Dear Peanut,

Today, we did an Amazing Race-style day trip at TMC. Nothing serious, thank God. They were all scheduled checkups but I wanted to emphasize how it ended up feeling like a race because it tested your parents’ project and time management skillz (yes, with a ‘z’, hahaha).

We left home at around 11:30 am and reached TMC a few minutes before 12nn. We needed to go to the HMO office first to swipe our new cards (Yey! You and I used our HMO cards for the first time, thank you to your daddy’s very generous company!) and get prepare the paperwork. I told SC to head straight to Dra.CTP’s clinic because the line there is always a “blockbuster” one.

HMO Guy: Ma’am ilang doctors po ang kailangan ninyo?
Me: Madami.

I gave him the list of all the doctors we had to see today complete with our concerns and scheduled activities. We needed to see 4 (Pedia and Allergist for you; EENT for your daddy, and orthopedic for me). The HMO guy was surprised (in a good way) but we managed to get everything in less than 10 minutes.

PEDIA: It’s official (once again), you’re fat.

Dra.CTP that your current weight is good for a 5-month-old baby already. You’re currently 4 months and 19 days old. But no need to go on a diet, sheesh, just pace the feeding.

And it seems you really have a thing for pretty ladies. Whenever you see one, you’d squirm and smile and twist and basically do this cutiepie thing so your pedia was really entertained by you. When we pulled down your pants to get ready for the vaccine shot, you’re all smiles but when you realized what was happening, nabingi na naman kaming lahat sa iyak mo.

So the crying knocked you out and you slept for quite some time while we had lunch at Pancake House. At one point, you faked your sleep but was probably too tired to cry again. There were female interns beside our table and you did the cutiepie thing again that earned you some praises.  Show off, hahaha.

After lunch, we headed straight to your allergist and she confirmed what we suspected all along—you have atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as atopic eczema, which you inherited from both of us, but mostly from me because I have a family history of skin asthma. Nothing serious, yours is a mild case. We just need better lotion and moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated and keep the flare-ups at bay. In short, maarte ka din sa balat like me.

To save time, you and your father waited together for his turn at the EENT clinic while I did the leg work and paperwork for my requested knee X-rays. I was waiting for my turn at the X-ray room when you father sent me an SMS.

SC: Babe, nasaan ka na? Dito na doctor. Peanut is with the receptionist.
QB: Hala, tulog ba? Nakapila ako sa X-ray.
SC: Hindi, I can hear him kicking up a fuss.
QB: Oh no, sige pupunta na ako diyan.
SC: But mukhang okay na.

So I bolted from the seat and ran straight back to the elevators. God paved the way and I got the express elevator that got me from the ground floor to the 14th floor in less than 3 minutes.

When I arrived at the EENT clinic, one of the receptionists was carrying you and you have this resting bitch-semi shocked face that probably said, “I don’t know who you are but you’re warm, you’re soft (she was a bit on the chubby side) and where the hell is my mother?!?!?!”

At that moment, I didn’t panic that a stranger was holding my child. It only hit me now that I shouldn’t have allowed that. Anyway, we just laughed about afterwardrds, chalking it up to the kindness of strangers but I will never do that ever again. OH MY GOD, KINILABUTAN AKO JUST NOW.

After spending nearly 6 hours at TMC and blazing through 4 checkups, we checked out the TMC cafeteria bought a doner and a donut (which we rarely eat) because we fucking deserve it.

This day has completely depleted my energy that I slept in the car on our way back home. I was so tired that I almost snapped at the HYPEBEAST-looking teenage batang hamog girls who were in my way, blocking the entrance to the elevators. The short nap snapped me out of it and now it’s back to work.
I wrote this now because I want to chronicle how this day went well. Sharing with this scene at the clinic earlier:

I walked into the clinic of an orthopedic whose wife is a plastic surgeon.

SC: (opened the door, he and Peanut were outside, waiting): Honey! Magpapa-plastic surgery ka???
QB:  (while the secretary was busy typing my information into the computer): Sira, yung orthopedic ang pupuntahan ko, hindi yung plastic surgeon. Bakit akala mo breast augmentation no?
SC: Hindi, akala ko papaayos mo na yung mukha mo eh.

One of these days, I swear, sasampalin ko yang tatay mo in his sleep. Two years ago, he was snoring really loudly and I kicked him off the bed. He fell and when he asked me what happened, I told him baka nanaginip lang sya. At naniwala naman.

xoxo,


Update (as of March 29, 2018): Changed my codename from Queen Bitch (QB) to Tiger Mom (TM).