dolce vita. everyday is a sweet day.
Thank you God for reminding me thateverything is othing until You are the priority and center of my life. Because you are my joy!
Thank you for remining me that I am a daughter of King, I AM YOURS, and this life is the BEST because of this truth.
Help me, my Father, to become an obedient, humble, loving daughter to You, day by day of my life.
Isaiah 29:19 The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord.
The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Dearest Baby Johan,
This year’s Valentines Day is a lot more special than any of the ones I ever had, because:
1. This is your Daddy and Mommy’s first Valentine’s as married couple, and your Daddy is still sweet enough to bring home roses (and KFC dinner) for me;
2. And most of all, because I have 2 hearts now beating inside me–mine and that little amazing heart of yours.
Happy Love Day, my Baby! I know your heart is created after God’s own heart, and every heartbeat we hear from the outside is His love echoing through you. The love is just overflowing! <3
With Baby Johan on the way, I realized all the more how I love you.
It’s like 100x than the love I absorbed when you proposed to me. I’m amazed how our little one could magnify the love I knew you have for me.
How God chose you for me, I have no idea. But sure did He chose the perfect partner for me. I cannot imagine married life–cuddle times, going through pregnancy, facing my fears of the future–if it’s other than you.
Thank you Hubby from the littlest to the biggest things. From massaging my aching back, unplugging the hairdyer just because it’s difficult for me, fixing my Snug-a-Hug for me, slicing the papaya, patience when I’m emotional and matampuhin and irrational, for washing the dishes (which should be my chore), and a lot lot lot more trivial things you do everyday but matters to me the most. Thank you for loving me way way beyond I have imagined or have prayed for.
Thank you Hubby for the kind of life you have been providing for me and Johan, for this love that you are showing everyday. Thank you for making sure we are ok, for always prioritizing us next to God, and for protecting us by constantly praying for us.
Sometimes when you sleep, I hold your hand and look at you and I just get overwhelmed with your love (even while you sleep–and snore! 🙂 ).
I am more excited in the coming days, to see your father-son moments with Johan, and to spend a lifetime of cuddling and dates with you.
I love you forever Hubby ko. <3
So recently, my baby belly has been showing up and people are starting to hesitantly ask me whether I am just gaining weight (a.k.a getting fat), or it’s a baby in there =)) As I am not fond of maternity clothes (yet!), my baby belly is proudly showing in my pre-pregnancy clothes, so I’d give them a smile and say yes with anticipation of the next question of “what month are you in?”, I’d offer the answer before the follow-up question.
Actually, I did not figure right away how to know “how many months” baby is in (medically known as baby’s gestational age ), because the due date is computed in 40wks. This is not a straight 9months times 4weeks. So I usually answer in weeks, just to be sure.
So I searched in books and online articles, and here’s the gestational age of Baby Jam week after week.
Today, we are in my 2nd trimester, 5th month, 19th week. On Christmas day, I’d be exactly half-way of my pregnancy on 😀
[A Christmas-y thought this season.]
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 NLT
For years in my entire life, I’ve prayed for countless [mostly self-gaining] prayers: salary raise, new car, fully paid condo, physical healing, losing weight, guidance on my career, and a lot more trivial things.
I did not realize that after our wedding, this time I have asked for the most selfless prayer ever: that is to conceive, and a have baby, and be a mother.
And because God is faithful (it was His promise I’ve been holding on to), He granted this prayer right away.
Suddenly, there were tons of selfless things I have to do, and most of this is to give up. I now think less of myself and more of baby for almost everything I do: no more eating of chocolates, no more coffees over cheesecakes, no more impulse buying and shopping-only-because-its-sale, less travels on a whim, and a lot more stuff within my comfort and luxury zones. From my walking to my work habits to my sleep position, all are being done thinking of our baby and how it will affect him/her.
And so it really amazes me how could Mary say “Yes” right away going through all the pregnancy challenges and giving birth in a manger, and eventually giving up that baby for a selfish world. Isn’t it the most unselfish act you could ever think of?
This thought makes my Christmas more meaningful.
Our baby is not just another blessing. It’s God’s way of giving me and Hubby THAT special privilege to experience how it is to be REALLY unselfish with love. I cannot imagine the magnitude of that love to be able to give your Son to a selfish world (us!), which Mary selflessly conceived and raised. How could you reject that love? Two thousand years ago and still this unparalleled loving and selfless act is still celebrated and remembered today.
I hope that amidst the parties, gifts, food, sweets, and decorations, everyone finds also the personal meaning of Christmas in their lives. It’s where all the love in the world began after all.
A blessed Christmas from us and our little J! <3
It is baby’s 16th week this week, and I am on my second trimester! #ThankYouJesus really for this milestone.
By now, I am already relieved of morning sickness, bloated feeling, nausea, food cravings, fatigue, and sleepiness. I felt better all of the sudden.
But of course, as my body goes on to the next phase of preggy adjustments, the past weeks have also been challenging.
First, because of the notable high sugar in my comprehensive blood tests (so expensive, btw). I was advised by my OB to look for an endoctrinologist. As my schedule did not permit me to go to St. Luke’s BGC, I went to a doctor in Makati Medical Center instead.
And so the endo advised me to go through the OGTT, which is a sugar level test usually taken by women who are around 20-25wks pregnant. So mine was advanced few weeks ahead, because I was bordering beyond normal level in the fasting blood sugar.
It was a terrible feeling, having to fast for at least 8 hours, then being required to drink 75ml of syrupy, super sweet orange flavored liquid. And I cannot eat, drink, and vomit for the next two hours, untill all the blood samples were extracted. But I made it somehow, haha.
The results of the OGTT is almost consistent with the fasting blood sugar test, so I was advised to monitor my glucose/sugar level everyday every after meal. I have to prick myself 4x a day to get blood sample! So Why do I have to go through all of this? Because being diabetic is bad for baby. According to my OB, it can cause unwanted negative effects (congenital) if left untreated.
So I’ll have to do everything to make sure baby is ok.
The minor challenges I had was the toothache and flu combo I had last week! Oh it was so terrible, that I literally cried to Hubby as I requested him to buy ice to numb the toothache. That is in between major headache and sneezing due to my flu. As I cannot take any pain relievers, I have to endure everything with only water, including washing down the flu with lemon juice only. When we went to see the dentist the next day, she told me that it is common for pregnant women to have weaker gums and teeth, and anything not ok before I got pregnant will also be aggravated. I am very thankful she knows what to do, as I cannot also have major teeth fix like root canal while pregnant. Next week, I’ll have to go back to check the rest of my teeth.
On the bright side, it was my OB appointment yesterday. We heard again baby’s fast heartbeat <3 And I was told that 1-2wks from now, I will start to feel baby moving in my tummy. I am so looking forward to that!
As to baby’s gender, the comprehensive ultrasound will be done on the first week of January. Both Hubby and I are excited to know if Baby Jam is a boy or girl 😀 We are praying for a healthy baby, so any gender is great! It’s God’s plan, so He gets to decide the best for it <3
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1TH 5:16-18 ESV
We are celebrating a major milestone this week, which marks our second trimester! Baby Jam is estimated to be lemon-sized by now. Baby is growing fast, and sometimes I’m not sure if I’m really feeling him/her like “swimming” in my womb, or I’m just too excited about it 😉
I am just grateful for all the prayers I was getting from family and friends, especially during the first trimester. I know it is with the help of these prayers that I’ve had a relatively easy first trimester. For my age and no bed rest at all, I really thank God for that 🙂
Loudest applause next to God is for my Hubby, who did everything for me (and baby) during that time–I felt like a queen! More than the cleaning of the house, buying me food and my cravings, doing the groceries, sorting out the laundry, being most patient and loving, and reading “The Expectant Dad” book that I bought him and forced him to read–what I appreciated most is when he would lead praying for me and baby, especially during my most “preggy” moments (like whenever I don’t feel well, or crying out of nowhere). A whisper of prayer from this man always made me feel better (aww!).
And now at the start of 2nd trimester, I’m amazed how fast the transition was. As soon as it started, all seems a lot more easier and better (physically and emotionally). For a few days, indigestion and bloating were major problems for me. But thankfully again, I learned how to avoid it and now I felt much more normal 😀 I’m sooo excited to get back to exercising (preggy-allowed, of course) and start to move more again 🙂
On a side note, we are in the process of keeping tabs in my sugar level, which will hopefully turn out normal. My glucose test results will come out soon and I will see the endocrinologist this week.
For now, I am just looking forward to more of this journey. My baby bump is starting to show, and now I’m starting to sort of panic (for real) where to start learning the ropes of pregnancy, and preparing for baby. I know we are not even half way, but I am not doubting and not praning with anything because I am holding on the most sturdy stronghold, our God. 🙂
To close this post, I’m sharing our 14th week prayer for Baby Jam. I got a book that Hubby and I read/pray in parallel with baby’s development, and here’s our prayer for our 14th week:
Dear Lord, we thank you for making it to the second trimester this week! We praise you for this miracle of baby that I am carrying. Truly, you are a great and wonderful God! We’re amazed at the exquisite detail You planned for Your creation. Thank you for caring for our unborn baby.
Lord, we pray that baby will exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and temperance. Help us to be role models of these. Help us to be loving parents that you want us to be.
And Lord, we pray for the physical development of our baby. Please cause everything that is happening this week to develop properly.
Psalm 139:13 says, “You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb”. We thank you for this encouraging message. Please knit together–cause to develop properly–every part of our baby’s being: body, soul and spirit.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
–Praying Through Your Pregnancy, by Carolyn Warren, Jennifer Polimino
Hubby got me a cake and a red rose for my birthday 😍😍😍🎂🍰🍫🍻
Today, we heard Baby Jam’s heartbeat!
I still couldn’t believe what I was hearing, that fast galloping sound is the sweetest sound of all <3
And when I saw Hubby’s smile while hearing baby’s heartbeat, I could almost hear my own heart saying my gratitude to God for His best gift ever.
Our OB noticed that baby is sensitive, and very aware on what’s happening. Baby Jam reacts whenever the ultrasound device is re-positioned. It took a while before we heard the heartbeat (though we already saw it in my first 2 VGS ultrasound weeks before). I was asking baby not to make us nervous. And few minutes later, there it was. Loud, soft, fast, and happy beating <3
On a side note, I failed to complete my blood tests today because of the required fasting (which I didn’t remember!). We’re coming back on weekend to do it.
Keep that heart strong, Baby. We love you!