Pregnancy Journal - Part II (KENJI)

My Pre-Kenji Life:  Before I had Kenji, I already had an 8 month old at home.  We really didn't plan on when we would be having our 2nd child, but we just knew that we were going to have them close in age.  I felt like I wasn't really getting any younger so the next few years would be crucial in our decision on how many kids we want to have.

The First Inkling: Rod and I went to Indonesia to attend his friend's wedding in Surabaya in February 2009.  And after the wedding, we decided to stop by Bali, since we've been hearing a lot of good stuff about it.  It was also a chance for me to travel again, after a long while, since I really wasn't allowed to travel while I was pregnant with Joshua.  And it was our chance to take some time together, just the two of us.  Since I have a very long and irregular cycle, I really didn't think that I could get pregnant so fast and easily.  But when March 2009 came around and I still didn't get my period, I just knew I was pregnant.  I took several pregnancy tests since the first few came out negative.  But I still had a feeling that I was pregnant even if the tests said otherwise.  So after a week of waiting for the tests to catch up with what I knew, my pregnancy was confirmed.   

Picking a Name: This time around, my pregnancy was a lot easier on my body.  I guess it was because I already knew what to expect, so I wasn't as stressed or worried about it.  I ate what I wanted, did what I wanted and just relaxed.  I also had Joshua at home already so I really didn't have that much time to worry.  

At first I thought I was going to have a girl, because everyone was complimenting me about my "special pregnancy glow".  And I did agree that I looked better this time.  But for some reason, at the back of my mind, I also had the thought that this was going to be another boy.  We picked out the name "Kenji" because I heard a father calling his son this name at the airport and I really loved it.  When i checked the meaning of the name, our minds were made up because Kenji meant "intelligent 2nd son", which is quite appropriate.  The middle name "Lee" is my mother's maiden name.  

The First Trimester: By the time I visited my OB's clinic and had my first TV ultrasound, I was also around 8 weeks pregnant and given a November 6, 2009 due date.  This ironically was also Rod and my official engagement date.  The first three months were quite similar with what I went through with Joshua.  Aside from a few bouts of morning sickness, everything was textbook and normal with my pregnancy. I tried to get as much sleep as possible because I felt so tired everyday and I had to stay away from the kitchen. Strong scents and tastes made me queasy so I ate very bland food like hard boiled egg with rice,and I didn't like the sight of dark / black food.

The Second Trimester: When I entered my 2nd Trimester, I did worry a bit that I might have the same problems as my previous pregnancy with Joshua and having to be put on bed rest.  But thankfully, everything went smoothly and my routine stayed the same.  By the 6th month, it was confirmed that we were having another baby boy.  It was so clear on the ultrasound, the technician didn't even hesitate.  Here's a 4d photo of Kenji while in my womb.  Amazing how clear images are today right?

The Third Trimester: By this time, I really felt like I needed a break.  I really expected to give birth earlier than my due date because that's what happened the first time around, but Kenji really had a mind of his own.  As my due date drew nearer, he was no where near ready to come out.  My tummy was really getting big and he was getting heavier everyday.  I because clumsy and so ungraceful.  I also ate a lot this time coz I was constantly hungry, and I wanted big honking steaks to boot!  I also craved sweets and my cousin was laughing at me coz I think I ate almost every 2 hours in the office.

But this was also the time that Typhoon Ondoy hit the country.  My cousin and I were stranded in the office that fateful Saturday because we saw that even Buendia was flooded.  We were lucky that we were able to reach home safely by 5pm, with no traffic and flooding along the way.  Rod was out of the country that time and I had to drive myself to and from work everyday.  He got stranded in Hongkong that day, so Josh and I stayed at my mom's place since they had electricity, while our house was completely dark.  Thank God we survived Ondoy.

My Changing Body:  Although my tummy was really big this time around, I also gained the recommended amount of weight, like about 25-30 lbs. the whole 9 months.  This time I had really bad stretch marks in my tummy as Kenji really grew and grew inside of me, but I still seem to have really good hair and nails.  By time time I hit my 39th week, I was miserable and just wanted to give birth.  But imagine my disappointment when I had my doctor's visit on November 7th, and my OB told me that my cervix was still closed and not even 1cm dilated.

My Labour Experience:  So imagine my surprise when I woke up at 4am November 8th already in full-fledge active labour!  I woke up to go to the bathroom and I felt like my back was aching and I kept on feeling contractions.  At first I thought this couldn't be coz I wasn't even 1 cm dilated the previous day.  But I woke Rod up and told him that we needed to get to the hospital.  By 6am, I was in the delivery room, being prepped since the resident doctor told me that I was about to give birth and 8cm dilated!  She told me not to push at all as I might just give birth right there and then.  Good thing my OB lived nearby and was able to be there in time.  After 20 minutes of pushing, we welcomed Kenji Lee Uy Chua into my arms at 7:20am.  He was born 8 lbs, 1oz , 51 cm long.  All the nurses were telling me how big my baby boy was.  I was just so happy that he's finally in my arms, and not inside of me kicking and stretching my tummy even more!  And my Rod was with me again the whole time, taking pictures and making sure that we were okay.

God, the abuse our bodies take during our pregnancies.  But it truly is a labour of love...and all worth it when we have our healthy babies finally in our arms.