Yohann's birth day

Warning: long post. as in :p

02 April 2011, 5:30 am. 

I woke up feeling the urge to pee. I also felt some soreness in my abdomen. Normally, dine-deadma ko ang call of nature na ito this early at napipigilan ko naman. I would just give in to the urge around 8 am, pag feeling ko sapat na ang tulog ko at hindi na ako antok. However, this day, I couldn't ignore it. Ewan ko kung bakit, but I eventually gave in and went down to the bathroom to pee. Pagdating don, I saw bloodstain on my undies (sorry, graphic descriptions are needed :p). Medyo napaisip lang ako na maybe this is the day na nga, kaya I calmly went back to our room, texted Mader that the bloody show was here, and woke Mon up to tell him maybe we need to get ready na. 

Kaso, false alarm pala. Mader was knocking at our door in less than 10 minutes and was ready to take me to the hospital. I said I didn't feel any contractions yet, so she dragged me out of our home and to the nearby park to do some brisk walking. That was before 6 am! Haha. Wala naman akong nagawa, nakaladkad niya rin ako. After 2 rounds, I could feel a heaviness in my tummy, parang I wanted to run to the bathroom again and download some stuff :p This time ako naman kumaladkad kay Mader pauwi.

We waited until lunchtime for the contractions to come, pero wala. Nakatulog pa ulit ako, and the bleeding stopped na. So yeah, false alarm talaga.

That night I went to bed thinking maybe hindi pa nga time. But the next day the same thing happened. 

03 April 2011.

At around 5:00 am I woke up feeling a soreness in my abdomen. Again, I went down to the bathroom to pee, and saw blood again on my underwear. I just went back to sleep after that, but still feeling the soreness in my tummy. Parang contractions na ata ito, I thought to myself. Pero natulog pa ulit ako. 30 minutes later I woke up feeling stronger contractions, and when I got up I felt water coming out down there. That was my cue to call my OB-Gynecologist. I told her my water bag already broke, and she advised me to go to the hospital. After an hour, we were there and I was admitted at the labor room. 

I didn't really know what to expect then. They made me change into a hospital gown, asked me all sorts of questions (yung iba gusto ko sagutin ng 'no comment' or I invoke my right against self-incrimination bwahahaha!), stuffed a tube of oxygen into my nose, pricked me for blood tests and IV, strapped me to a monitoring device, washed all the poop out of my large intestines (read: labatiba. eeeewwwww.)  poked and poked me down there (masakit teh!) and finally said I was 4 cm na. Remember, this was my first time to be hospitalized. Medyo na-culture shock ako in all honesty! 

After I was strapped to that monitoring device was when the contractions became stronger. First every 15 minutes sha and lasting a few seconds. I eventually realized when the contractions would come because the device would suddenly stop beeping, and then I would feel the pain in my abdomen. I don't know where I got the idea, but when the contractions hit me I would calm myself by inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly. In my head I was also singing praise songs. When the contractions became more intense and closer together I began praying. I badly wanted Mon to be there with me (hindi ko naman sha mumurahin or sometheeeng) I just wanted him to hold my hand at pipilipitin ko naman ang kamay niya, maramdaman nya lang ang sakit ng labor pains ko hahaha! Wala akong kasama dun kungdi nurses and doctors, some playing Angry Birds, some Facebook-ing, some checking on me from time to time. He would only call the labor room every now and then to ask how I was doing, and the only answer he got was 5cm pa rin po. Siguro naburyong na rin sha kakahintay, naglakas-loob na sha to ask to come in and see me maybe around 10 am. Pinayagan naman sha since ako lang ang naka-admit at that time, A few hours later, may mga in-admit din na 2 mommies also in labor. 

When my OB finally came by to check on me, sabi niya sa akin matulog muna daw ako para may lakas ako. Haller, pano ako matutulog kung parang pinipiga ang mga laman-loob ko every few minutes diba. Sinaksakan na nila ng pampatulog yung dextrose ko, pero all that did was to make me sleepy but still very much conscious. I think I asked the nurses what time it was every 3 hours, kasi I remember 9 am, 12 noon, 3 pm and 6 pm ang mga sagot nila sa akin. When it was already 6 pm, I even commented, 12 hours na ko nandito matagal pa ba? Nanghihina na ako at that time. I didn't get to eat or drink anything,not even water, since the previous night.  

By 8 pm, medyo delirious na yata ako. The pain was getting even more intense, I was getting weaker, and I couldn't help crying out in low wails when the contractions would come. the docs poked me maybe 4 more times since I was admitted, and every time I wanted to kick them dahil masakit talaga! Apologetic naman sila and knew it hurt pero they had to check kasi if my 5 cm has progressed already. Kaso hindi pa talaga. That's when my OB again appeared and asked the other docs to call Mon. I knew then that we were preparing for CS na since 14 hours na and the baby wasn't making the expected descent down the birth canal. When Mon finally came into view, maiyak-iyak na ko sa pagod, gutom, sakit, at kung ano ano pa. Medyo nag-aalangan pa ko if we could afford the CS, pero when he said sige na, I felt so relieved dahil honestly, I couldn't stand the pain anymore. It got more intense by the hour pero wala namang nangyayari. After that, waivers were signed and I was transferred to the operating room. I don't remember when I was anesthetized, all I know was they began to undress me and strap my arms na parang ni-crucify. I couldn't see what was going on. And then I passed out.

Next thing I know, my OB placed Yohann near my face and I woke up to his cries. I smiled weakly and passed out again. Then I felt myself being wheeled to another room, the recovery room, where the anesthesia wore off and all I did was ask the nurse or intern when I could be moved to our room. I knew Mon was already waiting for me and I wanted to see him and the baby na rin. I was told that I'd have to be able to move my legs first before I could be transferred to our room. Legs? Anong legs? That's when I realized hindi ko pala maigalaw ang legs ko dahil sa anesthesia. Haha. So the next few hours I spent trying to lift my legs to no avail. It wasn't until 3 am that I was able to move them, at nailipat na rin ako sa room namin. 

Once there, I asked to see Yohann naman. I was told I would be able to see him once I was strong enough to feed him. So I got to see Yohann around 36 hours after pa. When I was wheeled into the breastfeeding area, I got to hold him and just stared at him for a long time. Speechless ako. All I managed to say in my head was, pano nagkasya sa chan ko to?! Hahaha. He was a bit big - 51 cm and 7 lbs 6 oz at birth.  

We finally went home 4 days after pa. When we got to our room, dun lang nag-sink in sa akin - nanay na ako and this little bebe boy was my bebe! Dun na ko napaiyak. Nakakamangha lang na totoo palang nanganak ako at ito na nga ang bebe boy sa tabi ko :)

Until now, I still have flashbacks of the longest 15 hours of my life. Naalala ko pa yung labor pains, yung waiting time, yung moments na kala ko di ko na kakayanin yung sakit. But when I see the little bebe feeding off my breast, natatawa na lang ako at nagpapasalamat because he really is worth all that and more. Kahit anong sakit, kahit anong gastos, pag nginingitian na niya ko kahit tulog sha feeling ko kulang pa lahat nang yon for us to deserve to be his parents :) 

cooking woes

Cross-posting from my other site :p

It’s almost dinner time and I’m thinking again of what to cook for tonight. And tomorrow. And Saturday. And Sunday. And next week.

 

One of the things I easily got the hang of during our early weeks of marriage was cooking. I discovered I love cooking and actually coming up with meals that I love to eat. Part of the excitement is not knowing what the outcome would be, as I was still experimenting a lot and just cooking from memory – as in remembering how a certain dish should smell and taste like (Baker King??? lol). Of course I had my share of boo-boos. It took me some tries before I learned the exact proportion of soy sauce and vinegar to make theadobo hubby wants.

 

But, I will never forget the first time I attempted to make buffalo wings. I’d been craving to make buffalo wings since the day we had dinner at Food Choices and Tin ordered them.  So one dinner time maybe last month, I decided I’ll try making them. I looked up buffalo wings recipes in the net and made a marinade out of the seasonings and condiments I had at home. In fairness to me, I liked what came out of it. It was spicy, a bit sweet and salty and sour at the same time, just the way I wanted it to be. I liked it so much I snacked on it while waiting for hubby to come home from work.

 

The acid test came when hubs arrived and I sat down again for my real dinner (you have to understand, hubby doesn’t eat vegetable dishes except tortang talong and munggo, loves lechon kawali and all other fried stuff; in short, he has this simple and basic taste when it comes to food). I proudly showed him the chicken wings, and waited for his reaction. He asked, ‘fried chicken?’ I said, ‘no, experiment ko.’ I didn’t say buffalo wings because it wasn’t really buffalo wings but my own rendition of it :p When he took the first bite, he calmly said he didn’t know what it tastes like – sweet, salty, sour or spicy. And then he said he preferred my plain old fried chicken.

 

He didn’t expect what happened next, I tell you :p I stood up and finished my food, went up to our room and slept without him knowing what hit him. Bwahahaha. Oh, I threw some lines too, just to let him know that next time he can have his fried chicken as long as he cooks it himself. Wahahahahaha!  That was the beginning of a short-lived Cold War :p

 

The next day, having had some rest and my sense of humor back, I woke up and checked the table. He ate at least two of the chicken, and the rest was demolished by my brother. There was nothing left. I was hoping there would be some left-overs as I really liked it, but to my dismay, nothing of it was left :p

 

—–

 

So tonight I’m going to market again, thinking of what I’ll be cooking for the next few days.  It’s hard work, this cooking stuff. Now I appreciate mothers (or fathers, whoever does the cooking at home) more

1 week...part 2

And since I'm doing this using psp limited lang pala ang pwedeng entry. Haha.

Anyway, balik na lang muna ako sa pakikipaglaro kay bebe. This time of the day he likes to move around my tummy. Hinahabol nya where I put my hands on my tummy and that's where he pushes. Makulit na ang bebe boy. Hihi.

1 week

1 week na since i left work, and my biggest accomplishment so far is learning to surf the net via psp. lol.

I haven't been doing much, nakakatamad talaga kumilos pag andito ka na. Especially since Mon was panggabi this week, so when he leaves for work a few hours na lang patulog na ko; and when he comes home pagising na dapat ako. Kaso lang naiiinggit ako sa kanya kaya natutulog na lang din ulit ako. Haha.

Oh well, anyway I make bawi na lang in the afternoon by going out for a short walk. :)

countdown

In a few days I'll be leaving my job, and I'll be staying at home full-time. The thought kinda excites me, it's been tough getting up in the wee hours of the morning these days. I can already imagine myself spending precious quality time with our bed and the couch, LOL! On the other hand, I'm kinda worried because of two things - I might turn into a couch potato, and be cooking and eating like there's no tomorrow. Whether or not Mon's at home to eat with me, I'd often find myself looking for something to cook and enjoying the food kahit wala akong kasama kumain. And after that I'll be feeling so tired I'd go straight to the couch and be snoozing in no time :p 

- - - - - - 

Anyway, I guess I'll just have to challenge myself to be more productive than that. I'll have the laundry to do and stuff to fix. I'll be working on honing my transcription and proofreading skills too, as I plan to go back to my previous bread and butter of transcription work. Blessing talaga, this opportunity came to me just when I needed it. God knows just what we need, and His timing's always perfect :)

- - - - - - 

I've also started counting down the days before the little bebe boy comes out. During our last check-up, our OB said I could deliver as early as last week of March. Wah! I've set my mind on April - around 2nd week! Kaya ko tooooooooo!!! *Inhale,exhale* haha. 

Like I said before, I've been talking with bebe boy and telling him to be good to mommy when he comes out. Sabi ko, anak make it quick ha. When the doc says 'Ire!' that's our cue - for me to push and him to make an appearance. I think he understands naman, kasi whenever I tell him that, he'll give a slight push of acknowledgment :p

- - - - - -

Barely 2 months to go until the most awaited day. Hihirit muna kami ni Monmon ng last gimik by the end of the month, I guess I deserve it. Kailangan ko ng fresh air and a change of environment. Hehe. Thanks to Terence I'll finally get to see their farm in Laguna, and I hope Yohann will enjoy the outing, too. :) 

- - - - - -

Samahan niyo ko sa countdown! :D

feelings...nothing more than feelings..

I am a kaleidoscope of emotions at the moment. 

I'm excited and anxious, thankful and just a wee bit worried, serious and carefree at the same time; plus smitten, insatiably curious, frustrated, sometimes afraid, uneasy, hopeful, easily touched and easily pleased. I guess it's partly owing to the hormone boost that comes with my current state.

In a few weeks' time I'll be saying goodbye to my Hello Tomorrow family to prepare for Yohann's coming. I've set my mind on resigning from work so I could take care of the baby full-time; I couldn't imagine leaving Yohann for a day while he's still so little..I guess I just wasn't made to be a corporate mom. But, I can't deny the fact that sometimes I think of all the things at work that I'll miss -- my co-workers who've also become my friends, the stuff we do, the talk during lunchbreak, and lots lots more. Sometimes I look forward to the end of Feb, other days I dread it. Hay.

At the moment too, I'm unconsciously counting down the days til the little boy comes out..nakaka...praning? excite? takot? I don't really know. Of course I'm excited to finally see and hold Yohann, but I can't deny the fact that childbirth is on top of my fear factors. I've feared it since the day I first had my period. I try to fight it every day, I talk to Yohann and tell him that when the time comes, to be quick about it and try not to be too harsh on mummy; I ask him to please not make a surprise entrance, so that mummy and daddy will both be prepared to welcome him. Every day too, I pray about it. I ask God to please, please give me the courage to do it, to push the baby out, that every muscle and bone will cooperate to make a safe, normal delivery. I claim it, it's going to be a normal delivery. And it will be quick and easy. And I'll be out of the hospital in no time (this will be my first ever time to be hospitalized!). 

To ease my fear, I just look at the newborn pics of FB friends who recently gave birth. And then I'm teary-eyed naman. Looking at babies just has this effect on me. Even ultrasound pics can move me to tears :p I can't begin to explain how amazed I am at the concept of carrying life in your tummy and then birthing that life into this world. And hearing news, too, of abandoned babies and fetuses thrown carelessly just makes me weep. Pano nila nagagawa yon? 

Hay. Three more months...three more months and hopefully this kaleidoscope would settle into something more stable and constant. I know it will. :)

misis diaries 3

Adobong chicken

Adobong pork

Mais with malunggay

Bangus steak

Pinakbet

Paksiw na fish

Ginisang munggo

Chicken macaroni soup

Tinolang chicken

Poqui-poqui

Pork chop

Tortang talong

Tortang talong with tuna omelette

Chicken macaroni salad

Plain rice

Garlic fried rice

Vegetable salad

- - - - -

Nope, hindi yan part ng menu ng fave resto ko, hindi rin yan ang listahan ng mga paborito kong pagkain. Listahan yan ng mga so far eh alam ko nang lutuin :D

I just recently discovered that I enjoy cooking. Sabi nga ni Meyms, cooking is therapeutic. Ang stressful lang is thinking of what to cook and what to buy pag asa palengke na. I tend to forget kasi what I need and then realize when I reach home na may nalimutan pala ako. But I found a way to avoid this -- bili na lang ako nang bili ng alam kong kakailanganin ko soon para di na ko makalimot :p

This morning I was watching a show that featured the many different ways of cooking sinigang, and I think that will be my next project. Mukang madali lang naman but I've never tried cooking it yet kasi I don't know what to put para umasim siya. Monmon kasi doesn't like using sinigang mix, he wants it old school. Eh saan naman ako hahanap ng sampaloc? Wala pa ko nakikita so far sa NGI market. Bahala na :p

Alamat na din sa family namin ang molo soup. Every time may get-together since I was a toddler and maybe even before pa, hindi pwedeng walang molo. It's easy naman to cook pero a little ma-effort to prepare. Imagine making siomai. And then you put it in a soup. Madali lang naman no? Tamad lang ako :p

Another one of my favorites is my ate's emobotido with tartar sauce. Yun ang ma-effort talaga. Haha. I'd like to learn how to make embotido din, but maybe reserve it just for special occasions lang. Hehe.

Lastly, Monmon's mom and my ate #2 make good chicken cordon bleu. Yummy to, lalo na with the sauce, yuuuummmm! I think Mon already knows how to make it, kaya sige ipaubaya ko na sa kanya ang pag-career dito. Hahaha. Bahala na lang ako sa white sauce :p

- - - - -

Sorry puro food itech, obvious ba what my new hobby is? Cooking and eating :p 

A little kwento na lang, I'm now on my 6th month with bebe Yohann a.k.a Moymoy. I am now a whopping 135 lbs. and feeling chubby everywhere. I'm also manas especially sa hands and feet. My feet are normally swollen in the afternoon when I get tired from all the day's work, pero I just keep them up before sleeping and they feel better na. But my hands are a different case. Every morning I wake up with manhid hands, lalo na yung right one. They're puffy and parang dinikit sa ice for a long time, ganun ang feeling. It's hard for me now to grasp things, text long messages, hold the phone to my ear for a long time, cut things with a knife or scissors, and even take a bath. My right hand is often weak I can't use it as much as I used to. Ewan ko bakit, binigyan na ko ng OB ng vitamins for the nerves. I guess I'll just have to get used to it for a few more months.

 

- - - - -

I'm already counting the days 'til I resign from work. I have until end of Feb. na lang, and after that I'll be home everyday na. I can think of a lot of things to do, pero pag asa bahay na ko I can't do everything naman. Like the other day, I planned to clean the house, do the laundry and iron our clothes for the week. The only thing I did was clean downstairs and wash only half of the laundry. Oh well, I guess ok na rin yon so I won't run out of things to do pag nag-resign na ko. But, I still need to look for work that I can do at home. Help me pray that I find one soon :)

- - - - -

I'll be busy this year with a lot of kids -- my own and others included. Mader invited me to work again with the foundation and I'm excited to be back to where I used to be. I don't know yet exactly what I'll be doing but just being with the kids is enough to excite me. Naisip ko rin, this will be a good start for Yohann, habang bebe pa sha ma-expose na sha sa ministry with me. Hihi. Nakakatuwa lang.

- - - - 

Wala na kong ma-chika, next time ulit at manhid na my hands. Meryenda muna ako ha! :D