fussiness

the past few days, nagkakaron ata ng habit si pistoy... pag nagigising sya sa madaling araw, iyak nang iyak! pinakain mo na, pinalitan ng diaper, pinaburp, hindi naman sya naiinitan or nalalamigan, pero basta iiyak lang sya. gusto nyang karga at sinu-sway. pag ako ang may hawak, ginagawa nya kong pacifier. he will latch on, pero he will stop after taking 3-5 sucks. nakasalpak lang boobs ko sa kanya, until makatulog na sya. pag ilalapag ko na, iiyak na naman, and the cycle continues.

i wish kids come with a checklist. yung mga usual na causes ng iyak nila. so far, we've identified the following:
-gutom
walang tigil ang iyak nya pag gutom, and you can see him turning his face sideways at nakanganga. parang naghahanap ng nipple.

- dirty diaper
ayaw nyang may poop or pee. unlike some kids who can sleep through wet diapers, pistoy won't.

- gas
eto pinakamahirap hulihin. mr.co-creator noticed na pag may gas si pistoy, naka-straight yung legs nya habang umiiyak. ang remedy: pa-burp, mylicon, manzanilla, pa-dapa.

- init/lamig
tuluy-tuloy din ang iyak nya. mr.co-creator tests this by staying in our room (usually warmer dahil carpeted), then lalabas sya sa sala (usually colder dahil tiled ang lapag). pag tumigil, we adjust the thermostat sa room (or sala, kung saan sya nag-i-stay) or change his clothes or swaddle him.

- topak
eto ang weird, minsan wala lang, gusto lang nyang nakakarga. gusto nyang sinu-sway. may computer chair kami dito sa bahay, so minsan umuupo ako don with the boppy pillow, tapos swing lang ako from side to side. minsan alam nyang nakaupo, minsan nagogoyo ko sya. hehehe!

ang hirap pala pag fussy ang baby. sabi naman nila, you can't spoil the baby within the first 3-4 months, so it's ok to hold them pag umiiyak. wag lang sana madevelop yung association ng karga+sway sa pagtulog.

btw, we switched his formula from the regular to the lactose-free one. akala kasi namin, yung regular formula ang nagko-cause ng fussiness nya. i guess hindi. kasi fussy pa rin sya. hehehe!

it gets kinda frustrating pag madaling araw, tapos kulang ka sa tulog or antok na antok na, tapos iyak nang iyak ang bata and you don't know why. tapos you tried everything and iiyak pa rin sya. parang gusto ko na lang syang sabayan ng iyak minsan. hehe! i know mr.co-creator feels the same way din minsan. mas naaawa ako for him kasi pumapasok na sya sa trabaho this week. at least ako pwede akong matulog sa tanghali or hapon pag sila mama ang nag-aalaga. si je, he needs to be awake and functioning sa trabaho the next day.

sana matapos na ang pagiging fussy ni jecobie. sabi nila mama, it will get better pag nakakakita na sya. sana nga. in the meantime, i'm trying to read through some advise na iwasan ang certain foods while breastfeeding dahil baka naipapasa ko sa kanya and he can't digest it well pa.

i'm cutting out dairy, nuts, and caffeine from my diet. no more cheese, milk, cream, chocolate, coffee (kahit decaf pa), tea (besides the malunggay tea every other day siguro), cabbage, beans, brocolli. ano pa bang dapat kong alisin sa diet ko? hay. pistoy, wag na wag kang sasagot sa mommy't daddy mo paglaki mo! makikita mo talaga! =P

pistoy's second pedia visit

last friday, dec.24, bumisita ulet kami sa pedia ni pistoy. we met another one of the pedias sa group practice, si dr.colon.

ok naman lahat. tinimbang si jecobie, he's at 9 lbs 6 ounces already. sa length naman, he's measured at 20 inches. what's going on, umiiksi ba si pistoy? hehe! iba-iba kasi ang pag-measure nila eh. minsan naka-stretch si pistoy, minsan parang hinahatak lang nila yung legs.

ay, bago pala siya tinimbang, he was stripped down to diapers lang. tapos nung ilalagay na sa scale, hubarin daw ang diaper... nakow, may tatchi! pinalitan pa ni je ng diaper dun sa mismong weighing area, eh may susunod nang baby na nakapila to be weighed. hehehe! si jecobie, eskandaloso!

then, we waited sa room ulet for the pedia. mabait naman sya, reminds me of the first OB na nameet namin. =) so far, so good... we liked 2 of 4 (or 5?) doctors dun sa group practice nila.

habang tinitignan nga pala si jecobie, biglang namention ng pedia na ok lang daw yung medyo may boobs sya. dala daw yon ng hormones ko na napapasa ko sa kanya. then je noticed something. may patak ng milk sa dede ni jecobie!

the pedia didn't seem bothered at all. she just took a napkin, wiped the drop off and said it's normal. je asked, normal, kahit na lalaki sya?! oo daw! nyaks!

it turns out, the same hormones na napapasa ko sa kanya, which causes the breast tissues to grow a bit, also causes the mammary glands to be active. it's sooo weird! it's the first time i've heard of it!

well, it looks like jecobie won't starve ever. he can provide food for himself. heheheh!

tricks at iba pang chika

sobrang likot na ni pistoy! at 2 weeks old, para na syang 1 month old sa bigat at sa laki.

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pag pinapalitan sya ng diaper at ayaw nya (or pag gutom, or may masakit, or simply tinotopak lang), he straightens his legs and won't bend his knees. ang hirap pag kailangang itaas yung pwet nya, kasi natu-twist nya yung katawan nya patagilid! ang kulet!

je finally got the hang of it... kailangang busog or tulog si pistoy pag papalitan ng diaper. pag di maiwasan at kailangan na syang palitan agad, we resort to "santong paspasan", or pacifier. pag santong paspasan, 4 kaming nagpapalit ng diaper nya. may nakahawak sa paa, sa kamay, may naglilinis ng dumi, at may taga-abot ng gamit. *lol* pag pacifier naman, kailangang hawakan namin yung pacifier against his lips kasi di pa sya marunong gumamit ng pacifier, which is a good thing i guess. =)

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may kalokohan din itong bata na to. either malakas ang tyan nya, or pantog.... pag pinapalitan ng diaper at di pa sya tapos, nasha-shower-an nya kami ng wiwi. more than 3 times na nyang naihian ang sarili nya kasi pag pinapalitan ng diaper, biglang iihi na lang. ngayon nahuli na rin ni je yung style... may pantakip na ng patutuy ni pistoy pag di naman sure kung tapos na syang magwiwi. =P

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nung araw ng pagkapanganak kay pistoy... nagwiwi agad sya nung lumabas sya ng tyan ko. i didn't see it but je told me the story.

nung nag-kangaroo care naman kami, nag-poop pala sya sa akin! i didn't even know!

that afternoon ng operation ko, pinupunasan ako ni mama habang nakaupo sa kama. tapos, may parang black, pasty thingy na nasa tagiliran ko. akala ko may pinahid sa akin na antiseptic or something. tapos nung nakahubad na yung pang-itaas ko, andami! poo-poo pala ni pistoy from our kangaroo care pa! it's the meconium! buti na lang di ko tinikman, akala ko may nadaganan akong chocolate or something eh. =P

so within jecobie's first hour, naka-pee at poop na sya. ahead of sched! sana laging on-time itong anak ko. hehe! c'mon pistoy, make up for your mom and dad's tardiness. hehe!

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i just learned na when you have a newborn, ang facial expressions nila are fleeting and faster than batting an eyelash.

minsan nakatingin lang ako kay pistoy, bigla syang ngingiti. tatawagin ko si je, pero by the time na matapos kong tawagin si je, tapos na ang ngiti! ganon din sa kanya, minsan lilingon pa lang ako, tapos na ang moment.

i guess now i understand ang sinasabi ng ibang new parents na you can't take your eyes off your little one. nakaka-adik kasi silang panoorin! =)

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being a new parent has its challenges. some are not directly from the baby. some are just from all the changes taking place in your life, your schedule, your routine, your sleep! i know it will be worth it. i just have to keep it together whenever i start feeling the baby blues creeping in. =)

pistoy's first pedia visit

dec.17 was pistoy's first pedia visit. he was quiet nung naghihintay kami sa waiting area, at umiyak lang sya nung hinubaran sya ng nurse to get his stats. maginaw nga naman daw kasi. hehe! pistoy weighs 8 lbs 10 ounces, and was measured 20.25 inches. umiksi sya? =P

our pedia, Dr. Cheek, is very accommodating. ine-explain nya yung mga nangyayari kay pistoy, and she's very patient sa mga tanong namin (which was a looong list, let me tell you!). she kinda reminds me of my fave OB. =)

the place is not really how i imagined it. parang public clinic kasi ang dating. halu-halo ang mga kids sa waiting area, healthy and sick ones. so far, sa visit namin yun lang ang turn-off sa akin. naisip ko nga, pwede kayang sa mga susunod na visits, sa PiMo muna kami maghihintay ni pistoy. papasok na lang kami pag sya na ang titignan. mr. co-creator was able to chat with one of the moms there. matagal na silang pumupunta don and they only have good feedback. so far nga naman, ok yung pedia eh. we'll see, we'll play it by ear. =)

anyway, the pedia ordered blood work to check pistoy's TSH level. hay, blood work na naman.

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a few days after the first pedia visit, we went to get pistoy's blood work done. may isang branch ng Quest Diagnostics na may specialists sa pediatric testing, so we went there. merong branch na malapit lang sa amin, pero hindi nag-i-specialize sa infants, kaya we decided to take the trip.

pagdating namin don, it's just 15 minutes before they close. medyo napagalitan ako ng isang staff member nila, lalo na when they found out na 11 days old pa lang ang kukunan nila ng dugo!

pagpasok namin sa lab area, tinalian yung braso ni pistoy. hawak ni mr.co-creator si pistoy sa katawan at paa, ako naman is on standby with the bottle of milk.

tinurok na si pistoy, and i saw je cringe. umiyak si pistoy, sabay salpak ko ng milk sa kanya, tumahimik naman. tapos yung technicians naman, they were having a hard time drawing blood from pistoy kasi parang humina yung sirit ng dugo. so they adjusted and re-adjusted the needle. it's heartbreaking to watch. =(

on the flip side, i'm thankful na 1 beses lang tinurok si pistoy at nakita agad nila ang ugat nya. they can't draw blood from the feet daw kasi, it has to be from the arm.

natapos na ang ordeal and pistoy didn't cry after the prick. the nurses were impressed, pistoy's a brave boy. =)

the next day, Dr.Cheek called us and told us the results of the blood work turned out to be ideal. pistoy's TSH level is increasing na daw, so there won't be a need to re-test anything at this point. thank God!

sana naman di maalala ni pistoy ang first pedia visit nya. ang hirap pala maging magulang, parang double-edged sword. you want your kid to be well, pero sometimes that means na kailangan muna nilang masaktan. *sigh*

pichurs

 jecobie's first night with momi beng and dadi je.

 little burrito

 exhausted dadi je holding a sleeping baby jecobie.

 playtime with "mama ayet" (aka lola)

 with mama ayet and papa norbie, 

the noob grandparents. 

 "mama ayet is soooo soft!"

 tulog nang tulog!

 jecobie turning super saiyan! 

with the billi-blanket on his back. 

 gising!

 practicing his mr.suave smile. hehe!

 burp! arrrr! i think i ate too much!

 muk-asim talaga!

 jecobie's first night at home!

sleeping soundly.

happy 1st week!

last thursday marked jecobie's 1st week! grabe, ang bilis ng araw! dapat lalabas pa lang sya non. hehe!

we didn't do anything special. we just stayed home. watched TFC. that night, je and i were on "night shift" as usual ("as usual" meaning me sleeping and je staying up all night, hehe!). and while i was groggily feeding pistoy, je munched on a cake that we saved from the office baby shower. =P


1 week! can you believe it? 1 week of feeding, pooping, peeing, burping and sleeping. yun lang ang ginagawa ni jecobie, tulog-kain-pupu-wiwi-pakyut. =) sarap maging baby!

engorged

i can't remember if it was day 5 or 6, when all the malunggay tea drinks i've had finally took effect.

my breasts became engorged! sobrang sakit nya, i walked out of the bedroom and stayed at the sofa, shivering from pain. sobrang sakit! ang tigas ng boobs ko. super mabigat at masakit sobra! mama kinda panicked and called our family doctor sa pinas. she suggested warm compress and massage. the book that je and i were reading suggested cold compress to reduce swelling. i called my OB and asked her opinion and she suggested warm compress. ok, that's 2 of 3, so warm compress it is!

but that alone won't help. kailangang mabawasan yung milk para guminhawa ang pakiramdam ko. i tried to pump milk using the medela pump-in-style gadget, but i was able to get only a few drops. as in drops, after almost 30 minutes of pumping. my nipples were sore already, and it hurts like hell! mama was curious kung bakit ganon kakonti ang nakukuha sa akin, eh halos namimintog na yung boobs ko. so mama tried it on her boobs. (*lol*, i know, even when in pain, i found it hilarious) sobrang wala daw power yung pump. so she emailed my bro na tawagan kami as soon as possible. magpapabili si mama ng manual pump sa pinas, and have it shipped overnight.

while waiting for my bro's call, mama called my tita charlotte from CA naman, kasi she's a nurse. she suggested a manual pump din. sabi nya merong good brand din dito sa US, medela. hindi convinced si mama kasi nakita nyang yun yung tatak ng electric breast pump ko. but there's nothing to lose. so je ran to the store and bought a manual medela pump.

before i did anything, i took motrin. =) then i applied warm compress on my breasts, massaged it and did the sweeping motion towards the areola... then i used the manual pump. milk came out! it still hurts like hell, but at least i can see some light at the end of the tunnel. i kept pumping, and was able to gather around 10 ml ata. i stopped and tried the other boob. around the same amount. my nipples were sore from the electric pump na, so as soon as i was able to get some milk out, tumigil na muna ako. i pumped manually just to relieve some pain.

the next day, and the days that followed, nakapag-pump na ko ng milk! just a few hours ago, i was able to pump 70 ml! i'm so happy! =) sana tuluy-tuloy na!

so the original plan is to breastfeed exclusively. that didn't work out come day 3. but now i have milk!
since there's no way for me to measure kung gaano karami ang nakukuha ni pistoy sa boobs ko pag direct feeding, i plan on just pumping several times a day everyday and feeding as much as i can to pistoy. then pag may night feeding sya, and he's still fussy, ginagawa na lang nyang pacifier yung boobs ko. =P he feeds directly from me until makatulog sya, or until magsawa sya or mabusog.

sana tuluy-tuloy na! =)

btw, i didn't know na yung pag-pump ng boobs (or direct feeding) pala will trigger fresh gush ng bleeding. gawd, does that mean until i stop breastfeeding, meron pa rin akong bleeding? *googles*

jecobie's homecoming

day 5 of pistoy

je stayed up late, woke up early, and with very little sleep, is back at the hospital to be with jecobie before the sun is completely up. he's the one staying with pistoy sa nursery for the tests, for the feedings, for everything. very vigilant and doting with everything that the staff is doing with pistoy. =)

the morning and early part of afternoon passed by pretty quickly. je vigilantly stayed with pistoy. he kept me updated by sending pics of jecobie. =) i miss him already!!! oh, of course i miss je already too. hehe!

then i received a call from je that jecobie was given a temporary discharge permit by the nurses there. they just need to get in touch with the pediatric endocrinologist. one of the tests they ran showed up a low hormone level, and they wanted to know if this is something they need to address sooner than later. eventually, they got in touch with my OBs who have an idea about my thyroid problems during the pregnancy. it was then decided by the endocrinologist that further tests could wait later.

jecobie's coming home! =)

so we prepared his homecoming outfit, which is just a onesie na makapal dahil it's very cold and windy outside. without taking a shower, i pulled on my maternity pants, put on a maternity blouse, and grabbed my jacket. because my mama insisted that i wear socks, i ended up with my crocs dahil yun lang ang madaling isuot, hehe. we drove to the hospital, went up to the nursery, had a briefing with the nurse in charge, and then later found ourselves changing pistoy's outfit na. i can't wait, pistoy is coming home!!! =)

after all the paper work's done, je cradled pistoy sa baby carrier. ayaw nya! siguro naiirita kasi masikip. pero eventually, sumuko na sya and just settled there. bumaba na kami sa lobby, the PiMo pulled over, and we hurriedly latched pistoy's seat in place. sa likod muna ako sumakay while je drove the van. mama and papa drove je's car (the one he used going to the hospital that morning).

on our way home, tahimik lang si pistoy sa car seat nya. nakikiramdam. nanlalaki ang mga mata. hehehe! siguro nagulat sya sa motion. nasanay syang sa bassinet lang yung fastest speed nya, pero this time, may vibrating feeling pa yung van. hehehe!

we made it home in a few minutes. binaba na si pistoy, and then pumasok na sa bahay! sayang, di na kami nakapag-pic kasi ang lamig-lamig. di bale, what's important is nakauwi na ang prinsipe! hehe!

day 2 - 4

day 2 of jecobie sa mundong ibabaw...

he sleeps most of the day, and pag gising, he feeds directly from me. he's a happy camper. =) momma beng's a happy camper too. although, compared to day 1, i can now feel some sensations from my waist down, and it's not really the most pleasant feeling. i look preggy, but i feel empty. it's like my insides were all floating around. nakakatakot lumakad kasi parang may madidisplace. hehe!

my pee stinks. when i passed gas, i thought a dead rat is in the bathroom. =P i'm sorry for being gross, but that's the closest description i could give it. i asked mama if it's normal, ganon daw talaga dahil sa anesthesia.

jecobie is getting tested for his blood sugar though. =( nakaka-awa naman, he gets pricked every 4 hours to check his glucose level kasi nga ang laki nyang baby. so far, wala namang nakita sa sugar nya. pero nakaka-awa kasi tinuturok sya sa paa. =(

day 3 at the hospital...

things were starting to feel more real, and things started getting kinda sour. jecobie feeds from me directly, but he cries a lot. i feed him almost constantly, and my nipples started hurting na. jecobie's lips started getting red na rin from all the sucking. we thought jecobie's just suffering from gas, so we try to burp him. akala namin iyakin lang talaga sya, hehe!

that afternoon, the nurse decided to bring jecobie back to the nursery to check on him kasi he's crying constantly na. it turns out, he's dehydrated, running a fever, and his breathing rate is elevated. =( he lost 1 lb and a few ounces already! basically, nagugutom sya! akala ko he's getting milk from me, pero i guess my colostrum is gone after 2 days of feeding, and the milk hasn't kicked in yet. so all those times na i'm "feeding" him, wala pala syang nakukuha sa akin! =(

so the nurse had no choice but give jecobie formula. may mga tests pa silang gagawin, kukunan daw ng dugo. at this point, siguro from exhaustion, from the surgery, from the hormones, from the changes and from the news that i have no milk, that jecobie's feeding on formula, that jecobie will be pricked several times for further tests... nag-breakdown na ko when je came back from the nursery with news about jecobie. =(  naiyak na ko. i feel so sorry for my baby that he's suffering because i couldn't feed him well. i've been having malunggay tea drink, trying to eat healthy, trying to rest... but still no milk. the lactation consultant brought a breast pump, but my nipples were sore and i only have a few drops of milk collected.

i guess that night marked my crossing the threshold of being a mom. i have ideas of having it my way, that i will be strong in my resolve to breastfeed. but when the nurse said jecobie's dehydrated, je and i decided to let go of that idea and resign to sort of "defeat" of formula-feeding. whatever will make our son well, right now. we both agreed that maybe, hopefully, when we get the pressure of breastfeeding out of the way, my body will relax and bring on the milk.

day 4

i was told i could be discharged that day. i didn't even try to nurse pistoy. i don't want to be disappointed.

the nurse has been very helpful in keeping us updated on pistoy's development. since he's had formula, his temp's gradually getting better, his breathing rate is normalizing, and he's not crying as much. he's not dehydrated anymore. whatever works.

that afternoon, we tried to relax. the staff allowed us to stay at the room until 11pm. after that, we went to the nursery and spent half an hour with pistoy. after that, we went home. without jecobie. =(

hello jecobie!

those were my first words spoken to my son when i met him for the first time last dec.9, 2010. =)

pre-op
at 10am, i walked into a pre-op/post-op room to wait for my operation. nurse took pee samples, blood samples, and an iv was started na. je's sitting on a chair beside me, and we were chatting as if it's any other day. =) at around 12:30pm, i walked to the operating room after i peed, then sat on a brutally cold operating table. je was instructed to wait to be called.

while sitting there in my unflattering hospital gown, isa-isa nang dumating yung mga tao. the nurses, yung anesthesiologist, yung 2 ob ko. then the nurse asked questions, the anesthesiologist asked questions, and eventually they all fell into a chitchat about my ob's 2 year old daughter. nakikitawa pa ko, then the anesthesiologist poked around my spine.  meron daw akong scoliosis. got me worried a bit, and he probably sensed it, sabi nya kasi ok lang naman, slight lang, and it won't affect the block. so ok.

op
then pina-hunch forward ako ng ob ko. she held my shoulder and i felt a prick sa likod ko. then my legs started feeling warm. unusually warm, then numb. next thing i know, hinihiga na nila ko sa table, someone "carried" my legs for me. propped me on the table, spread my legs, draped something over my lower body as the "shield" was being put up so i won't see what's happening. then i heard someone shaving my area down there, then scrubbing something. then i felt a very weird sensation around my vajayjay. i know the block has already taken effect, coz i know if i wasn't numb, that would hurt (turned out to be the catheter being inserted na pala).then i felt a shivering sensation sa upper body ko. i was trembling so hard na parang umaangat ako sa table ng few inches. i tried to fight it, but the more i try, the worse it seemed to get. then nakita ko sa ulunan ko yung anesthesiologist, so i asked if it's normal. sabi nya oo daw, then got some towels and blankets to cover me.

after a few seconds, i heard mr.co-creator's voice. and he sat by my shoulders. my arms were spread, and he held my left hand. i told him the shivering is normal, kasi parang napapansin na rin nya and i don't want him to worry unnecessarily.

then yun na. over my nurse's and ob's conversations, hinihiwa na pala ako. i felt some tugging and pulling, but no pain. then i heard my ob say something like "ok, ready?" then i felt a heavy weight pushing down my belly. then i felt warm liquid creep up to my shoulders and back. i heard a "ack! ack!" then a cry! it's pistoy!!! =)

i can't remember the series of events after that, i just remembered mr.co-creator leaving my side to see jecobie. i still can't see what's happening. the anesthesiologist was kind enough to draw the "curtain" so i can see while the nurse weighs pistoy. the nurse was holding him by his jaws ata, and pistoy was crying like crazy! "hello jecobie!". that was all i was able to say. =)

it seems like forever until someone finally noticed i was there. hehe! one of the nurses looked over the cover and told me i'm soaking in amniotic fluid. yun pala yung warm liquid kanina, it gushed out.

anyways, so i got stitched up, and i was listening to pistoy's cries. man, this baby's got lungs! =)

post op
after what seemed like forever, mr.co-creator appeared by my shoulder holding pistoy. =) tabachingching nya sobra! then they wheeled me out of the operating room to the recovery room, and pistoy was taken to the nursery for some quick checks ata.

then after around 30 minutes at the pre-op/post-op room, they brought pistoy in, got him naked and placed him on top of me on his tummy. within a minute, his mouth was on my nippled sucking like a pro! the lactation consultant was impressed! haha! he's got a good latch already. he did the suck-swallow-suck-swallow motion. most babies do the suck-suck-suck-swallow daw. good job pistoy!

then after half an hour of kangaroo care, with mr.co-creator with us, kinuha na muna sya, they will run some tests pa rin. i was wheeled to the mother-baby room naman as je went with pistoy. talagang ayaw mawalay ni ignacio sa anak nya! =)

life post-pistoy
when i was transferred to the mother-baby room. i still can't feel anything from the waist down. but there is a certain instinct in me that makes me want to run over to the nursery to see pistoy again. =)

everybody's right. life will never be the same with pistoy around. =) i must've done something right to deserve such a miracle! =)

Jecobie Abiel E. Ignacio

Dec.09, 2010
12:55pm
8 lbs, 14 ounces
20.5 inches

our last pre-pistoy day

and so we decided to go for a scheduled c-section. to make the story short, mr.co-creator and i weren't ready to take the risks presented by the doctors. we'll trade the risks of a c-section sa risks ng normal delivery which could lead to an emergency c-section pa rin. i guess you can say we're not the stuff the Las Vegas gamblers are made of. hehe!

today is dec.8. the last day before pistoy makes his grand entrance to the world. our last pre-pistoy day.

so anong ginawa namin? woke up around 9am, had breakfast of left over kfc chicken and biscuits. then je drove the PiMo to the dealership to get the mud guards and cargo mats installed, while i stayed at home. tinuloy ko na yung nilalabhan kong damit the night before, at nilinis ko yung dryer namin. then i took a bath, got dressed and drove with mama and papa to the nearest salon to get a haircut. as i was getting my hair cut, namili ng sapatos sila mama sa kabilang store. after that, we went to applebee's for lunch, where hubby je met us na lang dahil galing syang dealership. then we (i, mama and papa) went to walmart to get some stuff, while je went to the insurance company office to settle some stuff. then we went home, unloaded the walmart stuff we bought. je was at home na rin by then. je and papa sealed the balikbayan box, which we loaded sa van and drove to the filipino store. pina-ship namin yung box and picked up a couple of phone cards for emergency use. then we drove by a goodwill store to drop off our donations (old clothes). then we headed to winn-dixie to do grocery shopping. after that, uwian na.

at home, nagluto si papa ng corned beef, one of my ultimate comfort foods. then we watched a little glee tv. je activated mama's emergency US sim card, while i do my annual self-review at work. (yeah, can you imagine that, day before i give birth, i'm still doing something para sa office?!) then, we listened to pistoy through the doppler thingy kasi ang lakas ng sinok nya. hehe! then, nag-gupit ako ng kuko. haha! how random.

right now, je is eating something while i'm writing this blog post. in a few minutes, kakain na rin ako ng last supper ko before the operation tomorrow. i'm having left over florentine chicken ravioli. yum!

so. as always, life is good, pre-pistoy! and we can't wait for it to get better.

see you in 12 hours pistoy! =)

birthing plan

my time is winding down, je and i have to sit down and really talk about it before we drive to the doctor tomorrow morning.

thankfully, our parents are just giving their 2 cents, but not pushing us towards one decision. i mean, of course they can be sort of "pushy", or maybe makulit na lang sila kasi matatanda na. hehe! pero not really pushy to the point na they are almost making the decision for us. hehe!

my mama gave birth to me and eibron through CS. naturally, she's recommending an elective CS. lalo na nung nakita nya yung ultrasound ni pistoy na malaki.

my mother-in-law gave birth to 6 sons vaginally. naturally, she's recommending a vaginal delivery because my body is designed for it. sabi nya wait another week, and it will be fine.

i trust my mama with my life. after all, galing ako sa kanya. hehe! and i know hindi nya ko ipapahamak. whatever will be best for me, yun ang best interest nya. i also trust my mother-in-law, living proof sya na kaya ng babaeng manganak normally. they have conflicting ideas, and siguro it's the best scenario kasi it will give us more bases to think about?

i know women's bodies are designed to give birth. and i have no fear of the labor pains (maybe i should, to make all these easier, hehe!). i am mentally prepared for the pain. what i wasn't expecting is hearing about the risks on pistoy and me. throughout the pregnancy, i thought i was generally healthy. besides my thyroids acting up, i passed the gestational diabetes test. my blood pressure normalized when it should've been at its peak. if my doctors can reassure me that if i go for vaginal birth, pistoy will come out unharmed, i will give it a go.

tell me i'm crazy, but i fantasize about how the pushing would be. with je by my side, being called all the names in the book, and hearing that first cry right after i feel that "relief" of feeling pistoy come out. i want to experience it all. i wonder how it feels to have those contractions. parang i haven't felt enough pain in my life if i haven't felt labor pains. je and i were ready for the water-breaking-gotta-drive-to-the-hospital drama. =D

now, i am more open to my birthing experience being just walking into the hospital perfectly fine.

*sigh* ang hirap magdecide. it's good though, that i have family and friends who are supportive either way i go. we receive messages that they will pray for my safe delivery and i sincerely appreciate that. je and i are lucky that we are surrounded by good people who try to watch after us and our best interest.

c-section

we went to the doctor this afternoon, and we saw pistoy again sa ultrasound! ang laki-laki na nya. based on the measurements, he is estimated at 8 lbs 11 ounces! well, that's actually give or take a lb. but still, at exactly 38 weeks, his measurements are for a 39-week-3-day baby. he is 10 days ahead!

so now we are faced with a decision to make... to go and try for a normal vaginal delivery, or opt for a scheduled c-section?

if we are to try the vaginal delivery, we wait for my contractions, because they only induce when at 40 weeks or later.
if we are to opt for a scheduled c-section, i will be under the knife on Dec.10, when pistoy is at 39 weeks and 1 day.

we were given until tomorrow to decide, but decisions like this shouldn't be taken lightly. so i will ask for more time, as much time as possible and as allowed, from the docs.

we're trying to weigh the pros and cons, and the risks related to either procedure. i mean, i don't want to be in labor for hours, and then in the end hihiwain din pala ako. if there really is no way pistoy is gonna make it safe through vaginal delivery, then in a heartbeat i will say c-section. screw my recovery time, it will be hard and will take longer, but i won't feel less of a woman if i don't push. some people think it's one of the factors to consider, but not for me. whatever is safe for pistoy and me, we go for that.

2 of the 3 docs already talked to us about considering c-section because of his size. pwede naming isapalaran na baka pistoy's weight was over-estimated, but i dunno kung anong mangyayari kung under-estimated pa pala sya ng lagay na to.

i can't sleep. it's close to midnight. we have to decide soon. right now, i am leaning towards a c-section, just to make sure pistoy will be safe.even doc rommel said c-section is safer for mom and baby.

and, my doctor ordering another blood work and another 24-hour urine test to check for protein isn't helping me calm my fears that i might be a candidate for preeclampsia. tumataas na naman daw ang blood pressure ko. given the fact na i don't trust the nurse who took my blood pressure this time, still, wouldn't it be better to err on the side of caution, even for just this one time?

friends, please pray for me, for mr.co-creator, and pistoy.
sana we make the right decision.
and sana walang complications.

lolo't lola in da hauz!

as in literally in the house, cleaning and organizing and doing stuff before pistoy makes his grand entrance.

i'm using this post as a place holder for now, dahil parang andami kong gustong ichika pa. antok na nga lang ako ngayon. but definitely, with a few months to go, i should be able to document pistoy's adventures with lolo and lola. hehehe!

in the meantime, let me enjoy our newly-vacuumed, newly-mopped floors. =D

office baby shower

last tuesday, my teammates threw a surprise baby shower for me! well, it wasn't really a surprise-surprise, dahil i was able to connect "signs"... like my officemate's name appearing on my amazon.com baby registry after she purchased the pack-and-play pen. hehe! but i didn't know who's gonna be there. so imagine my surprise when i walked into the conference room for what was supposedly a "team meeting", and found mr.co-creator standing by the door!!! =)

it was an Incredible Hulk themed party. this is because based on how i look, my teammates all tagged pistoy as the "Baby Hulk". hehe! so there, instant theme idea. hehehe!

andami nilang gifts! the biggest item is the pack-and-play pen. they also got me the bumbo baby seat and tray. pistoy got lots and lots of onesies, socks, mittens, caps and toys! grabe, bakit pati sa mga teammates ko, spoiled itong batang ito?! hehehe!

i will try to post some pics pag nakuha ko na. the other pinoy guy (Jon) was there to take pics, pero nasa bakasyon pa sya ngayon kaya malamang bitbit nya yung baby shower pics kung nasan man sya ngayon. hehe!

btw, je already knew about it a month ago! for the first time, he didn't spoil a surprise. hehe! i've been telling him how i suspected my teammates planning something for me, sya pala ang spy! =P