials aims to provide the modern mom's needs for Pregnancy, Post-pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Beyond! They carry the following trusted brands:

1) Nursing bras by Ingrid & Isabel support a woman, during and after
pregnancy. You can choose between a drop cup bra, which has no back clasps, or a crossover bra, which has absolutely no clasps for a more comfortable breastfeeding experience.

Oh, isn't it wonderful to have a bra that you can use during and after pregnancy? I would want that... I had to buy bigger sized bras when I was pregnant, and since I wasn't fully aware of breastfeeding and its benefits, I didn't get nursing bras yet. So I had to buy ones when I already nursing.

The Nursing bras by Ingrid & Isabel look very comfortable and are great for support. Nursing moms now quite well how hard and painful it is when we get engorged, so better get a bra that can support well while providing easy access come nursing or pumping time :)

Go here for more information: http://urbanessentials.com.ph/nursing-bras/

2) Wink Shapewear can help women flatten their tummy, support posture, and give them a sense of returning to their pre-pregnancy body. Made from medical grade compression material, Wink Shapewear has been proven and tested to slim a woman by 2 sizes and is an ideal post C-section support garment. 

It was my mom who gave me a girdle post-pregnancy, because I didn't bother to think of buying one (Thanks ma!). Shape wears help moms post-partum, not only to help get back your post-pregnancy body, but also for support for your back and C-section scar.

I've heard of Wink from friends and even celebrities before, so I know that this is a well-trusted brand. Their shape wear covers the whole abdomen, including the hip area, which expands during pregnancy. And best of all, it is seamless under clothing! Nice!

Go here for more information: http://urbanessentials.com.ph/wink/

3) Bellaband is a handy tool that allows a woman to keep wearing her
pre-pregnancy pants by simply placing a band over the pants. This means you no longer need to shop for different-sized pants at each stage of your pregnancy! You can even wear it post-pregnancy for support and transition.

Now this sounds cool and handy! And yes, I had the maternity belt, like the little garter you use to extend your pants button, and it didn't really work for me. When I was pregnant, I preferred dresses and leggings instead. If I had these before, then I probably could still wear any of my jeans easily :)  

For more information on Bellaband: http://urbanessentials.com.ph/bellaband/

4) Look stunning and feel amazing while pregnant with Blanqi's maternity tanks. It helps you stay active by giving optimum back support, and alleviating pressure through the built-in belly support.

Talk about full support! This is perfect for the active moms or if you want to get that extra support and lift for your big belly. I know it can be hard to walk around with a pregnant belly. This seamless, comfy maternity tank might just be what you need :)

For more information on Blanqi: http://urbanessentials.com.ph/blanqi/

If you're interested in getting your own essentials or giving a friend or loved one some of her own, you can easily get them at the Urban Essentials website:

http://www.urbanessentials.com.ph/

Or stay connected and updated through the following social media accounts and contact details:
Facebook: Urban Essentials Inc
Instagram: @urbanessentialsinc
Mobile/Viber/Whatsapp: 09178336967
Email: ask@urbanessentials.com.ph

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Good News! You can win your own Bellaband just by sharing a Christmas photo (old or recent), or you can win it for a relative or friend. For more information about the contest, go HERE, at the AllPromos.ph facebook page. 

Cheers to motherhood,


Disclosure: Lique’s Antics has been asked to help promote the Urban Essentials website by All Promos Philippines. The feedback and opinions expressed in this post are purely the writer’s own. Read more about this blog’s Disclosure Policy.

Well HELLO to you!

It's been a while since I blogged here...saying I was busy is an understatement. More of "overly preoccupied" to put into words. 

Here I am expecting another baby in few weeks! Before that I was preoccupied with nesting - preparing our little home for the coming of a new member of the family. I'll maybe share with you all about that in a different post :) Other than that of course, I have my "jobs" to juggle. By the end of November, Kiel will be a ring bearer for a friend's wedding, and we've been practicing "walking" and holding a pillow, plus buying his clothes for that. We've planned a baby shower plus I'm still barely halfway with decorating for Christmas and buying gifts! And lately I have been troubled by our bills and loans and whatnots...the preggy hormones have kicked in hard! I think about everything, plus being emotional about things doesn't help. Oh the woes of being pregnant.

But I do not want to focus on the problems...

What started me writing again is my little boy. Having another baby so soon after Kiel made me worried at first. He'll be almost 22 months old by the time baby arrives. Handling one child is already a handful, can I really take care of two all of a sudden? It still worries me, especially now that my due date is nearing, I am now approaching 36 weeks into pregnancy... But what worries me more is Kiel's reaction to arrival of the new baby.

Kuya Kiel :)

To those who know me well, I am a frustrated model. Yes, you read that right...Ah the dream! But right now, I pass on that dream to my kids, hihi.

Anyway, being the avid picture poser that I am, I'm always game for the camera! Yes, even with this pregnant body, pimples, big nose, and chubby cheeks...I pose and smile :) Besides, being pregnant has made me love and appreciate my body more than ever. Carrying a baby inside is such a wonderful miracle, and in every aspect, an amazing masterpiece... that being said, why not have a maternity photoshoot to remember your baby bump?

When I was pregnant with Kiel, I didn't get the chance to have my picture taken professionally by a photographer. I did, however, take pictures of myself here at home...yes, you read that right again...by myself..ah, the things you can achieve when you are alone, are bored, and have a camera. That's what the timer is for! I am a fan of natural lighting, and with my trusty Nikkon d3000, and some manual settings, I came up with these...

I was 5 months pregnant with Kiel, so the bump is not that pronounced yet. 

Hello World! I'm a Girl! Yay :)

I am 20 weeks into my pregnancy, and we just found out last weekend that we are having a baby GIRL! (Haven't crossed that out yet on my Life List until she's out). Yay! Imagine our excitement! Finally I'll have a little "me" and a little "doll" whom I can dress up in all fancy, kikay clothes and accessories, hihi...

They say when you're having a girl, you'll be blooming and have that much wanted pregnancy glow! I don't know about you, but I feel the opposite... I have pimple breakout all over my forehead, I have oily skin, and sometimes unbearable heartburn. I thought for sure I was having another boy! But come to think of it, when I was carrying Kiel, I though I was having a girl because I felt light and pretty, had such an easy pregnancy...Oh well, the old wives' tales are definitely not true for me. I did read once though that having a girl sucks the all the beauty in you...But I don't really mind the bad skin and heartburn... I just love my baby :) Another thing that led me to thinking I was having a boy is the Chinese Birth Calendar, my Tita swears by it, since all her kids' genders were spot on if you refer to the calendar! It said I was having a boy...Nah! wrong! My mom also guessed I was having a boy. Why? Based on my son's "gilit sa hita" (lines on his legs). Since both his legs had one gilit on them, she said the next child would be of the same gender, so a boy too. NAH! wrong again...

So that's TIP # 1: Do not believe in Old Wives' Tales and whatever kasabihan there is out there...

photo source

Baby at 7 weeks and 1 day :) Healthy with a heartbeat!

Since the last time I blogged, I talked about my experience with a toddler. And lo and behold, I am now talking about expecting baby number 2! That's right...that fast! We'll not really that fast..unlike Jessica Simpson who got pregnant again just a few months after having her first child. But who's counting? Jejo and I are both very happy and consider this a blessing. They say pregnant women are lucky charms, so why not right? This might be a good year for us.

This pregnancy, like our first one, was unplanned. Kiel is our Honeymoon baby :) From the moment we got married we knew we wanted to have kids...that's why we got married in the first place, to have a family. But having this second baby took us a little more by surprise. Before this, we talked about spacing kids after Kiel. The next one would ideally be after 3 years or more. So how did we get to having a next little one this soon? We'll let's just say we're for the natural family planning kind. Even though my OB-GYN prescribed me pills that would be safe for breastfeeding, I didn't take any. We didn't like the idea of taking pills. Jejo says it will make me fat! Haha, funny I know. But for me, it was a choice. I just didn't like popping pills very much. Not unless they're vitamins or supplements of course. Anyway, we are also big believers of God's plan. And we do believe that God gave us this little blessing at just the right time. If He thinks we are ready for another child, then why should be be afraid? Besides, Kiel will be almost 2 years old by the time baby #2 arrives. And we think the spacing is just right :) Jejo would also say our kids are "early investments"...that maybe we can retire by the age of 40! haha.