Rains are un-usually heard of in the desert, and if it rains people rejoice -- unless it starts to become disastrous to the sandpit whose systems are not prepared to flooding and whatever brought by raining.

Dubai is yet to get its share of drizzles this time of the year, but near or along the Hajar mountain ranges (Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Oman), rains started pouring in October.

On Wednesday (first week of November), the Big Gremlin waded in Muscat's afternoon rains. He reached their villa drenched and with shoes on hand as puddles covered the streets. The amount of rains that day was like a typical subtropical afternoon rain in Baguio (Philippines). Tuesday was bearable just with 'strong' drizzles.

Rains in Muscat

Tunnels that are on lower elevation are prone to 'flooding', such as this in Muscat

With the Big Gremlin working in Muscat now, I pray that the most he'd witness be limited to his light experiences so far, and not a repeat of Cylone Gonu (in 2007, the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea) that brought forth substantial damage as below:

I have just crossed 12 weeks (1st trimester) on the pregnancy scale, which is an exciting-looked-forward period for me! That’s when the early pregnancy discomforts are said to shy away. Oh, those times of eternally feeling hungry but feeling nauseaus at the sight and smell of food!

I have my constant pee visits, not that I feel the need, but my son wiggles three times nightly and is relunctant to stand until I pull him out the bed. I dislike now this exercise though when my pregnancy hormones make me a light sleeper. I fear unable to go back sleep and be groggy at work next day. Once it took me at 3am to get my sleep when I was already in bed at 10pm.

I was at the doctor last weekend (11 weeks) and had another ultrasound. I would have declined feeling I am having an ultrasound overdose, but I agreed being excited to show my Gremlins our Little Precious One swimming in my tummy as the doctor assured it’s now visible.

Now I forgot how I felt uncomfy with the doctor’s knowledge on operating the ultrasound machine during my first visit (she seemed to be at at her late 30’s though), kept asking help from the nurse (!) and eventually calling the other doctor. This recent ultrasound, she cannot  see any image from my tummy so she has to do  it from ‘down’ (again!). From ‘down’ she meant the vagi_ _.

On to the ultrasound. At 11 weeks, my expectations did not come full circle, not sure if it’s due to the doctor, the machine, or maybe Little Precious One is way small. During my Gremlin Kalel’s first trimester ultrasound, I was in tears of awe looking at his full body literally swimming on the screen. I did not want my Kalel and his dad to miss it this time, but they have yet to exactly experience it – hopefully next month’s ultrasound.

But Little Precious One didn’t totally disappoint. After about 20 minutes of trying the doctor found a partial view of moving limbs. We got to hear heartbeats too! So that made us happy. Even Kuya Kalel was acting out how Little Precious One was moving on the screen. Thing was, their dad missed to bring the camera cum video to record. Luckily, the clinic gave us a copy of three images, each on 3 seconds each. These were compiled below, and the best view would be on the 6th - 10th seconds:



I have done my blood and urine tests at 7th week, and so far so good. Last week, I declined a test:


Dr : Should I schedule you for a Nuchal Transluceny Scan?
Me:  Do I need it?
Dr:  I’ll take care of it. (Silence, senses I am more unwilling)
Me: My baby is normal and should be ok.
Dr: So you’ll continue with the pregnancy whatever it takes?
Me: Of course! I have a healthy baby!
Dr: That’s the spirit!

Not that I'm confident but I'm avoiding being too paranoid. I have faith in my baby, in my self, and all loving people around me. I have resigned on slowing down on everything and focus on healthily nurturing Little Precious One in my tummy.

By the way, Little Precious One is 4.61 cms at 11th weeks :-)

Okay, I am married with a five year old Gremlin and another Little Precious One on the way, but the video below shared on cousin Geri's facebook account moved me, kilig pa rin ba :-) . (Dont get me wrong, My husband do surprise me once in awhile giving the same feeling as below, near tears, naks!)

Any place of unique natural wonder or of historical story is attractive. On our first road trip to Oman, the Bimmah Sinkhole (a wide and deep natural inland 'hole' with salty water) and Bibi Maryam's Tomb (that's within the Ancient City of Qalhat, visited by Marco Polo and wrote about the place during the 13th century) were on our list.

From our google map prinout then, the place trickily seemed to be so near from Ruwi, Muscat. It turned out that it's actually more than 200 kilometers drive away. From our Al Suwayh offroad drive out to the highway, we unexpectedly realized we were near the  Sink Hole!

We missed the sign and had to go back. If you intend to go, turn in as soon as you read the sign 'Hawiyat Najm Park'.

When planning to take a dip, be prepared that shower water might not be available in the toilet.

The flights of stairs is tiresome, emphasizing how deep the hole is.

At the opposite side of the hole

The big Gremlin and his signature jump (I am in for an explaining on posting a tummy :-) )

Notice the fearless man jumping from the mid-upper middle, we witnessed two of them.

Do not miss this sign, it leads to the sink hole