13 Weeks - Big Bad Belly Shots

It's my 13th week of pregnancy and end of my first trimester! Yahooo! My belly is not that big yet, but I wish it'll grow bigger because it just looks like a "puson" as of the moment.

My baby's development:

1. My angel starts to inhale and exhale inside my womb.
2. Hands are becoming more functional. Baby is starting to play with those little fingers.
3. The genitals begin to take on the proper gender characteristics. (I wonder if angel is a boy or a girl?? Still can't be seen on the ultrasound though).
4. Heard my baby's heartbeat for the first time! That was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.

What have I been feeling so far:

• Fetal movements!!! Hahahaha... the best. I love it when baby moves.
• Frequent headaches
• Trouble sleeping (I've been thinking too much lately, and there's that frequent visit on the bathroom).
• Growing hip line. My pants won't fit anymore so I starting buying some preggy dress. Actually they're not pregnancy dresses hahaha.
• Occasional vomiting, due to fatigue. This is the reason why I haven't gain enough weight despite my increase in appetite.
• Cravings for food. I crave for mango.. mango fruit, mango shake, mango juice.
• Increase in appetite. This morning I had 1 longanisa rice, one hashbrown, one sausage mcmuffin... then after 30mins, I threw it all!

Hold on tight baby, and keep growing. We still have a looong way to go.

11 Weeks

After a few weeks of straight work (10-11hrs a day), I'm beginning to feel the fatigue and stress for the very first time.

You see, my team is back for another design, and we've been spending 8hrs a day daily on the conference room for brainstorming, specification and design review. One day, I come home with a bad headache. It was so painful that I didn't get to eat, and sleep well. The headache lasted for a week. It was really scary, a migraine attack during my first-trimester where every thing is so delicate. The one thing that probably caused my headache was the glare of the projector during our meeting so I was advised to stay home and rest.

I've read that if you suffered from migraine attacks in the past, it is more likely strike more frequently during pregnancy. A pregnant woman should be prepared for dealing with migraine attacks preferably through prevention. If you know what brings the attack, you should try to avoid the culprit. Here are a few of those:

• Stress
• Chocolates
• Cheese
• Coffee
• Red Wine

To ease up migraine, do one or more of the following:

• Splashing the face with cold water or applying a cold cloth or ice pack
• Avoid noise, light and odors by lying down in a darkened room for two or three hours with eyes covered
• Don't read or watch TV

Since I've suffering from these attacks before, I didn't bother calling my OB. I just rested and PREVENTED drinking pain killers (harmful for the baby) and paracetamols (according to my OB, it's safe).

Houston, we have a heartbeat! (10 Weeks)

It was my first visit at my OB's clinic at Medical City. I was tremendously happy meeting Dr. Perona. I immediately like her, felt completely at ease and comfortable with her. In fact, I like her better than my OB in Bcd. She's very friendly, more like a mom. She listens to every thing I say to her and always have a piece of advice. She jokes around and shares her experiences with me at the same time.

She ordered me to lay on the bed, put out my belly. Then took this small radio sized machine and put some oil on it. It's called the Doppler, a machine they use to listen for a heartbeat of a baby in the womb. It took her around 5 minutes to finally get to the perfect spot. She needs to poke on my stomach to get the baby to move closer to the Doppler. At first we only heard the sound of my pulse, then out of nowhere there's this faint sound, a beat that's so much faster than my pulse. Dr. Perona said that that's the heartbeat of the baby and asked if I can hear it clearly. I was overjoyed. It was a good strong heartbeat! It only lasted for a split second because the baby seems to be moving.

The sound of my baby’s heartbeat was the best thing I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. All those questions have truly been answered: I am totally pregnant and it is for real! It was the first real assurance that there is in fact a real person (a super tiny person) living and growing inside me. It is an experience that I will never forget.

8 Weeks

Yehey! My baby is now a certified fetus! All organs necessary to sustain life are now formed. Whew!

My baby's development so far:

1. Cartilage and bones begin to form
2. The basic structure of the eye is well underway
   
3. Intestines move out of the umbilical cord into the abdomen.
4. Body grows and makes room - Two months along and this little one is growing inside and out by leaps and bounds!
5. The fingers and toes have appeared but are webbed and short
6. Baby's length (crown to rump) is 0.61 inch (1.6cm) and weight is 0.04 ounce (1gm)
   

What I have been feeling so far:

1. Non stop queasiness for oily, fried and sweet foods.
2. No specific cravings though. I just eat anything I like to eat.
3. Love to eat Indian Mangoes (who doesn't??) if it's available only.
4. I've never felt so healthy in my entire life. I get hungry most of the time.
5. For two months, I only gained 1lbs. This is disappointing since I'm underweight, and I need to gain the required average weight for preggy mums. Even if I eat, I still vomit.
   
6. I visit the bathroom 8 to 12 times a day, for vomiting and urinating.
7. I get tired easily. 30 minutes of walk seems like a full day of activity.
8. I sleep all the time! This is something new. I fell asleep at the office most of the time. It's embarrassing, but that's how pregnancy works hehehe.
9. I avoid sad, depressing stories. I avoid bad news. I only think of happy thoughts.. baby and B.
10. I don't have the adrenalin to shop, to groom myself, to put on whatever kikayans I have. No make-up, cologne whatsoever. I don't even have the taste in fashion anymore. Mwehehehe.

It's not easy to be pregnant, especially when you're husband is not around. But I believe that God won't give us this gift I cannot do this and cannot survive. I am just thankful to God for He has been hearing our prayers. With B having a new work abroad, becoming parents soon and be with him (after giving birth) is just a wonderful blessing.

I'm savouring every single day that I'm carrying this baby. Even if I feel sick most of the time, it's all worth-it, for the sake of the baby. We've been praying for this baby to come. Actually we really asked for it to come a year after we're married and if we're both ready for it financially, and it DID. Right now, B and I are praying HARD to have this baby healthy and normal. No preference for boy or girl or twins yet hehehe. What's important is that I have this baby on normal delivery and get back into shape ASAP bwahahaha.

There You Are!!!

Those days where B and I were trying to conceive are LOOOOONG gone sister! I am finally pregnant!

I decided to keep a blog, so much for a little diary for my baby and for B who's a million miles away from us (to keep him updated). After all, this is such a big milestone for me and B that I thought it might be fun to try to capture my “preggo thoughts and feelings” in a blog.

My family suspected a couple of weeks ago that I was indeed pregnant. I remember waking up on mornings not feeling so great, and my boobs hurt like crazy. I sort a ignored my gut instinct though because for a time B and I have finally given up. Besides, we were too occupied on moving to a new country home.

After 10 days of a delayed period, my mother bought the pregnancy kit December 31, 2007. The whole family was at home celebrating New Year's Eve. The next morning, per usual, I was the last one to wake-up and everyone is already anxious. So I had my urine tested, and clear as it is TWO PINK LINES. So I got out of the bathroom, and in front of my whole family and relatives, I showed them the Pee Stick that will forever change my life.

I was shocked. No words can describe how I felt that very moment. I think every emotion that a human is capable of rushed through my body that very instant. I was so overjoyed and I couldn’t wait to share the news with my husband.



MY HUSBAND!

I had to find a creative way to break the good news! I still have to wait for 7 more hours to be able to get in touch with him through the internet. Husband's time is 7 hours delayed. Finally, when we were able to talk, I tried to remain calm and nonchalant. I told him then the good news, that he's gonna be a Dad soon. It was a beautiful moment between us, one that we will certainly treasure forever. And what does one do in the midst of such a special moment…we freak out! OMG, I need to get healthy food! And LOTS OF IT! I need milk, I need fruit, I need vegetables. So, as the new chapter of our life unfolds, we were both in could 9, dreaming of what lies ahead of us….

We are truly thankful to God for hearing all our prayers. We just couldn't thank Him enough.