Subidized

…aaaand here’s what happened in the last 4-5 months! I cannot believe the pregnancy went by so fast. 

Week 22 - Ace went to Japan for a week-long business trip. It’s the first time he’s been away from home since the pregnancy, so what to do during the 4-day long weekend? Flutterbutter and I stayed in my parents’ house and once again experienced their love and care! 

Week 25 - We were scheduled for a Congenital Anomaly Scan (wherein they will check the baby thoroughly from head to toe and inside out for any physical defects) and a Doppler Velocimetry (to check if the baby is getting adequate blood flow). It’s true, these tests were scary because you wouldn’t know what to expect. Thank God everything came out normal! Yay! Flutterbutter was awake the whole time, but the doctor said he was actually cooperating that’s why she didn’t have a hard time.

Bonus for us: We were able to see the details of the face! ❤

Week 26 - We spent the whole week preparing the house for Flutterbutter’s arrival. Preparing, meaning buying cabinets and shelves, setting up the crib, doing general cleaning, and of course, decluttering. Gotta let go of old things to make way for new ones! And I noticed his kicks are getting stronger and stronger! He also made a grand appearance during the ENPH Christmas Party, and I won best in costume! He’s the best prop, ever :) 

Week 29 - We took an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) to see if I had gestational diabetes. We heard really bad stories about how awful the “drink” was before taking the test, so more than the results, I got really scared of the taste. Haha. Thank God we passed!!!

Week 30 - MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! This week, we announced to the whole world, aka social media, that we’re pregnant by posting this year’s Christmas Card. 

Week 32 - 8th months!!! Starting this week, we’ll be having our OB check-up every two weeks instead of having it monthly. We also had an ultrasound to check the baby’s growth, and thank God everything is normal! He now weighs about 3.5 lbs, which is just right for his gestational age. We also enrolled in a Birthing Class with Rome Kanapi. We’ll be attending the class every week for the next six weeks.

Milestone: Ace heard Flutterbutter’s heartbeat when his ear was against my belly!!!

Week 33 - Baby shower name reveal! For the first time, we revealed Flutterbutter's name. The people who came were our immediate families, the married people from my coaching group, couple friends, and our ninongs/ninangs in our wedding.

Week 35 - We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary, which is also the last anniversary where it’s just the two of us. We’re so excited to spend our next one with Navi! He was able to experience his first musical, Wicked. He was awake majority of the time, so he could probably hear the songs!

Week 36 - Total weight gain as of this week is 16 lbs. And I noticed that my nose and feet are starting to get bigger! Not edema-level, just a little bigger. We also had a baby shower with our relatives, both from our sides. We also had a maternity shoot c/o my good friend, Jamie! 

Week 37 - Contractions every 20-30mins on Monday, every 10-20 mins on Tuesday, and down to 5-10 mins on Wednesday! So we decided to start the maternity leave on Thursday. But when we went to the labor room (hoping that they wouldn’t send us back home), we were told to go home because I was just 1cm dilated. Lol. 

Week 38 - Still 1cm dilated and not effaced....

Week 39 - The doctor advised us to have another ultrasound within the week. After the ultrasound, the sonologist told us to text our OB that my amniotic fluid is already at 6.1, which was low. So the doctor texted us to go to the hospital. I was going to get induced! My labor lasted for 3 days, which made me sooo tired from all the pain that’s why we opted to get an Epidural once I hit 7cm. (Read the whole labor and birth story here.)

Key takeaways from our 4th session:

There are 6 ways to progress in labor:

Cervix ripens/softens

Cervix moves from posterior to anterior position

Cervix thins or effaces from 0-100%

Cervix opens or dilates from 0-10cm

The baby’s head must rotate and mold to fit the pelvis

The baby’s head descends down the pelvis called stations -- from -5 cm to +5 cm

Modified Valsalva Pushing. Do two cleansing breaths at the start of the contraction, then hold your breath while pushing. Followed by two more cleansing breaths after the contraction. 

Gentle Exhale. Do two cleansing breaths at the start of the contraction, and instead of holding the breath while pushing, the mom may exhale. Followed by two more cleansing breaths after the contraction. 

Once the baby is born, the doctor checks the APGAR Score:

Appearance (color)

Pulse (130-160 beats per minute)

Grimace (cry) 

Activity

Respiration (breathing) 

After birth, the mother will experience bleeding called Lochia, sort of like when she has her period. Dark red blood should only last for 3-4 days, if bleeding still occurs after that, the health provider should be notified. 

Check the temperature everyday for the first few days. Fever could be a sign of infection. 

Different ways to care for your Episiotomy: 

Boil guava leaves and use the water to wash the genitals

Do kegel exercises

This specific bottle from Pigeon - SofTouch Peristaltic PLUS - mimics the breasts of the mother. 

When pumping, it is important to stimulate the breasts first instead of pumping immediately. Once there’s a “let down,” the mom can start pumping. 

Today’s key takeaways: 

1. Hospital bills. Hospitals usually adjust the price of everything depending on your choice of room. Like, charges for the equipment, doctor’s fee, medications, and all the other things you’ll be paying for in the hospital will be increased if you get a bigger room or if you choose to stay in a birthing suite. Reason is that they assume that just because you get a bigger room, you can afford to pay more.  

2. A lot of people will be interviewing you while you’re in labor. So it’s best to prepare the answers beforehand, write it in a sheet of paper, make photocopies of it, and give it to whoever is interviewing you. The usual questions that they will be asking are: 

Your name, age, blood type and RH factor

Your husband’s name, age, blood type and RH factor

Last menstrual period (LMP) and expected date of delivery (EDD)

Age of gestation (AOG)

Number of pregnancies (G / “Gravida”), live births (P / “Para”), term births (T), premature births (P), abortions/miscarriages (A), and living children (L)

Your menstrual cycle -- Age of first menstrual period, regularity/irregularity in cycles, days of menstruation, and number of pads used on a heavy day

Name of OB-GYN and Pediatrician

Medical insurance

Medical history -- pregnancy, allergies to food/drugs, diseases

Pregnancy tests done -- CBC, FBS, urinalysis, ultrasound, congenital scan, bio-physical test, non-stress test, etc and results 

History of smoking and alcohol consumption

Supplementary vitamins taken

3. Enema. Unlike the usual pre-op enema which uses 1-2 litres of PNSS, they will only use this small bottle of Fleet Enema once, and you’re done! Definitely not as uncomfortable as the other kind of enema. 

4. Newborns could only see in black and white, so it’s best to use black and white clothing, toys, and mobiles during the first few months. They could also see better at close range, about 8 inches away from them at birth and 12 inches at six weeks.

5. Exercise balls are very useful. It takes pressure off the back and hips which can help you manage labor pains, and could also help hasten the cervical dilation. That’s why it’s recommended to be used in labor in the United States. Also, once the baby is born, this could be used to rock the baby to sleep by bouncing up and down! 

6. One of the roles of the husband during labor is not just to provide emotional support, but also remind the wife of the breathing exercises and pain management techniques while she is in labor. There’s a tendency that she’ll forget what to do because of the pain. But of course, the husband has to be firm while coaching the wife.

7. Breathing exercises when you have the urge to push but you’re not yet allowed to push -- instead of deep breathing, do light breathing instead like “hee-hee-hoo” and “choo choo,” then hold the bottom of the belly up using your hands to take the pressure off the cervix. However, this could increase the oxygen levels in your body which could make you a little dizzy, so if this ever happens, you could cup your hands over your mouth and nose, then breathe to balance the oxygen and carbon dioxide. 

8. Safety First came to demonstrate some of their outdoor and indoor products. Their strollers and playpens are surprisingly durable, and can carry the weight of an adult! They are also lightweight and can easily be stored. 

9. Ogalala taught us the importance of using toys for the development of children’s motor skills, hand and eye coordination, grip, and even creativity. And also, children learn through play. There are different toys for different ages and milestones. They are not just toys, but they’re educational, too! 

Key takeaways from this week’s session: 

1. There are 4 Stages of Labor: Cervical Effacement & Dilation, Delivery of the Baby, Delivery of the Placenta, and Recovery. Effacement refers to the thinning or ripening of the cervix, and dilation is the opening of the cervix to 10cm. During the first stage of labor, the contractions gradually increase in intensity and becomes more frequent. This stage lasts for hours aaaand contractions are usually accompanied by pain. 

2. When the bag of water ruptures, we have to note the COAT:

Color -- it should be white or clear. Greenish amniotic fluid signifies the presence of meconium. Pinkish color or the presence of blood is normal because of the bloody show. 

Odor -- it should be odorless. 

Amount -- it could be a sudden gush, or like a faucet with water slowly coming out. But the amount will definitely be a lot, and you’ll be soaking wet. 

Time -- note the time the bag ruptures. 

3. Use of a tennis ball to relieve pain -- apply pressure to the lower back while doing it in a circular motion. The mom can sit facing the back of a chair, or on her knees while leaning forward. She can also do it on her own while she’s against a wall, with the ball in between the wall and her back. 

4. Slow dancing to relieve pain. Haha I’m not really sure what it’s called, but the dad could assist the mom in this position while both of them (or just the mom) sway from side to side. 

5. Using a chair to relieve pain -- mom could put one leg up the chair (of course with the dads sitting down to prevent accidents!) and then slowly bend forward. She could face the chair or face sideways. 

 6. Breathing exercises to relieve pain -- do one cleansing breath (slow, deep breath) at the start of a contraction, then breathe slowly or normally while focusing on one focal point and massaging the uterus. Followed by another cleansing breath at the end of the contraction. The cleansing breath can help the husbands monitor or know the beginning and end of every contraction.

7. Labor pains can differ from one person to another. It doesn’t mean that women who have high tolerance with pain won’t experience really strong labor pains anymore. It also doesn’t mean that people who have bad dysmenorrhea will experience bad labor pains. 

6. Practice, practice, practice! We were told to practice all the relaxation and pain management techniques so we won’t forget when the real pain comes. It’s also better to practice the breathing exercises while the dads inflict pain/pressure on your shoulder muscles... because labor pains will be 50x more painful! 

Our first baby shower with our immediate family, the married people from our coaching group, couple friends, and godparents from our wedding. This is also the first time when we finally revealed his name!

Venue: Mudpie Heaven, a hidden gem in Circuit Makati. They’re food is really good, serving is very big, and everything is just so hipster and photogenic! 

The planning and organizing were executed by our Ninang, Mama Meir. She was the one who thought of everything from the baby shower theme, decorations, and gimmicks! 

One of the flower girls in our wedding, Ina, who’s also pregnant herself, hosted the shower. 

Speech #1: Message from a grandparent by one of our ninangs, Tita Patty, who’s also part of our coaching group. She said that grandchildren are a blessing. It’s like they (grandparents) are given a second wind. 

Game #1: Nursery Rhymes Mad Gab hosted by Sonjia, who’s a part of our coaching group. We all had to guess the correct title of a nursery rhyme through clues using common words. Like, the words Hero Wig Or Hound Dum Milby Reb Puss translates to “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.” The girls won!

Message #2: Message from a parent by one of the ladies in our coaching group, Ate Jo Anne. She said that it takes a community to raise a child. We need to have people around us, because we cannot do it alone. 

Game #2: Baby Diaper Challenge using only tissue paper. The team that makes the sturdiest and most creative “diaper” and other baby accessories wins. Lou and Coke’s team won! 

Game #3: Blind Pictionary. They had to guess the baby-related word or phrase from our drawings. The first word was... hahahahahaha! (PS. Thank you, Ryan, for taking these photos!)

Game #4: Name Reveal Game, hosted by us! We gave them random phrases that they had to fill in the blanks, whoever answers correctly and guesses a correct letter will have a chance to guess the baby’s name. Ryan guessed it correctly!

These people are not just family and friends, but they are one of the reasons why we have Samuel Navi. They were the ones who have been praying and believing with us for this miracle. These people are the community that will help us raise Navi, including his future BFFs, Malaya and Lucas! 

SAMUEL --  means “name of God” or “God has heard” // “And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, "I have asked for him from the LORD." (1 Samuel 1:20)

NAVI -- from the latin words natus which means “born,” and vincere which means “to win.” It is also a popular team from DOTA 2...

Key takeaways from today’s session: 

1. Deliveries are bloody because of episiotomy (a surgical cut in the perineum just before the baby comes out to enlarge the opening and prevent tearing). That’s why husbands stay beside the wife and not beside the doctor because they might faint if they see all the blood. Haha.

2. Watch your diet to make sure the baby doesn’t get too big inside the womb. It is better to let the baby gain weight after birth, and not before birth.

3. The head of the baby is bigger than the rest of his body. If his head is able to fit through the pelvic cavity, then hooray! No need for a caesarean section.

 4. These Crave Healthy chips tastes like Tomy, and are good for moms-to-be because it’s enriched with folic acid, calcium and iron. Not to mention it’s low in sodium. It retails at P25 and you could get it online or in selected MedExpress branches. 

5. There are a couple of ways to relieve back and hip discomforts:

Hip circles -- feet apart with your knees bent, then slowly rotate your hips. You can also move the hips from font to back, or side to side.

When lying on your side, place a pillow between your legs.

When lying on your back, place a pillow underneath your knees.

Do not put all your weight in one leg.

Lie on your back and let your husband swing both your legs from left to right. 

6. It’s not bad to get up on your own or pick up things on the floor. Don’t always rely on your husband to help you with those things. :) Bending down (with your back straight and knees bent) is actually a good exercise. 

7. Nipple care -- there is no need to soap your nipples because soap and water can dry up its natural oils. Rub it (using your thumb) only once a month to clean the areola, because nipple stimulation can cause contractions. Also, there is no need to clean the nipples after breastfeeding because the milk can help heal sore nipples. 

8. Mustela products are all natural and are safe to use for babies and pregnant mommies, and they’ve been in business for 67 years. Haha. 

9. It’s always fun to meet new friends, especially those who are going through the same things as you. Who would’ve thought my cousin, Kaia, and I would be in the same birthing class? :)

Last year, as we went through the 5-day prayer and fasting, we dared to believe God for the impossible. We prayed and believed God for a baby! (Read the full story here).

During the fast, there was only one thing in my mind -- by the next prayer and fasting, you’ll be pregnant, and this baby will be a testimony. 

I knew it was God who was telling me that, but I also thought it was just me and my faith saying that God would answer my prayers. I didn’t think it was really God... I’m not prophetic, anyway. Haha.

After the fast, I totally forgot about that word. But God would constantly remind me, especially those times when Ace would feel bad about our situation, or whenever I would get my period. 

Again, I wouldn’t tell Ace about that word because I thought it was just me. 

Then I was offered a job at Every Nation which I prayed for for almost two months. Even though I knew that it was a “go” from God (and my husband!), I declined the offer because I knew that it would be hard to conceive if I’d get stressed since it was a 9 to 5 job.

But I was reminded that no matter what the situation is - whether I’m stressed or not - if God gives us a baby, He WILL give us a baby. Who am I to limit God and base my decisions on human experiences? 

Good thing they offered again. :) So I took the job. I started working June 1st, and it was a reaaally busy month. 

As the month was coming to a close, God kept on reminding me about His word: by the next prayer and fasting, you’ll be pregnant. 

And then they announced that there will be a mid-year prayer and fasting the first week of July. But I thought to myself, it probably won’t happen since:

I’ve been so busy with work

I’m always tired, and 

if ever it does happen, it’ll probably be in the next 5-day prayer and fasting, not the 3-day mid year one. 

But for one whole week, this was the only thing in my mind:

By the next prayer and fasting, you’ll be pregnant. By the next prayer and fasting, you’ll be pregnant. By the next prayer and fasting, you’ll be pregnant. 

So I took a pregnancy test exactly a week before the prayer and fasting, just because I wanted to test if it was really God saying that or that it was just me. My period wasn’t even delayed.

Lo and behold, two lines. 

More than the idea of having those two lines appear and us being pregnant, I was so amazed that it was really God who was speaking all along, and that He was faithful to His word.

We dared to believe God for the impossible, and by faith, He made the impossible things possible.

During our first year of marriage, one of our Ninongs taught us to list down 10 things that we are thankful for the previous year and 10 things we are believing God for the next year. 

So we started doing this every January 1st... and we dedicated one notebook just for this. 

Looking back at all our lists since 2014, and as we wrote down our lists for this year, we couldn’t help but be amazed at how He has answered our prayers. It really builds up our faith knowing how God continues to move in our family’s lives. 

But more than Him answering our prayers, we are just in awe of God’s greatness and faithfulness. 

December has always been one of the busiest months in terms of our social life because it’s where everyone has get togethers, Christmas parties, reunions, and even weddings. Here are all the parties that I’ve attended this Christmas (it doesn’t even include the ones Ace attended).

Party #1: Coaching Group

We all had to bring something kikay for our exchange gift. You could never go wrong with kikay stuff as gifts! 

Party #2: Every Nation Staff

This year’s theme was “New York” so everyone had to dress up in their best New York attire. Of course, everyone came in their most fashionable trench coats and scarves. So..... I dressed up as a homeless person in NY! Engr Ronnel and I were the only ones who dressed up differently, so we won best in costume. Haha.

Prior to the party, we picked out a name who we would give a gift to, sort of like an exchange gift which we gave out on the day of the party. Before giving the gift, we were instructed to pray for that person. 

Party #3: Tuesday Victory Group 

Not everyone could make it on the same day, so we divided our party into two parts. Our exchange gift was something creative and/or useful. It’s always fun spending time with these ladies! 

Party #4: CommTech Volunteer Appreciation

To honor and appreciate our volunteers, we held a simple appreciation night / Christmas party. It was fun spending time with them and not thinking about the shot list and the stuff that we need to document.

Party #5: CommTech

Two weeks before the party, we were instructed to think of a Disney or Marvel Character, and write down our top 3 Christmas wishes. Once we picked out our “baby” for the exchange gift, we were instructed to dress up as the character our baby chose. Thank God my costume was easy -- I got Pepper Potts!

Party #6: Couples Group

This is probably the most relaxed Christmas party we had, probably because there was no program, no gimmicks, no themes, no exchange gifts. All we did was spend time with each other and let the kids play. Our group is indeed multiplying. There are now three babies and two on the way! It’s going to be a riot next year, now that there will be a total of five baby boys.

Party #7: Ojeda Family

We all dressed up in Christmas colors - red, green and white. We had games for the kids, as well as the kids at heart. The games we played were Bring Me, Trip to Jerusalem, and the most popular, the Bottle Flip Challenge. It was really nice to see the kids play games and interact with each other instead of just looking at their iPads. 

Party #8: Video Team

We had a simple dinner in Chihuahua, played a game, and just celebrated God’s grace and goodness in our team this 2016. 

Party #9: The Ojedas 

The food was overflowing! We were only 7 (10 including the house helps) but the food was good for 15 people. Not complaining though, because the food was really good. We spent the night at our parents’ house which I really missed. :)

Party #10: Albornoz Family

It’s been a tradition to have lunch with their side of the family every 25th. As usual, Ace, Coke and I hibernated in the sofa. There’s something about the sofa that makes us sleep every single time we’re there. 

I thank God for each of these people. Even though a lot weren’t relatives, they’re all family. They are a reflection of God’s goodness and grace in our lives, so it’s just fitting to celebrate the holidays with them.

But of course, despite the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, I pray that we won’t miss out on why we are having all these things. :) It’s to celebrate Jesus, the reason for this season!

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

-Isaiah 9:6

We have been married for 3 years before really praying for a baby. Not that we didn’t want one, but we just had this mindset that if we get pregnant, then great! If not, then it’s equally okay. For two years, I crossed out “Baby” in my faith goals just because we know that I can happen anytime and it will happen naturally because we don’t do birth control. 

Until we found out that both Ace and I had fertility problems a week before Christmas of 2015. 

Ace had a condition which makes his sperm very weak and causes a low sperm count. I, on the other hand, had PCOS and a retroverted uterus. He needed an operation and I needed to get a work-up done. They said he would take around 6 months to about a year to recover from the operation, and my fertility work-ups could take about 6 months or more. In short, it would be pretty impossible for us to have a baby for 2016. 

We were encouraged to have the operation soon because of the long recovery time. So we decided to go with the best first option -- GOD. 

It was the first time that we really prayed for it. It was the first time it was written on our faith goals. It was the first time that we really asked God for it, because we can’t do it on our own. Who better help us than the ultimate healer Himself? And it wasn’t just us who prayed for it. People around us started to pray for healing and a miracle -- our families, our small groups, and everyone who asked us for our prayer requests. Every week, people would pray for us. 

After 6 months of praying and waiting on God, we got pregnant. 

We didn’t do anything different. We didn’t take any meds, eat healthier food, nor exercised. The only difference was our prayer -- we started to pray for a baby and had faith that God would heal us and give us this miracle. 

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” --Mark 11:24

We did a HERSHEY’S Gender Reveal Party! It was really easy to do, and of course, very yummy too. All we needed were Hershey’s chocolate bars and pens. And they would have to guess whether it was a HE or a SHE by shading the word HE in blue or SHE in red. 

The first one we had was with our family. Here were the results of their guesses:

HE - Daddy, Papa, Manay, Coke and Dani

SHE - Mommy and Riri

And just a few days later, we had the same activity with my officemates. And just like my family, majority of them guessed that it’s a BOY!

Our first five months of pregnancy went by so fast… I still couldn’t believe I’m already halfway done! Here’s a recap of all the milestones during those first five months :)

Week 3 - God kept on reminding me about his word during the last Prayer and Fasting that I’ll be pregnant before the next prayer and fasting.

Week 4 - It was the week before the mid-year prayer and fasting. I took a pregnancy test just to confirm if the word was really from God or it was just me thinking about it. Lo and behold, two lines! But Ace was in the USA and I had to wait a week until he arrives before telling him. I was still in shock, and excited, but it hasn’t really sunk in because I didn’t have anyone to share the joy with.

Week 5 - Ace found out he was going to be a Dad!!! We weren’t able to do an ultrasound that week because it was still too early. We prayed that everything would be normal and that I wouldn’t have any morning sickness or any hormonal related discomforts. It is when we also decided not to announce our pregnancy yet on social media and just tell our families and friends personally. 

Week 6 - Our first ultrasound! But the doctor didn’t see anything -- no fetal pole, no heartbeat -- and told us to do another ultrasound a week later just to be sure it wasn’t a miscarriage. 3 days later, we went to another doctor just to ask for clearance to travel. She did a series of tests just to make sure everything was normal, including another ultrasound. Lo and behold, we saw a tiny little embryo with a heartbeat! THANK YOU, LORD! The feeling of seeing the heart beat the first time was so surreal and magical. Everything was normal so we had clearance to travel!

Week 7 - Our first out of town trip with Flutterbutter (yes, Ace named him/her that lol) in Singapore! It was pretty scary, knowing that the first few weeks is the most dangerous for any pregnancy. I tried not to walk around too much or do any strenuous activities, but I still ended up walking an average of 16,000 steps per day. It’s also the week when we told our immediate family about the new addition to the family!

Week 8 - Two months preggo and still no morning sickness or cravings!!! Thank You, Lord!

Week 10 - Our first appointment with our OBGYN. It took a while for us to decide which doctor to choose, but after praying really hard and deliberating, we finally chose Dr. Menefrida Reyes! She’s also a Christian and was highly recommended by a lot of my officemates at Every Nation. Plus she’s also the Gynecology Department Head in St. Luke’s QC. Unfortunately, she wasn’t available that day so we met up with a reliever. 

Week 12 - Three months and still no morning sickness or cravings!!! The only pregnancy hormonal thingy I’ve been experiencing was food aversions, which caused my food intake to decrease because I suddenly lost appetite to almost all the food. All I wanted were my mom’s spaghetti and a couple of Filipino dishes. 

Week 14 - Our first road trip with the baby! We went to Clark, Pampanga for Couples Getaway. We wanted to make the most out of this event, because this will be our last Couples Getaway before the baby arrives. It’s also where a lot of people also found out about the pregnancy!

Week 15 - Our second pre-natal appointment. Unfortunately, there was another woman in labor so we were attended once again by the reliever. But it’s okay, we still like her. We told her that I’ve been having migraines and palpitations recently, and my heart rate would go as high as 146 beats per minute whenever I would go up a flight of stairs. She got a little bit worried so she referred me to a cardiologist. After having a consultation with the cardio and finishing a series of tests, I was told everything was normal and that it was just because of pregnancy. We also found out that I lost 5 lbs from the food aversions. 

Week 16 - Hello second trimester!! We had another ultrasound because it was Ace’s and my mom’s birthday. It was our first time to really see the baby move! We saw the head, spine, legs, and of course, those tiny feet and hands. Everything was normal, according to the doctor. We were so glad that the baby was normal in size even if my belly hasn’t really shown yet.

Week 18 - Our first trip to Bohol, and our last plane ride until the baby arrives. It was also the week the bump started to show! It wasn’t that obvious though, I just looked like I ate in a buffet. Haha. 

Week 19 - It was the first time I felt the baby kick and move! No more guessing anymore if it was just gas or the baby. It was so clear that it was the baby, because my belly would move every time he/she kicks, and Ace would even feel it whenever he would touch my belly. Finally, a clear sign everyday that the baby is alive and doing well! Not to mention that my belly’s size grew significantly bigger this week.

Week 20 - We had another ultrasound because it was my birthday, and yes, we found out the gender! It’s a healthy baby BOY!!! Best birthday gift ever :) Before the ultrasound, we were praying that the baby would position himself the right way so we would clearly see the gender. And he did! Thank you, Lord!

It was also the week where we finally met our OBGYN (we instantly loved her.) She prescribed a uterine relaxant because I’ve been having contractions the past few days, which has also been documented during the ultrasound. When the doctor was inspecting the belly and the baby, he was moving so much which made the doc say “Yes, he’s really a boy!” Good job, baby! 

We finally revealed to our family the baby’s gender. We made them guess by shading HE or SHE in a Hershey’s bar, and most of them guessed that the baby’s a boy! What a memorable way to spend my birthday and cap off the first half of pregnancy :)

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Today I learned how to paint flowers using watercolor! It’s something that I’ve been wanting to learn since the rise of the hipster era. Haha.