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.

Pregnancy Journal - Part I (JOSHUA)

The next 2 entries are long overdue, but I'd still like to work on it so that I can share it with my sons when they grow up. I now have a 2.5 year-old toddler and an 11-month old baby at home. When people say "They grow up so fast", I didn't think they really meant it! But here I am with two wonderful sons, who I love to pieces, so here it goes:

My Pre-Mom Life: Before we decided to start trying for a baby, Rod and I lived at Guevarra with my mom and grandparents. We had to live there for the first 8 months because our current house at Liege was still under renovation. So transition to married life was quite easy for me. It was really Rod who had to adjust living with my family. We decided to wait after moving to our new house before trying for a baby. We officially moved into our new house on August 4, 2007.

The First Inkling: I really had no idea that I was pregnant, until I thought about visiting an OB-Gyne for some other concerns. Then I remembered that I haven't had my period for quite a while. I have a very long and irregular cycle so it took a while for it to hit me. I also noticed that I found some food, which I normally eat, would make me feel queasy. So I asked Rod to buy me a pregnancy kit, and true enough, after using up 2 kits, it was confirmed. 

Picking a Name: For some reason, the moment I knew that I was pregnant, I was really sure that we would be having a baby boy. We first wanted to name him "James", but decided on "Joshua", after I saw Josh Duhamel on the Ellen Degeneres Show. God he's HOT! The middle name of "Han" is after both Rod's father and my Dad.

The First Trimester: By the time I visited my OB's clinic and had my first TV ultrasound, I was already 8 weeks pregnant and given an April 24, 2008 due date. The first three months went by in a breeze. Aside from a few bouts of morning sickness, everything was textbook and normal with my pregnancy during this period. I just slept a lot 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 had the maid rewash all my clothes without fabric softener.

The Second Trimester: When I entered my 2nd Trimester, I had to be put on bed rest for a month because I had some spotting. Had to go in and out of the delivery room to get non-stress tests and also had to take quite a few medication to stop the spotting. My OB said that I had a polyp in my cervix that was causing the bleeding. This was probably the scariest and most depressing time of my pregnancy. I was really emotional and crying a lot from the loneliness of being stuck in bed the whole day, not being able to walk or take the stairs at all, and having to worry about whether my baby would come out okay. It was also quite sad because it was around Christmas time so everyone was out going to parties, but I was lucky that Rod really stayed in bed with me to take care of me.

The Third Trimester: I was lucky to be allowed to fly to Cebu for a short vacation with my family, to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. We spent a weekend at Shangrila Mactan and it was great because it was one of the few times that we were complete as a family. My dad, mom, Rod, me, Aaron, Donald, Puisze and Kaka went. At that time Puisze and I were both pregnant at 5 and 6 months, respectively.

My Changing Body:  I'm thankful that I didn't really get too big while I was pregnant.  I gained the recommended amount of weight, like about 25-30 lbs. the whole 9 months and I'm proud that I ate healthily, making sure that I drank 8 glasses of water and ate my fruits and veggies.  But I also had a sweet tooth, especially during my final months when it was the middle of summer and all I could think of was Razon's Halo Halo, YUM!  I didn't really get a lot of stretch marks on my tummy as well, but I felt ugly.  My nose was really big, and I feel like my neck, face and armpits were darker.  One thing I have to be thankful for when I was pregnant was that I seem to have really good hair and nails.  They grow so fast and shiny.  Other than that, I was a miserable woman.  I really didn't see the "glow" that they always refer to in magazines when describing pregnant women.  Poor me.  I don't think I even have that many photos while I was pregnant.  But here's a couple.

My Labour Experience:  On April 12, 2008, I woke up to go to the bathroom and felt like something was leaking.  Since this is my first time, they said that labour would come slowly, so I took my sweet time.  Took a shower and had my breakfast, before going to the delivery room.  True enough, my water has already broken and I was admitted at 9:00am.  I just stayed inside the labour room to wait for my contractions to come naturally.  By 4:00pm, I was asking for epidural and was ready to push.  After 2 hours of pushing, and with the help of forceps, my beautiful Joshua came into the world at 6 lbs, 13oz , 52 cm long.  What a relief!  I was really scared that I would need a C-section.  My Rod was also a trooper, who stayed with me during the whole delivery, and he was there to hold my hand and encourage me to push harder.  At least he didn't faint at the site of so much blood and mess. 

Will work on my entry for Kenji next.  Later!

Another day in bed.  Today I’m officially 24 weeks.

I thought being on bed rest would be sheer heaven, days and days of doing nothing.  Not until I was actually put on it.  I can’t even go down to have my meals anymore.  I’m only allowed bathroom privileges like going to the toilet and taking a shower.  Other than that, I’m stuck in bed, and I take my meals in bed.   

And with the long endless hours that I spend in bed, you can’t help but have all these thoughts and worries. 

I worry that I won’t be able to carry our baby to term. 
I worry that with all the medication I am taking right now, that our baby will be affected and not be healthy. 
I worry that I will have an emergency and I won’t have any way to contact Rod to take me to the hospital. 
I worry about all the work that I have left behind in the office. 
I worry that I won’t be able to cope with the pain of labor. 
I worry that I won’t get better and I will be on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy.
I worry that my husband would get sick and tired of me and just leave me all alone.
I worry that I won’t be a good mother.

Being on bed rest is very isolating and it can be depressing.  You feel so all alone and you just wait for the time to pass you by.  The television and your laptop become your best friends.  The most exciting time of my day is when I hear the gate opening and I know that my husband is home.  How pathetic is that?  You also feel like you are sick with some grave disease because people tend to stay away and keep their distance.  Seems like they don’t want to catch whatever is bothering you. 

In spite of all these worries and sadness that I am feeling, I am still thankful and happy about some things.

I am thankful for the time that I get to spend on my own so that I can get some much needed rest.     
I am happy when I feel my baby kicking me hard in my belly.  This reassures me that he is growing fine and healthy.
I am happy because every uneventful day that I spend in bed means that I am a day closer to delivering a healthy baby.
Most of all, I am thankful that my husband is still very malambing and very caring.  He takes very good care of me and never fails to tell me and show me that he loves me very much.

That’s all for today.  Later.

Honey, two lines....

After being married for 8 months, we are finally pregnant.  The last 4 months have been a roller coaster ride for me and Rod.  A lot of stress, tears, as well as joy and laughter.

Finding out that I was pregnant was definitely a surprise for us.  Rod and I decided to wait for a few months after we got married before trying for a baby.  We still had a lot of things to do, and we still needed to move into our new house, so we decided to wait till we move in before getting to work, so to speak. 

We officially moved into our house on August 4, 2007.  Moving was an experience in itself.  I learned how OC my husband can be when it comes to the cleanliness of our home, and how disorganized he can be when putting away his clothes and other junk.  In short, I had to be the one to put all of his clothes into the closet.  Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to finish it in a week!

Adjusting into a new routine was a good exercise for us.  We had to establish new times to wake up to get ready for work, time to come home so that we can have dinner together, new times for Rod to get some exercise into his routine, and time for us to do our weekly grocery shopping.  We also had to “break-in” our new maid with our requirements and with our own quirks.  We also had to establish our finances and who had to pay the bills on time.

We officially found out that we were pregnant when I was thinking of going to visit a gynecologist for a routine checkup, and it suddenly dawned on me that I haven’t had my period in a while.  I was a bit worried about it because I’ve never had this before.  I decided to ask Rod to buy me a home pregnancy test so that we can both find out, before visiting the doctor.

When I tried the home pregnancy kit the first time, I couldn’t believe my eyes when two purple lines popped up!  I told Rod to buy me another kit just to be sure.  Rod was cooler about it than me, but lo and behold, the second test also came out positive.  So off we went to the doctor’s office for my first prenatal checkup.

My obstetrician / gynecologist is Dr. Anita Poblete.  She’s the same OB that my cousins go to so I was relaxed when I first visited her.  She’s also very accommodating and has very light hands, so the dreaded speculum and internal exams are not so bad.  Our first visit did confirm that I was pregnant at about 6 weeks.  Both our families were ecstatic about the news.  Only thing I was bummed about was I had to cancel our trip to Bali for Ros and Mark’s wedding.

The first trimester of my pregnancy had been uneventful.  I can say it was a textbook case as I experienced the occasional queasiness, food aversions, frequent urination, general sleepiness and fatigue.  I could sleep for hours, there was even a time that I slept for 12 straight hours and took a nap in the afternoon on top of that!  After getting through the first trimester, I thought things will be a breeze after that, but boy was I wrong!

My fourth month started out as uneventful as the previous months, but on my 20^th week, I experienced some slight spotting.  This got me worried and I had to go to the delivery room, as my OB was sick on the day that I experienced the spotting.  Gosh, the whole experience was so stressful.  The resident OB had to do a speculum and internal exam on me and it was so painful!  The doctor advised me to go on bed rest for a week and I was also prescribed Duvadilan, an anti-contraction medication.  Dr. Poblete told me that the reason I might be bleeding was because the baby’s position was upside down and his kicking was causing the pressure on my cervix.  After one week of bed rest, I was allowed to go back to work and some light activities.

I’m now on my 23^rd week 6 days, and I am back on bed rest again for 2 weeks this time.  I had some bleeding again last Sunday and I was told that I had a cervical polyp which is causing the spotting.  I was prescribed some antibiotics and a vaginal suppository to stop the bleeding and also to ward off infection.

I never thought pregnancy can be this hard.  If it were this hard, how come so many people still give birth to so many babies?  Look at Chinaand their 1 billion population!?!  And all people can tell you is either to take care, or “ang hina mo naman”, or “it’s going to be ok.”

I have to continue this tomorrow, my husband is home and it’s time for dinner.