Final Trimester Begins

I can’t believe that we’re on the final lap of our pregnancy. The last two trimesters have been pure bliss. The past six months that baby Bee has been in my tummy is a journey honey and I will cherish forever.

During these first two trimesters, honey and I have kept ourselves busy with trying to prepare as much as we can for our little angel. We have already been shopping for some of Bee’s need when she comes out. We also started researching for child care assistance so that there will be a smooth transition when I come back to work and of course we started preparing for the documents that we’ll need if and when we decide to bring someone over from Manila (and OMG, it is a tedious process). With the help of plurk and online friends, I’ve also read (and still is reading) some of the books for pregnancy and childcare that they have recommended. I’ve also contacted my health insurance and they have arranged for a child care specialist to visit me for two weeks after I’ve given birth (kraamzorg in Dutch). Honey and I also managed to secure a spot in a birthing class, finally. We also chose the colour palette for the nursery and we’ve made a list of the things that we need to buy for our baby and also for the mommy and daddy bag.

Indeed, the first two trimesters have been very busy, nonetheless fun, for honey and me. And as much as we cherish these past six months, we’re so looking forward to the last trimester of our pregnancy.

The last three months, we’ll be busy with attending the birthing classes (which starts on the 17th of September), painting the nursery, processing the papers for our nanny, shopping for all the things in our list that we haven’t bought yet, and preparing mentally and physically for the coming of our little one.

It’s undeniable that the first six months have been a blast for honey and me but I so look forward to this last trimester and ultimately the time when honey and I will be able to hold our little Bee in our arms.

Domina Roma Capanelle Hotel & Conference

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While planning for our trip to Rome, a lot of our friends and colleagues told us that this time of the year could be very hot and humid in the eternal city. This is the reason why one of the requirements that we looked for in a hotel to stay at was a swimming pool so that in case it gets really hot to go outside we can just spend the day lounging by the poolside and dipping in the cold water.

After thorough research, we were resigned to the fact that it will be very difficult for us to find a hotel with a pool at the very heart of the city so we went for this hotel and we were not disappointed. Domina Roma Capanelle Hotel and Conference is located around 30 minutes away from the Termini station in Rome via the metro. Going to the hotel from Fiumicino Airport can be a bit tricky but once you have done you’re research, reaching the hotel via public transport is quite easy. The hotel also has shuttle busses which, if you can work your schedule around it, could be quite convenient.

Upon entering the hotel lobby, we knew that we made the right choice. The hotel is very clean, the staffs were very attentive and the rooms were very spacious and cosy. We did have a problem with our room on our first night, water was leaking from the ceiling from the air conditioning unit but upon our request, the staff changed our room immediately.

A dip on the cold pool was a perfect ending to a tiring day of exploring the city with the warm and humid weather. Although, the hotel might want to change the closing time of the pool area as guests can no longer access it after 7pm. The breakfast was hearty and composed of normal feast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, yogurts, variety of fruits, breads, hot and cold drinks. My only complain is the variety, after having the same thing for breakfast for an entire week can be tiring. Another thing, when guests have breakfast later in the morning, some of the items in the buffet run out and are not refilled, good thing, except for the one day that we had breakfast at 10am, the rest of our stay, we started our day early.

We had a wonderful stay at this hotel and we would consider staying there again when we come back to Rome.

3rd Wedding (8th) Anniversary, and we’re off to Rome!

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Three years of marital bliss and 8 wonderful years of being together, now this occasion needs to be celebrated with a bang. This thought kept running through Honey’s and my mind when we were trying to plan for our anniversary get away. We wanted to celebrate in a place that is also special, if not as special as the occasion is for us. After considering a lot of factors and our circumstances, honey and I finally decided that the perfect place would be in Rome, Italy. We also settled for a date that is less than a month earlier than our anniversary thinking that on our anniversary, I’ll be 30 weeks pregnant and we’re not sure if I’m still up to the task of walking around to explore a beautiful city.

Looking back, I can’t find the words enough to express my gratitude on all the blessings that God has showered upon us. And as tiring as the last weeks have been, the downpour of blessings have been undeniable. More so, I can’t thank God enough for the love, happiness, peace and all the other wonderful gifts he bestowed upon our marriage (and our relationship) over the years.

Honey and I are excited to explore a famed city that we’ve never been to before to celebrate our special day knowing that next year, we’ll have a little angel tagging along with us.

Finally!!! After weeks of waiting, we’re heading off to our trip. After weeks that have been crazy busy, a week of lounging in the pool, lazily strolling to witness the famed sites and feasting on authentic Italian feast is a much welcome relief.