Wow, can't believe it's been more than THREE months since I last posted an update here about my pregnancy... Can you guys believe I'm almost FULL-TERM now?? I'm on my 36th-37th week! Even I can't fully grasp it... So overwhelming!
To be honest it's been a bit whirlwind during my Second and now my Third Trimester. To give you a quick recap, I am now back home in Manila. I got here a month ago for the delivery. Honey is here with me and Baby.
For the past week, I wasn't able to take off my wedding and engagement bands. I wear them on the same left ring finger, and truth is I hardly take them off even at night. I would say I take them off at least Thrice a month only when I feel like letting my finger breathe.. This is why I'm not sure how long has it been since my fingers got so SWOLLEN due to the pregnancy, that I wasn't able to take the rings off last week!
I've always had delicate "candle-like" fingers. I know I sound vain but it's true. It's always been one of my assets, even my nails have these natural white French tips often mistaken for a fab manicure (added to my long thin fingers) so I don't feel like I have much need for nail polish. I remember one friend telling me, "Maganda pala kamay mo noh... Sana naging kamay ka nalang!" Hahahah :P Twas so funny but so true. My smugness is one of the main reasons why I didn't listen when my flatmate told me to take off my rings while I could, since her fingers got too big when she was pregnant that she almost could not take 'em off. I was stubborn and too confident that mine won't get THAT big. Plus I feel like I'm naked without my rings; I've worn them everyday since we got engaged, then married, years ago!
So anyway, moment of truth. Last week I just felt like taking them off, but lo and behold, it didn't work! I tried some soap and lotion, but still nothing! I felt my heart picking up a beat but tried to calm down. I thought I'd sleep on it and try again in the morning, coz I thought fingers must be like feet; they get bigger at the end of the day (which is why it's best to buy shoes in the evening, or so they say)..
The next morning I tried the soap and lotion trick again, but NOTHING! I then started researching online, typing in HOW TO TAKE OFF RINGS ON SWOLLEN FINGERS DURING PREGNANCY, and I got TONS of suggestions! Apparently its really common problem, and I got so worried coz some of those women resorted to cutting off their rings! NO WAY! I know our wedding and engagement rings are not worth millions or that expensive, but they mean SO MUCH to both of us, and I wouldn't trade them for the biggest diamonds EVER! Honey bought my beautiful 18K white gold engagement ring with a small precious diamond safely snug at the center, at that time when he was earning almost nothing...
my engagement ring
And our wedding bands are exactly what we've both wanted; no fuss, simple, no stones, just unique cuts in two-tone 18K white and yellow gold, and engraved with our names (his on mine and mine on his), our wedding dates and a small cross to keep Christ in our center.. They were our dream wedding rings. Just thinking about cutting them off, even if we could possibly find a jeweller who could put them back, gives me shivers. I feel like it's bad luck or something. No way I'm gonna let that happen.
our wedding bands
Some women suggested Vaseline (which I tried), oil (which I tried), and Windex (I wanted to try this but do we even have that here in Dubai??). Then one said her fingers got less swollen after one and a half hour of dipping in a cold pool. While others said they held frozen vegetables in their hands. Apparently the cold helps, so since we had no pool or something, I put my hands in water filled with blocks of ice for one and a half hour. The cold hurt like hell but still DID NOT WORK! In fact I think they got even worse! :(
I found this link on youtube, where they used ClingWrap and butter... It looked messy but promising I just had to try it..
Unfortunately, as happy as I am with this fellow pregnant lady, her solution did not work for me. I almost cried after trying this. Literally. Coz I kept on thinking, how come it worked for her and not for me??
By that point it was already almost evening (please take note I've been trying to take off my rings since the night before, almost 24 hours now), I just thought to myself I would stop obsessing about it and just let a few days pass by. This was honey's suggestion actually. He told me that the constant pressure made my finger more swollen and that we should wait out a few days before trying again, just to calm down the swell. And since I've gotten used to wearing them everyday, plus it wasn't hurting yet, I agreed.
This all happened a week ago, and everyday for the past week I would find myself staring at my rings and wondering how we were gonna take them off. Sometimes at night I would stare at my fingers with despair... I really did not want to cut those rings off! I got worried they would get bigger everyday and we would have no choice...
The good news was, it did look like the swell was wearing off for the past few days.. I would touch my finger and feel that it was getting softer, and felt no more pain from the swell. Honey would comfort me and tell me that it was growing back to its normal size and just be patient. Finally this morning, as soon as I woke up, I just had to try it. Hon was telling me he found something on the internet which used DENTAL FLOSS, and that it looked like the best way to take off the rings. And he said he was gonna try it for me. So I woke him up and told him it was time.
What we did was lather tons of lotion and Vaseline into my finger, and then he put in this sewing thread inside the wedding ring. Then when it was already in , he wrapped the rest of the thread into the space nearest to the bands, basically thinning out my finger bit by bit to make the ring fit easier while he tugs it off. He did this so patiently, twisting and turning the ring, while pulling and tugging the thread slowly but surely. I was trying my best to relax and not look at my finger coz I could see it was getting BLUE again :(... I knew that if I panicked it might get more swollen. I could feel we were making some progress, and kept on coaxing hon that I could feel the ring moving, though it hurt like hell (small price to pay!).. We did this for at least 15minutes I think, and finally I could feel my ring slowly getting to my knuckle which was definitely a good sign. Until finally, VOILA, it got OFF!!! I couldn't believe it!
The engagement ring was so much easier to take off after the wedding ring, and I couldn't stop kissing and thanking hon. I don't know how he did it but he really IS amazing! Sometimes I really don't know what I will do without him! My rings are now safely kept away, and I will put them on again after the delivery. Whew!
sausage finger! ewww! :D
Word of advice to fellow pregnant women out there, TAKE OFF YOUR RINGS WHILE YOU CAN! Don't wait up to the last minute. Don't be stubborn or Mrs-Know-It-All like me. Trust me. You wouldn't want to go through the same dilemma like I did. I'm sure you won't even dream of cutting off your rings! Just take 'em off! :)
Today (last night actually) was one of the most exhilirating moments of my life. We finally went for our Anomaly Scan, and I'm telling you I was just too moody the whole day! I was so grumpy and acting like a total prima donna I almost felt sorry for hon (kaso pinapatulan nya din ako eh haha :P) Anyway I knew it was because I was so scared of the upcoming scan, too worried that something might be wrong with our baby... In the end I prayed sooooo hard and lifted it all up to God during our afternoon Mass. And prayers really do work wonders. The Homily was all about believing in God without seeing any proof (Doubting Thomas Gospel), and it really tore at my heart. I could feel God was speaking to me that everything was gonna be alright.
When we finally got to the clinic, I was a bit more calm but still trying to compartmentalize by thinking of other stuffs while waiting for our turn at the Ultrasound Room. We actually were planning to find out our baby's gender through lotsa fun ways, but in the end we both agreed we just wanted to know, and orchestrating those complicated (although admittedly more fun ways) just added more tension to my already "too-imaginative" mind. We just wanted to know, and in the end I just really want to have a safe and healthy baby.
The sonographer was a very kind and cheerful woman, and she gave me such reassurances and made light of the whole situation we couldn't help but like her! She kept on repeating that "baby's fine," and "baby's happy", that I really felt so much better :) She even joked that since she's touched me now no harm will come to me and to my baby anymore :)
Here are some cute videos captured by Daddy... :) I was crying like a nervous wreck but baby was sooooo naughty and playful!!! Manang-mana sa ama nya! :)
In the end, the sonographer told us that baby was 60-70% GIRL.... But she was so uncertain that we did not know what to feel! So she told us to come back the next night and she would try to find out baby's gender again without any additional payment...Told yah she was very kind!
But you know what, just seeing our baby so healthy and so safe and so happy.... It was enough to make us feel so thankful and soooo grateful to God!!! This was us after the scan, so high with love for our cute wriggly baby!
I am writing this quick post while getting ready for work. I just have to fill you in on my most recent encounter with our little angel..
The other night something woke me up. I felt some sort of light scratch from the insides of my belly. I sat up and thought to myself I must be hungry; must be my stomach rumbles. But there it was again. And I definitely was NOT hungry. So I just laid down again back to bed and fell to sleep wondering, "Was it you, baby??"
The problem is I am a first-time Mom. I have absolutely no idea if that was indeed baby's tiny kicks. I shared this to hubby the next morning and he was so upset I didn't wake him up, pout and all, hehe.. But I clarified of course that I'm not even sure at all if it was baby indeed. When I got to work, I told a colleague about it during break and she confirmed to me that it must be my baby. After all I am 20 weeks pregnant now, and the only thing is I have had no previous experience to compare the strange sensation to. But describing it to her and her being a mom of two herself, she said only I will know. And suddenly I had tears in my eyes... Coz in my heart, I knew... It really was our baby E. I felt the first baby movements. And I felt so humbled and so blessed to experience the magic of all of it...
That evening at work I was coaxing baby to make me feel some more. I called E to tell him about it and he was so happy :) He said I better make sure to wake him up next time! I kept on whispering sweet nothings to our baby while I was on idle time at my desk, and guess what?? At around 730pm, I felt that same flutter again.. And I just sat there with glazed eyes and I know my mouth was forming a small O, out of amazement... I definitely wasn't hungry (been eating snacks and bits at my desk the whole evening), and it was the same thing I felt the night before. Like small pitter-patter and teeny tiny scratch of someone trying to get my attention. I knew it was our baby...
All of this new emotions welling up inside me, I'm not prepared for it.. I am too happy!!!! Oh God I cannot wish for baby to start kicking big ones inside me, so that honey can feel 'em... So he/she really is ok, growing up so well! I am so proud and so thankful...
Today I'm officially 19 weeks (based on my OB at home), or 20 weeks (based on my OB here). I've gotten used to the confusing due dates coz this is just one tiny teeny hiccup I have to get used to. I mean, hello, it's quite common for women to give birth WEEKS ahead of their due dates, some even do so on their 7th Month! So I really don't want to dwell on this little detail. Therefore, yup I'm 19-20 Weeks today. :) Meaning I may have officialy entered my Second Trimester. :P
What I really want to talk about on this milestone of a day is that fact which everyone seems to be waiting for right from the start. Are we having a Boy or a Girl? If I could count the number of times I've been asked that question and convert it to Dirhams, we'll probably have a full Nursery by now hahahah :P Everyone seems to have a mystic way of knowing my baby's gender. Let me just give you a few examples.
Some people base my baby E's gender with how big or how round my tummy is; if I'm carrying it high, it's a Boy, if I'm carrying it a bit low, it's a Girl; although some say my tummy is too round and not pointed so it's DEFINITELY a Girl; lotsa weird touches in my belly there! I've also been asked countless times how I'm dealing with the pregnancy (some say since I've been feeling mostly OK since I got past the first three months it's a Boy, but others say since it's completely no Fuss for me it's a Girl!). My most favorite criterion? When people base my little angel's gender on how I look, coz I always get the same answer there: apparently I'm "blooming" so it's definitely a Girl. I love that answer not for the gender part but for the "complimenting-Mommy-Yais" part hahhaha :P
I was supposed to have my Anomaly Scan a week ago but we have decided to wait until past the 20 weeks so it will at least be a bit more definite when we try to get a glimpse of baby's little secret. ;) Yup I am quite impatient and so is honey, but we're trying our best to hold on. In the meantime I have been researching a lot on the internet about finding out baby's gender, either scientifically or through old wives' tales. And I tell you it's quite entertaining! The things people think of! Ohmygod, it's all too funny. :) Some say a very fast heartbeat means it's a girl, a lower one is a boy (and our baby's is too high, 158bpm), while some even base it on how the Mommy eats (which is just too weird coz I think most expecting moms eat a LOT right so does that mean I'm having a boy??!), while some even base it on the Linea Nigra (that tiny line by the tummy pregnant women get due to hormonal changes), that if it gets past above the belly button or not, and I don't even want to tell you guys what mine is like coz it will be so awkward announcing to the world how my tummy looks like. :P Some people even resort to dangling this necklace or chain above their tummies to see if it goes in circles (girl) or forward/backward (boy)!
As most of you well know I am not obsessed with any particular gender. I guess my previous loss and two years of trying since has made me go well past above that little detail. I am already too estatic just to be expecting again and I already feel too blessed. Hand in heart, I truly will be happy with a baby Boy or a baby Girl. Both genders have their adorable positives. I can imagine a cute little boy playing ball with my honey in a park while I watch them from a bench and I sigh just thinking about how the two of them will look so much alike. There are times I think about a little girl who will be honey's new little Princess, and he will happily dote on her. :) I just really cannot wait to find out. To be honest it makes me a bit irritated whenever people assume that we want a particular gender for our baby. Yes E may have wanted a baby girl so bad before I got pregnant (coz he grew up in a house of boys), but over the weeks he has seriously grown to love our little one so unconditionally that I can see the change in him. It's not about blue or pink anymore, it's about our baby making it through, safe and healthy. That's all we've been praying for. :)
After gushing about all my fears and worries from my last post, it's time I start enumerating all the little wonderful things which has happened the past few weeks..
1) I heard baby's first KICKS! Oh my God, I went to the doctor for a checkup about two weeks back and she put on the Doppler and we heard baby's usual fast heartbeats (which is as always music to my ears), then there was a big fuzzy noise and my OB said baby was KICKING! She was a bit surprised, and I was speechless! He or she was probably sooooo excited to showoff to emotional Mommy that it felt like proving me wrong! As expected I started welling up again at the clinic, it was embarrassing LoL.. :) I think it's becoming a habit now hahaha :P But it was a truly indescribable moment for me, I just wish honey was there to savor it with me..
2) Honey's back home! Yup, last March 14th (more than a week ago) he arrived back here in Dubai and we're finally complete again.. One happy family: Me, him, and our little angel.. :)
welcome back Daddy! we missed you!
3) We found out that our OB Gyne in the nearby clinic makes referrals to Zulekha Hospital, which offers Direct Billing for my company. This was just FABULOUS news since we are greatly considering giving birth here. Just because I want my baby to stay with me longer (120 days at least, I'm selfish like that); just imagining leaving him/her weeks after I give birth puts tears into my eyes. Plus as I said the company I works for has some Medical Benefits with certain hospitals and it was really good news that the OB we want to stay with makes referrals to one of those hospitals (she can't deliver the baby since she only works at a clinic). So thank God for that! One dilemma down! :)
4) I have started doing some Cross-Stitching for our baby E.. It's not much, and I know it's not a momentous feat, but I still feel proud and am quite excited by it.. :D I plan to have it framed and boast it to our baby when he/she is old enough hihi.. :D
5) Got some fab Maternity clothes and tons of Anmum from my family at home.. It was so heartwarming and a bit disconcerting at the same time. God, my life has really changed now! I can just imagine when baby comes out, for sure I won't even be in the Gift List anymore, hahahah! :P
maternity dresses from Mama and Ate, Anmum from everyone at home haha :P
fab fuschia dress from Ate :)
date day at DFC :)
So there you go... Those are the things right off the top of my head.. Will come back for more awesome news soon..
