First Trimester: DONE!

Today officially marks our baby's TWELFTH WEEK (yeyyyyy!), and I am just sooooooo happy and soooooo relieved that everything went by smoothly. :) According to the specialists, and my pregnancy books, the risk drops significantly to just 3% once you're past the First Trimester.  So today is really a milestone for us. :)

 

My doctor said I can just finish with my meds (Duphastone) and no need to continue anymore (thank You Lord!),  except of course for my Vitamins. This was just wonderful news for us. And she said so far it looks like everything's great and I should be able to go back to work soon... Wait is this really good news?? LoL.. :P  I actually am looking forward to going back to the airport just so I could wear the "mommy uniform" hahahah :P

 

But up to this moment I am still praying so hard, and I just hope that now that we have "officially" announced to everyone that we're expecting, I really wish everyone we know will pray for our baby..  Yun lang po talaga. I hope our friends will take even a minute of their prayer time to include her/him in their prayers.  And I am sending you all lots of hugs and kisses for each prayer you guys offer to our little one.

 

Tips and Suggestions from other Mommies out there are now WELCOME! :):):)  

The Sweetest Music from You!

Last February 15th was one of the most magical days of our lives...

 

As I've mentioned on my last post, it was our scheduled visit to the Gyne.  Of course I was a nervous wreck even the night before.. I had a lot of worries on my mind and I was scared as hell.  We went there late in the morning (almost around 11am) and I was feeling so sick.  I didn't know if it was because of sheer pregnancy symptom or simply because I was dreading the sit-down with the good doctor.  When we were finally called, I was just keeping myself quiet and giving one-word answers to the OB's questions, until finally she said the words I was dreading to hear: "Let's check if we can finally hear your baby's heartbeat, anyway you're already more than 11 weeks pregnant." 

 

So I (bravely) got up, and laid down on the table almost numbly.  I was surprised when she came in with the hubby, she normally leaves him by the desk while she does her usual checkups on me.  He was grinning like crazy, and I knew he was very excited.  I just tried to ignore him, while the doctor touched my tummy with this device, lingered for awhile, and suddenly E was practically jumping up and down!  I didn't understand at first what was going on, until she told me, "Can't you hear it??" And sure enough, I heard what the commotion was all about.. It was our baby's heartbeat. Oh My God.

 

I've never heard anything like it.  I've read it in my books of course, I knew it was going to be real special for us to hear baby's heartbeat for the first time, but I still wasn't prepared.  It was the MOST AMAZING thing I've ever heard, and I felt so proud! I started tearing up but I tried to control it (hormones!), I didn't want to scare my doctor haha! :P  But it was beating so fast! It was like drumroll only it goes to a different more fancy beat, and I just couldn't believe that sound was coming from my baby inside my body.. It was just a very humbling and real emotional experience for me... After praying so hard and doing everything we could to keep her (or him) safe for the past three months (which apparently are the most crucial parts of any pregnancy), I feel like I can finally breathe...

 

Honey was just on a high, it was endearing.  He kept on imitating baby's heartbeat like some madman, and when we got home he insisted on using the stethoscope to try to hear baby's heartbeat again no matter how many times I told him that he wouldn't hear a thing!   He's crazy like that.. I love him so much..

Incidentally it was our Nanay's 81st Birthday that day, so we dropped by a bakeshop on our way home and got her this:

 

It's so much fun adding your name in our signatures! :D We love you so much baby!

Our First Valentine's (and Anniversary!) with You!

Baby E is turning almost 12 weeks on Monday, finishing her First Trimester.. We're scheduled to go back to the OB tomorrow and to be quite frank I'm as scared as hell... I always feel the same way whenever we go back to the OB. It's like I'm still traumatized by what happened before.. When everything was so normal and so exciting on our scheduled Ultrasound and then suddenly that horrible news..

Everyday Erick prays with her. It's so heartwarming how he always "babytalks" with her :) And every night he would pray the "Angel of God" bedtime prayer while touching my tummy (with signs of the cross on my stomach and all!). It always tears me up, I just don't show it.. I love her so much it hurts. All I want is for her to be safe and healthy. To finally be with us.. 

Today is Valentine's Day and incidentally our EIGHTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY as boyfriend/girlfriend. :) We started the celebration last night with some live music at the UP Fair with my sis and good pal Arlene. It's still way too early, to be honest we don't have anything planned, although I have been teasing honey that we should watch that new Pinoy movie of Coco-Julia called "A Moment in Time" heheh :P I actually am quite curious with it, the trailer is really cute! Coco just started calling Julia "BABY" even though he hasn't even met her yet.. So kilig ;) Anyway some of the scenes were shot in beautiful Amsterdam (where my bff and i were supposed to go this May, wahhh! Anyway lotsa next time :P):

Anyway here are some of our snapshots last night: Mommy, Daddy, and baby E at the UP Sunken Garden:

I just hope and pray that everything will be perfect tomorrow... So I can start shouting to the whole world that Ellie is finally back! <3

Symptoms for You...

People are telling me that I am one of those lucky women who don't feel a lot of changes or emotions due to pregnancy. I don't feel any morning sickness, I don't crave for weird food.. But I do get so light-headed and nauseous at times... Just like last night at the mall. I really thought I was gonna fall down! I felt like the world was turning around me so fast... I had to sit down and really pull it together coz I didn't want to freak out my hubby. And this morning I was stuck in the bed. ALL morning. I just slept like a baby.

Yep, I sleep ALL the time. Morning, afternoon... Although I've been having some difficult time sleeping at night lately. But yes I do sleep like a log. Like it's never enough LOL. :) As of eating, I don't know if it's any change or what because I DO tend to eat a lot hahaha :P And yes, I do get that achy feeling on my chest area.. Hurts a LOT!

Oh well... But there are times I do wish I would feel more pregnant.. Symptoms and all. I just want to experience everything..

Approaching Week 11 on Monday. :) According to my site, whattoexpect.com, my baby is now about Two inches long. Yayyy! :D

 

So How Did We Tell Them? ;)

When I got pregnant December 2010, our immediate reaction was sharing this wonderful news to EVERYONE.  We were estatic, we just couldn't wait! But after that tragic incident, there's something so beautiful and precious about keeping this pregnancy just between me and my honey, and sharing it only to our families and closest friends.. It's like a very special gift that is preparing to be wrapped with all the colorful tinsels and bows.  We simply do not want everyone to know just yet.  You know how those celebrities wouldn't want to divulge their whole lives to everyone because they're saying it's all too personal and special? I used to think it was all crap, but now, I fully understand what they mean.. This is about our own little family.  We were finally going to be a real family.  And no offense, but it's really none of everybody else's business.  Not just yet anyway.  We want to treasure this blessing in our own little circle first. We're selfish that way. ;)

Of course our families were overjoyed to the point of crying (my side, of course, haha!).. My closest bestest friends just couldn't stop expressing their happiness for us.  We actually already have a long list of godmothers for her already! All volunteers haha! :) We are so humbled by these lovely people's joy..

We will probably shout out to everyone this wonderful news once she is safely past the First Trimester.  Just to avoid any pressure for our little kiddo who's so busy growing up so fast! :)

We love you baby!

The First Time We Saw You!

To continue the stroll down the memory lane....

 

January 18, 2013

 

Two days after we found out, we finally braved all our apprehensions and visited my OB Gynecologist.  She was equally delighted when she found out, and ordered an Ultrasound right away. And that was when we first saw our baby...

 

Seeing her on that black and white monitor was just too much... And when the doctor pointed her to us, I started crying.. And she called Erick to come in (coz he thought he wasn't allowed inside hahah! Sorry first time daddy!).. We were transfixed at the sight of her.. She was already too beautiful for us... The nurses knew me from less than two months back when I was there for a regular Ultrasound checkup and I could see they were all sincerely glad for me.  It was an inexplicable emotion..

 

Apparently I was already 7 WEEKS AND 4 DAYS PREGNANT on that day.  Wow. Almost TWO MONTHS along and I had no idea! It was really an unbelievable moment for us. 

So this is possibly the WORST ultrasound pic EVER.. My apologies coz our stupid scanner isn't working anymore, I just took the pic using my phone hehe... Just can't wait to post it!  So this is the clearest one of the bunch, unfortunately.. But she's there all right ;) That bean-like figure at the upper left side of the screen :D (I promise to post better ones next time!)

 

 



Baby E at 7 Weeks and 4 Days!

My OB started her speech to us with these memorable words: "Pregnancy is NOT an illness."  She was basically prepping me that from that day on my lifestyle and eating habits were gonna change. Considering my previous history, she wanted me to be extra careful.  And the tricky part was, she didn't want me to go back to work until I finish my First Trimester.  Flying back was also not an option.  Said it was not gonna be good for the baby.  My mind was already working all these things out even when we were still inside her office.  How was I going to ask permission from work?? I was only supposed to be gone for a week, and she doesn't want me to come back for another month at least?? But then even before we went out of the hospital I was already decided.  It doesn't matter what my company says.  I will take care of my baby.  My baby comes FIRST.  They can take my job if they want, but they will have to let me stay.  Because there was no way I was gonna risk this pregnancy.  No way.

 

I knew You Were Here!

This is almost a month too late, but I have decided to start posting these blogs about my new adventure to write down my thoughts, otherwise I'm gonna go crazy! So here's how it all started...


January 16, 2013

 

 

My husband and I arrived two days before (14th) from Dubai for a week-long holiday. On that particular Wednesday the 16th, we were in a hospital accompanying my mom-in-law for her session, and by lunchtime we had to go to the nearby mall to eat.

 

To buy some time, I urged my hubby that I should probably take a pregnancy test. Just like that, out of the blue, LOL. The thing is I've had this gut feeling for a month now, but I have always been irregular on my periods so twas a thought that was crossing my mind but wasn't fully entertaining. He was worried that I would get depressed (again) if it was negative so it took some time badgering him.  I told him it couldn't have been a more perfect timing: we were just lounging around in a busy mall at a lunch hour and I sincerely didn't want to make a big deal out of it (you can imagine the countless times for the past two years I orchestrated these surprise plans of telling him the good news whenever I was delayed and I would take the test and it would be Negative; it got to a point that it was too heartbreaking for me).  I knew he was worried for me. Told him I could handle it, twas just a simple test no big deal, just to get it off my mind. Until he finally agreed with a promise from me that if I "flunked" the test (i.e get another Negative), we were gonna drink that night, to which I agreed heartily hahah :P

 

So we bought the cheapest pregnancy kit (my call), and I went straight to the Ladies Room to do my business. I was just staring at the sticky thingy (impatiently) when I saw the first line, to which I just thought, here we go again, just one line for me... And then like a suspense movie, I slowly saw a SECOND line! I couldn't believe it, I almost dropped the thing! OMYGOD! Was I imagining this?? I was just looking at it and I could feel my eyes were getting bigger and my heart was beating faster... Was this for real?? It was the oddest place but I started crying... It took at least 5 minutes before I gathered myself, and quickly went out to meet my husband who was boredly waiting for me. When he saw my face he got so pale even though I wasn't saying anything.. I just hugged him tight and started crying. Yes, in the mall. People were looking at us, nosy strangers, but I didn't care. And I knew he knew what it all meant. He was so lost for words too, and finally grabbed the kit from me, and I started chanting, "Positive hon, POSITIVE!". To which he just replied, "Magiging Mommy and Daddy na tayo?!"

 



First pic after we found out the good news at the mall... Excited Mommy and Daddy!

Everything happened so fast then. He wanted to go to a doctor right away, but I wanted to be 200% SURE. So I told him I wanted ANOTHER pregnancy test (with a better kit this time, meaning a more expensive one LOL), before going to an OB. Of course, the Second Kit gave the same amazing results.  We had to wait for our mom to finish at the hospital, and I still couldn't believe it that :D I persuaded him to let me take a last Pregnancy Test by taking my BLOOD sample at the clinic inside the mall. After waiting almost an hour for the Lab results, hon took the envelope containing the Lab result from me coz my hands were shaking hahha.. Again, it was POSITIVE. I literally JUMPED up and down like a kid at the clinic door that E had to calm me down. It was the best day ever!  All I could think of was I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!

 



The "infamous" Pregnancy sticks (with our wedding rings..): POSITIVE!

Most of our loved ones are well aware of the fact that I miscarried and lost our first baby two years ago, January 2011. She was only 7 weeks old. It was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life... God knows how hurt we were, and we have been trying to have a baby since... Now that it's all happening again, I just can't contain my joy! We are both so over the moon with this! We love her too much already!

 

 
 


Welcome BACK baby E!!!

 
The best part is it was our 33rd wedding monthsary. It was the BEST day ever. We're so happy she's back... :D