My natural childbirth experience, Part 3 of 3: Delivery

Dear Baby P,

It's just three days before your homecoming and we are all excited to be finally with you. I'm also very glad to see your strong appetite for my breast milk at the nursery of Capitol Medical Center yesterday that you latched strongly despite the bottle feeding you temporarily received from the nursery. I can't wait to visit you again today. I was able to pump 2 ounces of breast milk this morning and I'll bring it to you this afternoon.

In this post, I would like to share with you the toughest and yet the best part of my childbirth experience wherein your Papa and I finally welcomed you into the world. 

My natural childbirth experience, Part 2 of 3: Induced labor

Dear Baby P,

I just got home with your Mommy today after successfully breastfeeding you for the first time in the nursery of Capitol Medical Center. We're also very glad to know from your pediatrician, Dr. Belleza, that your WBC (white blood cells) count is finally normal. We'll all just have to wait for you to finish your seven-day intake of antibiotics before you could finally come home to us on Monday. It's only Thursday today and I can't wait to see you again tomorrow. And as your Papa and I wait for your homecoming, I'll continue writing my birth story. 

Mama and Papa, in between contractions during active labor

In this post, I would like to share with you the progress of my labor which happened before you finally came out into the world. 

My natural childbirth experience, Part 1 of 3: Pre-labor

Dear Baby P,

I am now at home with your Papa for the first time as I write to you three days after your birth. You are still in the nursery of Capitol Medical Center for the continuation of your antibiotics as your white blood cells count are under observation. Your Papa and I miss you so much and we feel incomplete at home. I keep myself busy by writing to you to help pass the time until we could finally take you home. 

Baby P at 39 weeks

I would like to share with you our birth story, wherein your Papa and I had a wonderful childbirth experience together. In this post, I have recalled the things that happened before I started being in labor.

A flashback on Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai in Manila (July 2011) – with my husband’s stage act!

I don’t really have a bucket list, but one of the many things I would like to experience is the thrill of witnessing live acts in the sophisticatedly mad world of performing arts. I am not at all a knowledgeable critic of the arts. I am just an average person who appreciates it and likes to be highly entertained. So when I learned that Cirque du Soleil was coming to Manila, I grabbed the chance to experience a world-class circus spectacle live. The touring production that came to Manila was “Varekai”.


Promotional ad by BDO

Travel flashback: Baragatan Festival in Puerto Princesa, Palawan (June 2011)

Right after our Coron trip that gave me my first ever breathtaking experience of Palawan, I promised myself to go back to this beautiful island province and explore its other parts. It turned out that my promise came to form unplanned when I was able to catch a PhP 88 promo fare by Cebu Pacific to all domestic destinations like Puerto Princesa! I initially booked myself, Pol and my mom with the promo fare and it was yet six months before the travel period. And when my brother came home from the US a month before our flight, we booked him with the regular fare.





Breech and transverse baby no more!

Dear Baby P,

You and I are halfway through our 39th week now and I had just been to our doctor last Saturday to have my first IE (internal exam). But before that, I had become an anxious momma because of my worries about your presentation during the earlier weeks of my third trimester.



Photo from SpinningBabies.com



Music scene flashback: Mr. Big in Manila (May 10, 2011)

I always knew that Mr. Big would come to Manila but I never expected that to be courtesy of Pulp! This meant the tickets would be much more affordable! As with my experience with Arch Enemy, their VIP tickets were only PhP 2,000. I couldn’t believe that Patron tickets for the Mr. Big concert were only PhP 3,500! It could have been PhP 5,000 or more had it been by other production companies like Splintr or Ovation. But despite the production and ticket price, I’d still go to this supergroup’s concert no matter what.


Promotional poster by Pulp Live World



Travel flashback: Legazpi City and Daraga, Albay (May 2011)

My trip to my beloved Pol’s home province Albay was very much last-minute. Pol had already booked a flight to Legazpi well in advance for himself to celebrate the Feast of San Vicente Ferrer in his barangay with his family. When his flight was coming near, his twin nieces suggested that I come with him. And since I had just gained freedom from my old job during that time, I had all the time in the world to have fun and it was a perfect time to visit because of the fiesta. I booked myself just a few days before the flight. It was my first time to ever visit his hometown, Legazpi City.



 

My second baby shower, care of my DKS colleagues

Dear Baby P,

A month after our first baby shower courtesy of Vivaca and your Papa, I am so blessed and thankful for having the most thoughtful colleagues from DKS who also threw me one! It was March 26 and I was 35 weeks pregnant.

Travel flashback: A glorious getaway in Bali (Indonesia, Part 2, March 2011)

This post is a continuation of our Indonesia tour. Click here for our Jakarta side trip (Day 0, Day1, & Day 2, Part 1)


Because Cebu Pacific only flies to Indonesia through Jakarta, we had to book domestic flights from Jakarta to Bali. We only spent one day of touring Jakarta and really wanted to stay in Bali for as many days as we could. I took the chance for us to stay in Indonesia for almost a week.



Travel flashback: Jakarta side trip (Indonesia, Part 1, March 2011)

This post is the first part of our Indonesia trip. Click here for our Bali getaway (from Day 2, Part 2 to Day 5)
 
Just like my Bacolod trip a month before our flight to Jakarta, I got our round-trip Jakarta flights from Cebu Pacific’s 10-10-10 promo last October 10, 2010 where all one-way international flights were PhP 1,010 and all domestic flights were only PhP 10, with travel period from January to March 2011. This was another unplanned flight where I just had to take advantage of the absence of fuel surcharges, with five months of preparation for our budget. I booked myself, Pol, and my mom. I must admit too that I really wanted to go to Bali so badly!



Happily chasing the third trimester blues away

Dear Baby P,

I’m almost at my 36th week of pregnancy now and it would just be four weeks or less before your grand entrance to the world. It is at my 8th month now that I’m starting to feel impatient and most excited about it because I’m starting to feel clumsier and more uncomfortable that I just wanted to go fast forward to that big day of your arrival. It’s true that the second trimester is the best and most comfortable state a pregnant woman could be in, and the third trimester is the most exciting because she would just want it to be over with.




Travel flashback: Bacolod and the rest of Negros Occidental (February 2011)

My trip to Bacolod was an unplanned thing because of the crazy PhP 10 seat sale Cebu Pacific had (10-10-10 promo last October 10, 2010) for all domestic flights. Because there were no fuel surcharges back then, I booked myself, my mom, my dad, and Pol for round-trip flights to Bacolod at only about PhP 800 all in! Along with this domestic booking, I also booked myself, my mom and Pol to Jakarta to take advantage of the PhP 1,010 sale for all international flights. Travel periods for these promo flights were from January to March 2011.





Our Lamaze childbirth class with Rome Kanapi

Dear Baby P,

Last March 18, at the beginning of my 34th week of pregnancy, your Papa and I completed our series of childbirth classes under Lamaze instructor Rome Kanapi. We received a Lamaze certification from Ms. Rome wherein your Papa could be with me in the delivery room to coach me during my labor and delivery, and most of all for the both of us to witness your healthy birth.

Our Lamaze certificate



Our class picture!

Music scene flashback: Deftones in Manila (Diamond Eyes Tour, Feb 2011)

Why did I ever stop myself from watching Deftones live? I did but I still watched the band anyway. It was a dilemma of bringing back my high school days that I had already grown out of. But those high school days were undeniably where the height of my self exploration was in, in terms of musical taste. I suddenly remembered that Pacman-like game (with the midi version of "My Own Summer" in the background) which I used to play from my enhanced CD of the album "White Pony".



Promotional poster by Splintr

My baby's precious cord blood

Dear Baby P,

Last January 17, your Papa and I decided to invest in cord blood banking for your health security, which would benefit our family as well especially your future siblings. And just this March, we have finally received our cord blood collection kit that we would be using on your delivery sometime in April. Your Papa had already known of this kind of investment even before I got pregnant. And when he brought it up to me during my first trimester, I was skeptical at first about it.




Music scene flashback: The First Big Party of 2011 (Bob Sinclar in Manila)

It had been a long time since I partied on a real dance floor. My party days in college were the best I could remember having ever since I started working. So when I heard that Bob Sinclar was coming to Manila, I didn’t want to miss the chance!





Surprise baby shower for the first Vivaca baby!

Dear Baby P,

I just wanted to share with you a special day I had with Vivaca, my group of high school friends whom your Papa gathered to throw me a baby shower! Although the surprise failed to be kept a secret from me a few days before the event, I was still very touched and happy to be entertained (instead of me entertaining). It was February 26 and I was 31 weeks pregnant.





Travel flashback: Hue, ancient capital of Vietnam (October 2010)

This post is a continuation of our Vietnam tour. Click here for our HCMC  / Saigon tour (Day 1 & Day 2, Part 1)


After our 2-day tour of Ho Chi Minh City which made us learn about the US-Vietnam War and observe the fusion of French and Vietnamese cultures, we were bound to Hue for some learnings on Vietnam's ancient history.

Travel flashback: Ho Chi Minh City aka Saigon, Vietnam (October 2010)

This post is the first part of our Vietnam tour. Click here for our Hue tour (Day 2 Part 2 and Day 3)


It had been only five months since our struggling Bangkok trip and we found ourselves again bound to another ASEAN neighbor. I guess our trip to Thailand had been very affordable for us and even other Filipinos, that we were still able to visit another country within the same year of 2010. Of course, we chose another budget-friendly but culturally rich country, Vietnam. So far, it’s my favorite Southeast Asian nation, next of course to the Philippines.





Maternity photoshoot with Spetz at Blow-Up Babies

Dear Baby P,

While your Papa and I are very much excited to see you, we had to keep ourselves busy and spend quality time together before we officially become lifetime Mama and Papa, as what my favorite pregnancy sites advise. One of the fun things we thought of doing was to have ourselves photographed as expectant parents, in order for me to visually document and share with you our joyful anticipation of our Pelikitot.




Travel flashback: Coron, Palawan (July 2010)

Since Pol and I agreed to have at least one foreign trip per year together, it is all the more a must for us to have at least one domestic trip as well. July 2010 was the month of our fourth year anniversary as a dating couple, and Pol specially wanted to celebrate it in Coron, Palawan.

Our 4D ultrasound session at Face2Face

Dear Baby P,

I write to you now on my 31st week of pregnancy, and we’re now in the third trimester together. My prenatal checkup with Doc Meneses had increased in frequency from monthly to bi-weekly, starting from my 28th week, where Doc had already given me a referral slip for 4D ultrasound.




Travel flashback: The neighboring provinces of Bangkok during the Red-Shirt protests in 2010

This blog post covers Days 2 and 3 of our Thailand trip: our visit to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo, and Ancient Siam, all found in Bangkok's neighboring provinces.

Travel flashback: Bangkok trip during the Red-Shirt protests in 2010

Ever since our first foreign travel in 2009, Pol and I agreed to have at least one foreign trip per year together. We then decided to head next to Bangkok for 2010. We booked as early as six months before our target date in May. I booked my mom too when a promo fare later presented itself. We were three happy summer travelers then.

Gifts from your Papa and our family in Bicol

Dear Baby P,

Just when I thought our Christmas and New Year celebrations were over, I was in for a surprise!

Your Papa, Mommy, Daddy and I just came home from our New Year celebration from Edsa Shangri-La when a neighbor handed us a package she received on our behalf since there was no one home on December 31. I opened the package and found two magazines, both back issues of Yummy and Good Housekeeping. Inserted in the package was a letter. The letter said I would be receiving two-year subscription of Smart Parenting as a gift from your Papa!

A 'preliminary' gift from Papa

Music scene flashback: Backstreet Boys in Manila (Feb 27, 2010)

Yes, I have a history of being Backstreet babe! My active days of being a fan was from their self-titled debut album release (in 1996) where I was just nine years old, up to their third album Millennium (1999 to 2000). When I say I have been musically inclined as early as childhood, pop was no exception. I still know by heart all the lyrics of the songs in their first three albums. But during the era from their fourth to their latest album to date, I had gone away from the pop scene and explored less mainstream kinds of music in my teenage years. But I still am a proud Backstreet girl because of all the boy groups that had come and gone, BSB still stands strong!

 

Backstreet Boys in Araneta Coliseum



The dragon baby and my first new year as an expectant momma at Edsa Shangri-La

Dear Baby P,

Your Mommy, Daddy, uncle Jake and I, together with occasional visitors, always celebrated our New Year’s Eve at home. Every year we decorate the dining tables with twelve kinds of round fruits, we scatter chocolate coins and real coins around the house, and we turn all the lights and appliances on at home. We only made loud noises and never used firecrackers, because we’re contented with watching our neighbors light up and display their colorful fireworks.





Music scene flashback: Arch Enemy in Manila (Oct 20, 2009)

Deciding whether or not to watch Arch Enemy was a debate in my head. If I went ahead, this would be my first ever foreign metal scene to witness live. There were actually a lot of pros. The tickets for concerts produced by Pulp are relatively cheap compared to other productions. The ticket purchase comes with a lot of freebies (Draven gift certificates worth PhP 500, free Arch Enemy CD, and free drinks). And there are a lot of homegrown metal bands as opening acts. 

Promotional poster by PULP



A blessed Christmas and birthday for your Mama

Dear Baby P,

I would just like to share with you my thoughts about my first Christmas and birthday celebration as an expectant mother.

Me on my 24th birthday at 22 weeks pregnant

Valentine's Day flashback: a home spa treatment

I wanted to show Pol how much I appreciated everything he did for me after more than a year of us being together, and I wanted to do it on Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day 2008 was our second V-day together. I am the kind who always preferred to create personalized gifts rather than buy something ready-made for anyone even if it were better. This time, I was inspired to surprise him with a personalized spa treatment for face, body and foot, courtesy of me only.

Preggers just wanna have fun!

Dear Baby P,

I write to you this post on my 29th week of pregnancy, where I have finally entered our third trimester together. I just wanted to recall the fun I’ve had during my second trimester, which I could say was my most comfortable period of our nine-month journey.

Travel flashback: Ilocandia Express 2009

Pol and I happened to go on an Ilocos escapade by chance when Pol’s colleague handed down to him a single round-trip ticket to Laoag that he had won but wasn’t interested in using. When Pol told me about this, we grabbed this opportunity to explore the beauty of the north and immediately booked ourselves by using the free ticket for Pol and we just had to pay for one person (me). Eventually, Pol was able to tag along his other former colleagues Imee and JP for a double date escapade at Ilocos.

My baby's congenital anomaly scan

Dear Baby P,

December 3, 2011. It was a Saturday, and despite the weekend, your Papa and I woke up early to head to NeoMedica and to undergo the congenital anomaly scan procedure. I was somewhat nervous because of the name of the procedure itself, but excited at the same time because your Papa and I would finally know if we were right to call you “Baby P” and “Pelikitot” as we always did, or if we should instead call you “Lady P” or “Pulinday”.

Music scene flashback: Nine Inch Nails in Manila (August 5, 2009)

I first learned about the news of NIN’s Manila concert from the Multiply post of Wolf Gemora. I had doubts at first that it would push through but Wolf said that contracts had been signed already. Yey! A few days later, Trent Reznor himself tweeted about it!



Promotional poster by Splintr.com

The Baby Name

Dear Baby P,


Your Papa had let me know early on during our first months together, that he wanted to name our future baby boy “Paulo”. My initial reaction was not too joyful, because the name was too common. But I did prefer “Paulo” over “Paolo”.  He wanted “Paulo” because your Papa Big’s name is Paulino. Your Papa wanted to honor your Papa Big, whom both you and I were unfortunately not able to meet. But because the name “Paulo” is too common, I thought of adding something that is of course not too common.

Travel flashback: Singapore 2009 (continuation of the Malaysia-Singapore trip)

Click here to see my previous post on our prior Kuala Lumpur trip. 


We arrived at the KTMB (Keratapi Tanah Melayu Berhad) Tanjong Pagar station in Singapore at around 7:30 am, where this was also our point of entry from Johor Bahru in Malaysia. From the KTMB station, we took a long walk to MRT Tanjong Pagar station, purchased EZ-Link adult tickets, and dropped off to Bugis station where the nearest MRT station from our hotel is. Just outside Bugis station is Bugis Junction, a lifestyle complex along Bugis Street. From there, we took one last short walk to Park View Hotel along Beach Road.

Border between Johor Bahru and Singapore

MRT Tanjong Pagar station



Mall beside Bugis Junction

Preggy care & things I've been doing

Dear Baby P,

I have been a very cheerful person (very seldom moody), but I was very serious about my first pregnancy. I wanted to do everything right for my body and for you, my first baby.

Travel flashback: Kuala Lumpur 2009

(Click here for our Singapore trip)


Pol and I wanted to celebrate our 3rd anniversary as a dating couple in an out-of-the-country escapade. We decided to go for a Malaysia-Singapore trip and this was our very first time to travel abroad together. Pol had been to Kuala Lumpur before for a business trip, but it was only for one night. Our travel plan was to book an AirAsia flight from Clark to Kuala Lumpur, a sleeper train ride via Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, and then a Cebu Pacific flight from Singapore to Manila. Our whole trip is proudly DIY.

View of Petronas Twin Towers & KL Tower

A preggers' thoughts, moods, pains, and joys

Dear Baby P,

You know, it is common for pregnant women to have various thoughts, feelings and moods that change very often for no reason. I had experienced sudden feelings of being scared, angry and easily amused. But I don’t remember being depressed. I admit being moody towards your very patient and understanding Papa, but I was often very cheerful and outgoing with everybody else. The very opposite of those positive moods that I had most was fear and being paranoid about what could happen to you if I encounter even the smallest unfortunate events.

Music scene flashback: Eraserheads in “The Final Set” concert

Nope, I never considered myself an Eraserheads fan in my youth (elementary schooling days), although because I’m a musically inclined person I have memorized all their hit singles as a child, along with the songs of Rivermaya and other OPM bands because of the songhits mania in the nineties. Up until now in my twenties, I know the lyrics of their hit singles by heart. It was only in my adolescent years when I realized that those OPM bands, particularly Eraserheads, were for me the best mainstream OPM bands who ever existed throughout my own lifetime and memory. And honestly, i don't know of any band who was better than them during and even after their reign. I’m a nineties kid.

The alphabet-down (countdown) from Z to E at the opening of the concert

Travel flashback: Pahiyas Festival 2009 in Lucban, Quezon

It is not enough for me to describe what the Pahiyas Festival is about, aside from being a feast every May 15 in honor of San Isidro Labrador with thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, wherein the sights to behold are households with colorful agricultural ornaments. More than just the beautiful exteriors of each friendly competing house, tourists can go inside most of the houses too and see more of the residents' creativity. See more information here.

An image of San Isidro Labrador

One of the festively decorated houses

Travel and Valentine's day flashback: The 14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) 2009 on the 14th of February!

It was a Saturday on the 14th of February in 2009, with that year as the 14th annual event! For me it was the perfect date and year to really celebrate Valentine's day at the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) in Clark, Pampanga.

Hot air balloon fly-in at 6 pm-ish

When your Papa heard your heartbeat for the first time

Dear Baby P,


It was time again for my monthly prenatal checkup with Doc Meneses for November, and I couldn’t wait to hear your heartbeat again. I, your Papa, Ate Gela, Ate Geli, Mama Myr and Ate Che just had a vacation from Hong Kong in October, so I wanted to make sure you did not have any fetal distress. I was excited too because my November visit to Doc was my first time as a Serrano!

Music scene flashback: Xaymaca nights

My college days were the active days of me being a party-goer. While I love listening to all types of music, I also love to dance. Xaymaca was one of those venues that offered substantial music, a chance to dance to the beats, plus a feeling of being free-spirited. It gave life to reggae as well as other related genres every night through live performances and not just through the 1-hour Thursday program “Dread at the Control” of now-defunct NU 107.

With Vic Facultad of Indio I

Your Mama and Papa's Honeymoon

Dear Baby P,

One ordinary day, your Papa got lucky as he was able to book four zero-fare seats to Hong Kong. Your Papa initially booked me, himself, your Ate Gela and Ate Geli. When I learned about this, I decided to book your Mama Myr, Ate Ding, Ate Che and Tita Vicky, also with the zero-fare seats. The date of the trip was October 17, and the booking was made months before you were conceived.

Travel flashback: Christmas 2008 in Macau

Our trip to Macau was very short. We initially planned to skip our half-day Hong Kong City tour so that we could spend one whole day in Macau. However, the tour operator insisted that it was compulsory, and assured us that we could still tour Macau in just half a day, and that they would drop us off at the New World First Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui after the HK city tour.

Music scene & Valentine week flashback: UP Fair 2008

The UP Fair for the year 2008 was the first and only UP fair that I (almost) completed. It was the most special I had because it doubled as a Valentine’s week celebration for me and hubby. <3

Another reason why UP Fair 2008 rocked is because of the backstage privileges we had!



Free flowing Cossack for the backstage people on Beta Epsilon's night



Your Papa and Mama's Christian Wedding

Dear Baby P,

Everything was going well with my early weeks of pregnancy and my situation at work, and I was free enough to help your Papa in preparing for our simple wedding. We were initially planning to have a civil wedding which required less time for preparation, compared to a church wedding. We wanted the wedding to push through in October 15 so that the visit of your Papa’s family from Bicol would conveniently be followed by the long planned Hong Kong trip starting October 17 with Mama Myr, Ate Che and the twins. We had a vision of having a church wedding when your Tito Wiwi comes home from Saudi a few years from now.