Time has passed. A lot has happened. And a lot more to come!
This blog was created so we could look back and see what we were back then. As much as I wanted to record every detail of our first born milestones, I just wasn't able to do it. When Rafa was born, we didn't get a helper since I stopped for work to take care of him personally. My day revolved around him and the household chores. I just didn't get the chance to blog. Nevertheless, I may not be able to record it in this site, but I made sure that I keep a video of rafa while growing up.
I am again writing to announce that rafa will be a "kuya" soon! Our upcoming baby came in as a welcome surprise. We planned to have another baby maybe late this year, but He has other plans for us. On my first pregnancy, i feared if I am ready to become a mother. This time, I fear if I can handle two kids! hahaha! I felt a little guilty because I felt Rafa is still a baby. But nowadays, I can see Rafa little by little maturing which made me think that it's fine to have another baby. Of course, habibi and I agreed that we will both show our love and attention to Rafa the same way to our upcoming baby. We still have a lot of time to show our undivided attention to Rafa and prepare him to being a kuya. :D
It's been four months since we visited our blog again. In the same way, our little Rafa is now 4 months old. I will try to post whatever it is for the past months and keep this updated.
First of, my very first birthing story. The timestamp stated below are based on what I remember.
September 30, 2009(Wenesday) - I'm on my 38th week. It's my weekly checkup with my OB. I am still 3cm dilated. Since it's been two weeks since she said that I'm 3cm dilated, she massaged my cervix so it would loosen up. She said to expect some spotting.
I asked my OB that in any case I don't deliver by October 10, we decided that we want to be induced so that our baby's birthday will be October 10. There's nothing special about it, we just love the idea that our baby will be born on a 10-10 month-day. My OB strongly disregarded our request since this is my first pregnancy, she said that it would be best to let mother nature take its course first. She would just induce me if and when I'm past my overdue and my watermelon is still inside my tummy.
October 2, 2009(Friday) - I saw a very light brownish mucus discharge. It was plenty. I was wondering if my contractions will start soon.
October 3, 2009(Saturday) - We went to Vivo City to buy a few things for the baby and for our weekly grocery. I noticed that I tire easily. We managed to go to Mothercare, but as we are walking towards the grocery, I felt so tired and my back really ached that each step is an agony. Halfway, I told my habibi that I don't think I can still go to the grocery. We decided to just go home.
October 4, 2009(Sunday) - I wasn't able to sleep during the night. Almost every hour, I would wake up habibi to massage my lower back. It didn't hit us that I just might be experiencing labor. How could we? We are waiting for pain to come from my tummy and not from the back just as the normal scene in any movies! Hahaha!
11:00AM Since it's a weekend. we woke up late as usual. I just had a light meal in case I get into labor soon. Not thinking that I am just a few hours away from my labor.
1:00PM I started to feel pain on my lower back. But it will go away once my habibi massaged it.
4:00PM The pain still comes from my back but this time it's starting to last longer. I brought out my antenatal handbook and started doing the breathing exercises. I started to think that I just might be in labor. Amazingly, I don't feel nervous. I told habibi that maybe we should now go to the hospital. He said to wait awhile for it just may be false labor.
5:00PM I've accepted the fact that I am in labor! I started timing the contractions. It's now 30 minutes in between pain. I also felt that the breathing exercises is not working! Or maybe I am starting to panic. Habibi started breathing with me. I told habit that we SHOULD go to the hospital now! I started preparing for the hospital.
6:05PM We arrived at the emergency room. I was still relaxed. We didn't arrive with me crying and shouting! hahaha! Just like when I was confined on my 32nd week, I was wheeled directly to the delivery suite. It was like having a deja vu. Once inside the suite, the nurse told me that before they admit me, they need to be sure if I am really in labor. They attached a CTG to monitor my contractions and the baby's heartbeat.
6:45PM The nurse told me that I truly was in labor and will be admitted. A resident OB arrived and measured my dilation. I am now 5cm dilated and that my contractions are 10 minutes apart. I started to recall everything that I've learned in the antenatal class we attended, and I knew that I am in an active phase of labor. I thought that I will deliver soon since I've dilated quite fast. They asked me if I am having an epidural. If so, that is the best time to have it. I bravely declined and boasted that I'll try to deliver normally without it! I can sense that the nurse was hesitant but complied. They've called my OB but I only understood later on that she will arrive when I am ready to deliver.
9:00PM The pain started to get worse. My only weapon to fight is the laughing gas. They said to just breath into it. So I did, irregardless if I'm doing it right or not or am I breathing enough of it or not. They said to get some sleep which I can't because of the pain! Haller! I am still 5cm dilated.
11:00PM The pain is now unbearable. The nurse told my habibi that I won't be able to deliver my baby if I don't have an epidural. I started contemplating about it. When they did an IE, I am now 7cm dilated. I was like, huwwaaattt??? After all the time that had passed and the pain I had??? I said to my habibi to give me epidural! I know, I know, I should have gotten it earlier. I really needed a slap on the head that time. Hehe… The problem is, it's a Sunday and that time already late at night, so we had to wait for the anesthesiologist to arrive. Poor me.
October 5, 2009 12:30AM The anesthesiologist arrived. That time, I really can't think straight. I was so drugged by the laughing gas. I embraced myself and tried to be strong not be scared to the fact that a needle will be injected to my spine. They only gave a mild doze such that I can still move my legs. Only then I was able to sleep.
1:30AM Once again I felt pain. I thought the epidural will take away the pain! I asked for another doze. They explained why shouldn't they which I don't understand then. I felt the urge to push but the resident OB insisted that I try to control it.
2:00AM Finally! I am given the go signal to push! Hooray! I pushed a few times but to no avail. All of a sudden I don't feel the urge to push! What happened? I'm not sure if I am just intimidated by the nurse who's helping me push. She was full of energy! The whole delivery suite was filled with her voice as she counts. Even my OB find her amusing. Since the breathing exercises during the workshop is no way similar to the actual labor, I am short of breath. The nurse told me that I won't be able to deliver my baby if I breathe that way. I know she meant well but she is starting to be irritable.
2:30AM My OB arrived. Suddenly, I felt excited to the fact that we will have our baby soon! But I was too tired to push. Sometimes, I would doze of for a second while pushing. I'll just remind myself that I should concentrate for our baby.
3:17AM Julian Rafael is born! I didn't cry. I was so happy to see him. Then I heard him cry. It was loud. I am proud! My habibi kissed me but won't leave my side. I reminded him to take pictures of the baby. I said I want every detail. As if like a switch is on, I'm now a mother whose heart is aching whenever I hear my baby cry. Cheesy as it seems but that's the way I felt.
This is definitely one very memorable episode in our lives!
We survived pre-mature labor! My OB was happy to see me still pregnant during my 37th week check up. I'm now on a weekly checkup which only means that my delivery will come very soon!
The night before my checkup, I felt cramps on my lower abdomen, similar to menstrual cramps. It was painful but it was tolerable. The cramps would come every time our baby would move. I did not give much attention to it and just slept over it. During my check up, my OB checked my cervix to see how much dilated I am. There was glow in her eyes when she measured and counted 1..2..3.. and then stop. I asked her what does it mean? She told me that as much as she was happy to tell me that I am now 3cm dilated, there's not much to tell! :D We were also told that our baby's head is already engaged meaning I can deliver within the day, or weeks to come. Back home, I searched the net about experiences of pregnant women that are 3cm dilated. All of them says that it depends on each pregnant women. Some may be 3cm dilated and deliver within the day, while some will have to wait until a week or two before they deliver. My sister in law was 2cm dilated during her check up then delivered a week after. So it's just a matter of time! We're just waiting for my contractions to start then we're off to the hospital! We're all packed and ready to go anytime! :D
The moment I opened this blogsite of ours, my attention was suddenly caught by the small box in the lower right side of this page.. 23 days to go (or even less) before we can finally meet our baby and Im very very excited! Am I ready to be a father? Will I be a good father? Can we provide all the things that our child needs? Will our baby look more like me, or his mother? Those are just the questions that popped out of my mind. It was not very long ago when I was once a dependent boy to his parents for everything and now here I am, entering a new chapter in my life and just few weeks away from receiving the most wonderful gift of life from God, whose future will be dependent on how effective parents we can be. I know its still too early to think of the future so for now, I'll just sit back, relax, and reflect on which is the better way of changing diapers with poo-poo. hehehe. Another thing that excites me are the toys that were going to buy for our kid. Now I can have an excuse to my wife of buying those big RC cars etc. =)
I maybe a newbie in this challenging and exciting world of fatherhood, but one thing is for sure, I will do my best to be the best father that my son can surely be proud of!
We've been waiting for our scheduled 3D/4D for almost a month. We got the first slot in the morning. For weeks, I've been monitoring our baby's movement every morning the same time as our appointment to have the 3D/4D. I noticed that he moves about 2-3hours after I woke up. So we planned to sleep early the night before so we could wake up at 6am, thinking our baby will be awake at 8:40am in time for the ultrasound. Unfortunately, we weren't able to sleep early and hardly slept at all due to excitement! We woke up at 8am! So much for planning. Good thing we are just five minutes away hospital so we arrived only five minutes late. On the way, I felt him kick twice making me confident that he is awake. In a few minutes we were called. We were disappointed when we saw the image in the screen. His arm is covering half of his face. The sonologist asked us to talk to him so he would wake up. My habibi started whispering words to him. He was sleeping so soundly that he ignored us. The sonologist then went out to get something, an alarm gadget! She apologized first before buzzing but to no avail. He moved a little but continued on with his sleep still having his arm across his face. I thought that that would be it. We were advised to walk around the hospital, have breakfast, then come back again after 30mins. So off we went. We even ate guilt free ice cream just to wake him up. When we came back, the waiting area is now full of pregnant couples. Inside, for the second time, the image in the screen did not change. I took out my phone to play his Mozart music. He moved only a little but his arm is still there. He had another buzz of alarm but moved only a bit. The sonologist had no choice but to sway me left and right! That made it! Finally he removed his arm and finally show his face! Since we disturbed him from his deep sleep, he gave us a big yawn which made our hearts skipped! It was so priceless. Here is the video. Good thing he's a boy for his yawn is so manly!
