Grace, Eye MD

Finally, after a long wait, we finally got to see the face of Takwe and Cat’s baby boy (I don’t want na to say his name, as it changes weekly.hehehe)! He’s so cute, and he is the spitting image of my brother, down to the nguso and cheeks! Same way that our baby Caleb is the spitting image of Sam, down to his nose ang nguso!!!

Sabi ko nga kay Cat, it’s unfair that our boys look like their dads, kasi kami yung naghihirap sa pregnancy. But of course we are secretly pleased naman! Hehehe! I think the grandfathers, who, by virtue of commutative property, are the ones Caleb and Baby D really look like, are likewise pleased

We had our ultrasound before lunch kanina, and we found out that we’ll be having a baby boy!!! I think he has Sam’s tall nose (thank God talaga!) and lips! He’s chunky, and not as skinny and scrawny as expected of a 24 week old! Best of all, the rest of the ultrasound findings were normal! We heaved a big sigh of relief, because as doctors who have seen the worst, we were imagining all sorts of physical abnormalities ( I think my imagination was more fertile than Sam’s, so I was the more worried one). Sam was watching out for spine and limb malformations, and I was just happy when the OB said he didn’t have cataracts (bad for business, e. Hehehehe!).

The majority felt that it was going to be a boy, which puzzled me, because I don’t think pumangit naman ako since I got pregnant! Till the very end, I was hoping it was a girl (Mini Me), but when I saw Sam’s face light up, I just knew it was a boy! No wonder we couldn’t agree on a girl’s name! On the other hand, we were both so sold on Samuel Caleb! Sam is so smug, and his smile is hanggang tenga talaga! He’s the only sibling daw kasi with a panganay na boy!

I’m excited to see Caleb in three months! I really hope he’s going to be as wonderful, smart and pogi as his daddy

My brother Takwe and his wife Cat had their ultrasound yesterday, and they found out that their baby is a boy! Hahaha! Of course my brother was happy as a clam, and thus, the baby’s fate to be named “Pablo” (for Pablo Neruda, my brother’s favorite writer), was sealed. When Mama received the text message from him, naiyak daw siya (“Iba kasi ang feeling!”). I think it was because the fact that she was going to have an apo was more real. Immediately, she suggested the name “Dante Lucius”. Choke! Choke! I nearly fell off my chair when I got her message saying that! Yuck! Though Takwe and Papa are named “Dante” (means “Judge”), “Lucius” sounds like an evil, scary name! I think she just wanted to insinuate her name (Lucy) again. Papa said it should be “Ambo” for his grandfather. I said I didn’t know that his Lolo was “Ambrosio”. He said no, his lolo’s name was “Pablo”, and “Ambo” is a nickname for Pablo (with absolute conviction). I gave up the argument after a few attempts.

Takwe and Cathy were so cute, they forgot to videotape the ultrasound, sa sobrang excitement at seeing their baby moving and turning. It’s really magical seeing the baby, and I can’t imagine the prenatal check-ups in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s when there were hardly any ultrasound machines.

As for me and Sam, our next ultrasound is in a few weeks, and we will also find out then if I’m carrying a boy or girl. Mama seems convinced it’s a girl, and already she’s coming up with names: Muel Grace or Muel Glaze. Eew, parang bulol o ngongo ang nag-pronounce! Yargh! Till then, we’re holding our breaths….

I was in clinic yesterday, waiting for the doctor prior me to finish clinic. Out of sheer boredom, I leafed through the magazines, and came across this article in a mommy magazine. It was, of all things, an article about easy recipes mommies can teach their kids. I took a picture of it and showed it to Sam. You can just imagine his reaction! Hahaha!

Our baby and I just passed the third trimester mark yesterday! Whooopeeeee! More or less, we’re on much safer ground. Apart from my mild spotting (which was probably due to a cervical polyp anyway, and not a threatened abortion) and mild worsening of my asthma, it was pretty OK. Sure I was on bedrest for close to a month, but it could have been worse. I had no nausea nor vomiting, nor any classic fainting spells.

My belly is still not obvious, but the zipper of my pants can close halfway nalang, so I’ve resorted to wearing maternity pants which you can adjust according to belly size. Though I do feel that I’m growing much, much faster now. I’ve also been using Palmer’s Cocoa Butter on my belly (Sam likes applying it himself) to prevent stretch marks. Oh, and I’ve taken to wearing Sam’s boxers since my pambahay shorts don’t fit anymore. Naawa yata sa akin, so he got me three pairs of my own big (male) boxers, complete with the pee hole. Those and three pairs of humongous buntis/lola shorts. Kanina he saw me wearing a scrub top and another of his boxer shorts and he was laughing at me. He said I looked “schlumpy”. The nerve.

I don’t have any insane cravings (just once lang, I wanted fishballs with kanto sauce), but I do enjoy salty and spicy food. I get hungry very easily, and when I do, my stomach rumbles very noisily, which it never used to do. When it does, I really eat, kasi kawawa naman ang baby namin (Sam and I imagine him/her saying: “Hellooooo! I’m trying to grow in here!!!” in typical Sam and Grace sungit fashion). I’ve also forced myself to eat more meat than I usually do, so that I get enough protein.

Oh, and I’ve turned in to a weewee machine. I’ve always had a small bladder (one can of Coke Lite sends me to the toilet thrice in a row, 10 minutes apart. You get the picture). So, you can imagine me now. I pee a little less than ten times from between dinner to breakfast. Argh,

Anyway, I’m very excited to feel our baby kicking. Last night, I thought he/she started kicking na, and I was wondering if I should wake Sam, so I could share with him this milestone. Buti nalang, I didn’t —it was just gas pala! Heeheehee!

So, all in all, in between looking schlumpy in Sam’s boxers, but trying to look gorgeous otherwise ,with my growing belly and butt, our pregnancy is doing quite well. Three months quickly down, another six to go!

Ahhh the joys of (not so) young love! My bestfriend is in love again, and head over heels, I might add ☺ I have NEVER seen him this happy about a girl ever since we became friends when we were twelve ☺ I never really got to know any of his girls in the past, even if I was very nosy. Hehe ☺ I used to tell other friends that he was just like my brother—it would take a fantastic girl to ever be good enough for him (for my bro, that fantastic girl is Cat! Love you, Cat!). Strange, but I was never really THAT protective of any of my female friends! Maybe because my bestfriend was always a little (not in size) lost boy.

So now, I’m like a happy and proud Mother Hen, seeing him all giddy and in love! Gad! It’s not so like him, si Mr. Picture of Self-Restraint! Ngayon, he’s like a teenager (late bloomer), all excited and happy! Aaaaaaaaaw, I truly hope this girl is the one for him ☺ And I hope the happiness and schoolboy giddiness never subside….

Now, I just have to meet her and see for myself the one who makes him all googly-eyed and mushy. I’ve promised him I’d behave (no upward rolling of eyeballs and name-calling)! Hehehehehehe…….

Our baby is now 10 weeks old in my tummy. I went back to work for one day, but I had some mild, intermittent spotting, so my OB put me back on meds and bedrest. Hopefully, I can go back to work next week.

The exciting (nerve-wracking) part of our check-up was the ultrasound. Our previous one was 2 ½ weeks prior, and we saw our baby’s heartbeat! At that time, he was shaped like a lima-bean, 1cm in length, with no distinct body parts. But nonetheless, it was a relief and huge thrill to see his heartbeat!

This latest ultrasound three days ago, showed his length at 3.1 cm! Amazing, he tripled in length in 2 ½ weeks lang! And he was no longer shaped like a lima bean! His head was distinct from his body, and he had limb buds! Sam lit up immediately, and said, “Ayan na siya! Kaso, di gumagalaw!”. As if on cue, our baby started moving, first his arms, and then his legs! After that, he just kept moving, as if showing off! Hahahaha! It was a happy, happy sight to see! For the first time, it hit me that I had a living, growing baby inside of me! This early, I can’t feel him kicking yet, so we rely on the ultrasound to know he’s OK. When he’s much bigger, I can monitor his heartbeat at home with a stethoscope ☺

So in the meantime, I’m still trying to rest all I can so I really go back to work na. I’ve been behaving, and the farthest I’ve gone out to was the Ruins in BF to buy some DVD’s. No Alabang trips, apart from my Asian Hospital check-ups. I figured, might as well pangatawanan ko na ang rest, so no regrets later on.

In the meantime, the image of our baby flailing his arms and legs around is keeping me upbeat ☺ More so, Sam mimicking his movements while lying down! Hahaha!

It’s another day of bedrest for me, but of course I’m not stuck to the bed. Hard-headed me is puttering around the room. Thank God for the internet. As of now, I don’t really feel pregnant, kasi our baby isn’t kicking yet. My tummy is getting bigger, but I really think it’s just belly fat building up. Hahaha! Pregnancy is a great excuse for getting fat! I love it!!! When I went out yesterday, I wore jeans and a black, mini tent-like Giordano collared shirt with a “G” embroidered in silver on the left chest (I like to think it stands for “Grace”). Sam bought it for me when he was doing Spine fellowship in Hong Kong, before we got married pa. He was teasing me that it was a bit too early to wear maternity clothes, but I said I’d rather be recognized as pregnant on sight, rather than being told, “Hey, you gained weight!”. Baka maka-sakal ako ng tao!

It’s funny, but I do get emotionally labile at times. Like the other day, I was watching the Sound of Music and I was getting teary-eyed! Buti sana kung sa Eidelweiss—problema, it was in My Favorite Things! Damn, how screwed up is that? ☺ Imagine me crying while Julie Andrews was horse-playing with the Von Trapp children at bed time?!? Hahahaaa! Man!

Sam and I went to my Pulmo yesterday, and she just gave me preventive meds. My OB would rather I be on inhaled meds than risk getting to the point I need IV steroids. Makes sense, kasi kawawa naman ang baby if you give anything systemic.

Staying at home is driving me nuts. Thank goodness my OB gave me the go signal to start working on Tues, two days shy of two weeks. I hope walang problem before and after that…

On a happier note, I also bumped into Niña-Girl, an old dormmate of mine from Mary’s House in Malate, when I was a med student and she was a Pharmacy student. I was super happy because she’s blooming, and looks happy with her job ☺

SO….I have to keep myself sane till Tuesday. Till then, my best friends are the remote control and my Mac Whitey….

I’m currently on bed rest because last Thursday, I had some spotting. My OB put me on meds and bed rest. So I’m supposed to be resting for two weeks. Great—doctors are no work, no pay, right? Just great. ARGH. There goes my income. But of course, I know this is all for the best. I don’t want din naman to risk our baby. The upside is, we had an ultrasound last Friday and all is well—the baby’s heartbeat was seen already, and all seems well. The spotting may have been a fluke, but we’re not taking any chances at all.

Way back, whenever I got really full (think Saisaki/Heat buffet or kain-piyesta), I’d have an asthma attack. After I got pregnant, I’d exacerbate even with regular meals. So it’s true that pregnant women have to have small, frequent feedings. Unfortunately for me, it’s because I’d get asthma attacks, and not because I’d throw up my food. But I told Sam to remind me to eat less, because sometimes, during lunch or dinner, I’d think the amount I eat is OK, but then I get an attack after, and I hate it. I’m just thankful that Asthma meds are allowed during pregnancy, which makes sense because the baby has to be well-oxygenated. Buti nalang he’s been coming up with interesting snacks (bawal junkfood, kakainis). Yesterday, he halved some pandesal, put on some chunks of cream cheese, slices of tomato, basil and pepper, and topped it with olive oil. He then popped it into the toaster. Saraaaaaaaap. A couple of hours later, the helper brought in home-made pizza, not knowing Sam fed me na. Of course I didn’t complain and devoured everything. I gained an amazing 3 pounds in 2 ½ weeks. Sam says its puro water, but I think he’s just being nice. Good thing I lost a lot of weight for the wedding, at least my baseline weight is pretty low, so kahit I gain the expected 25 pounds, pwede na rin. Yun nga lang, I’d probably look like a Beluga whale (they’re small and white, and pretty naman, so OK lang).

Sam has been extra protective and strict. I’m not supposed to even be cleaning our room and banyo (I’m quite obsessive about keeping everything clean), and all he allows me to do is surf the net and watch TV. When I wanted to fix the bedsheets, he said di naman daw ako mamamatay pag may gusot ang bedsheet.Grrrrrrrr. But, he’s been such a sweetie, too—on waking, he kisses my tummy and talks our baby, and at night he’s taken to humming “Nessum Dorma” to my belly (he buries his face in it) . I was flabbergasted he even KNEW Nessum Dorma. I think he was insulted and said that he heard that a long time ago pa, and di lang kay Paul Potts. I knew it—may gay streak itong asawa ko.

So, it’s bedrest for me for the next two weeks. Sam says he thinks I won’t last and will just be bored to tears. He’s right, you know. But let’s see if our baby Caleb/Sam allows me to go back to work earlier….

It’s 130AM, and I am still wide awake (sigh, so what’s new?). I had Christmas dinner with my highschool barkada, a tradition for the past 15 years ☺. Of course, the ever-sipag gimmick planner Mish put together the whole thing, and si Jogee lang ang absent, and only because she was on night shift (I told Mish she could replace David Tutera the Party Planner on Discovery Travel and Living, anytime!).

Even we don’t see each other for months on end, everytime we get together, we simply pick up from where we left off. Funny na our topics—, it’s about our families, husbands, kids, HOW to make kids….Hahahaha!!! You will not believe the tips the married ones shared (sms me, I’ll tell you what interesting and valuable lessons I’ve learned! Hahaha!). I have yet to test their tips after our wedding! Ako yung doctor, pero I think I was the most shocked (aka horrified). Hahahaha! Misay, 7 months pregnant and spotting , had to control herself from laughing so hard. Oh, she was the one who shared the “30 Minute” tip that left us flabbergasted and laughing (ask her what it is!). She had to go home early, kasi her OB told her to go on bed rest (but of course she just had to finish dinner!).

Ang saya, I really love these get-togethers. Somehow, no matter how hectic my life can get, they always bring me back to who and what I am. And it’s truly always like coming home.