Yeyo's 1st birthday!

Start:

Nov 6, '11

Our little girl is now a toddler!

Only Tatay can

I may be one hundred percent hands-on with Yeyo, but only Tatay, and only Vincent, can put the little cookie to sleep in record time!

Actually, we have no problem putting Yeyo to sleep, especially at night...so far. Hindi s'ya namumuyat, and we're praying that she stays that way until after I go back to work. She doesn't have crying spells either, except when she gets to have kabag (but now we know how to deal with it). And should I want to put Yeyo to sleep in seconds, Vincent once told me that I put his shirt on. Maybe it's the Tatay scent that makes her doze off quick. I haven't tried that yet, though. I'll let the world know if it does work 

Yeyo's first day out

12.05.2010
Church of the Risen Lord
UP Ayala Technohub

Not counting her pedia visits, this is Yeyo's first time to go to church and lunch out. Thanks to Tito Mike for being her yaya for the day :D

Yeyo turns a month old!

Our little girl is now one month old. She's grown bigger now. Yey! 

Tatay and Nanay had these for Yeyo...

We love you lots, sweetheart!

And now we are three!

The suspense is so over. Meet our little angel...

About an hour after birth

MITHI AIELLO KATERINA

Born: 06 November 2010, 1:31AM

Vincent picked the name Mithi -- Tagalog for longing, or aim, or something that you wish for or want to achieve. Aiello is my pick, after a Jazz singer's surname. Katerina is our mutual choice. We call her Yeyo :-) Vincent and I had quite a debate long before we came up with her name. Yes, we know it's quite a lengthy name, but we just know that our daughter is going to be a smart girl when she grows up. We'll teach her how to write her name quick, long before she goes to pre-school.

There we no contractions. Nope, no water bag breaking drama in the middle of the night, nor any bloody show. The day before Yeyo came, we went to see our OB-GYN for another check up. We were quite optimistic about this visit since we had this feeling that our doc will not let us go anymore, and she surely did not. After a sonogram, we found out that Yeyo has less fluid to keep her at bay for another day, and so she has to come out ASAP. Our doc advised us to go home, go get some lunch, assemble our bags and then go back to the hospital. I will have to be induced.

The induction happened the moment I entered the Perinatal Department at 1:30PM, November 5th. I was immediately instructed to slip in my hospital gown and lie in bed. They then attached the CTG machine onto my belly to begin the long process of monitoring Yeyo's heartbeat, my blood pressure and contractions. I knew it's going to be a long labor in waiting, and so I brought a book with me (which I later forgot about the moment I was wheeled out of the delivery room). I must commend the doctors and nurses at the Philippine Children's Medical Center for really looking after me during this time. I had a good chat about books and movies with an intern assigned to keep her eyes glued on the CTG's screen. Amazing how she managed to do her job while I pester her about the things I see they attach to my body. Hehehe. The anesthesiologist's fellow came about two hours later to explain to me how the epidural works. I said I wanted it, so she said she's going to give it to me at certain doses when I need it.

By 12:30AM of November 6th, 11 hours later, I was fully dilated. My doctor prepped me up to practice my breathing and pushing. Having satisfied her with that, I was finally wheeled in the delivery room. It was 1AM, as I kept looking at the digital wall clock. I was cheered on by the doctors to take a deep breath, hold it, push at a count of 10 to 12, and then breathe out. Two male doctors, one of them was the anesthesiologist, were bearing down hard on my belly to help me pop Yeyo out. After 31 minutes of pushing, Yeyo finally made it out! I was only too happy to see her.

At about 3AM, I asked for my husband as I got really hungry (the last meal I had was the adobong manok for lunch the previous day). He came with my "breakfast" and said he saw Yeyo and she is my carbon copy ;-). While he was feeding me, a fellow from the nursery came in with Yeyo and she had her first latch on me. It was also our first family bonding. Awww...

It has been a week and we're now settled back home. Yeyo had her first pedia check up two days ago and had her first vaccine as well. My sutures are healing up well, and I can move around faster now. I am so blessed to have VIncent as my husband, this I must say. He took good care of me and Yeyo since day one, running around the house, doing the chores, making sure I get the nourishment I need as I nurse Yeyo (I am exclusively breastfeeding her), and gets up in the wee hours to help me out to fend for Yeyo. He is an awesome, awesome husband and I love him more everyday :-).

Hah! This has gotten too long. I need to sleep. Yeyo will wake up any moment now...

Still waiting...

We're now 39 weeks and 4 days along, but still no sign of the little one in sight. This has been the longest wait ever! Argh!

Our emotions are going nuts lately. Nanay went on leave from work since last week in anticipation of the baby (trying to avoid having to give birth at the MRT or LRT, or making a scene in her office), and Tatay couldn't concentrate at work and kept on calling/texting Nanay to check up on her every so often. The little girl's Papo Fe (Grandma) came to QC all the way from Zambales last week thinking that the baby's coming out then, but has now gone back home, with strict instructions to call her at the first sign of labor. The suspense is killing us all!

Our OB-GYN said, we can wait until the 41st week and still the baby will not be overdue. Should our little one doesn't pop out by this Friday, we'd have to go back to the hospital, have the baby checked through sonogram and only then will we find out whether we can still wait for another week or have Nanay induced. In the end, SHE HAS TO COME OUT! We will make her come out! She has no choice. 

Despite our unfounded stresses, we're confident that everything will turn out just fine. God is totally in control. No worries, really.

Term Ka Na...

These were the words of our OB Gynecologist when we paid her a visit last Saturday. By those words she was referring to my wife, Christine, who on that day is already on the 9th month of her pregnancy. Our pregnancy I should say. By those words, I felt a sudden gush of excitement overriding the whole of my body. The feeling of  relief that the 9 months of waiting is almost over and that in a few days time, I shall be carrying on my arms is nothing short of magical.

Well it has really been a roller coaster past nine months for us. I did not expect to be experiencing this at some point especially since I really do not see myself as the marrying type. Close friends of mine and other people might disagree but I see myself as a happy-go-lucky and laid back person. Until recently, I never really cared much about how I look. Much more will you even see me ogling at the latest trend in fashion or even dream of getting high paying job for that matter. Yup, for me it all falls according to plan and they will come when it is time.

Those things have changed now. I know and have faith that things did fell accordingly but more than that, I am much much blessed that I am having a little girl soon. And I mean soon! The small and petty things  that used to take up much of my time in the past now seemed so... well petty and little. No more magnification of things. Much more, I have learned to value those things that matter. Including those that I have, I could have and even those that I could not have. Right now, all that matters is this little angel that I will soon call my child.

Heck, I don't even care if I am making any sense right now!

And THE wait is on!

Our admitting order!

We are now on our full term. This means that any time between now and until two weeks, this little one is finally going to make its debut into the world :-)

From our check up yesterday, the little cheeky has now grown a notch, her head down in birthing position, but still not too low to launch anytime. Nanay has gained four pounds, and has to stop right there. For that, the doctor said to lay off the usual diet yet again, monitor the baby's movements and walk, walk, walk, walk...

We're anxious a bit, yet we're excited! Our hospital bag's ready to go, and we already have our doc's admitting order. But for now, we'll just have to wait until the signs of our little girl's arrival has come on.

Little miss cheeky

At 33 weeks

We went to see our OB-GYN for our monthly check-up yesterday. And we are only too happy to know that the little one is in tip-top shape and is growing along just fine. At 33 weeks, she's now nearly a foot long and weighs four pounds. We saw her limbs too, and a cross-section of her tummy. She was stirring constantly all throughout the sonogram, which was a good sign that she's developing perfectly. Ang likot! She's very active in Nanay's tummy lately, that she sometimes give Nanay a hard time positioning herself to sleep.

She was also "having her brunch" during the sonogram session! Nakakatuwa, she was munching on! The picture above shows her face's profile. What cute cheeks she has! :-)

Our next check-up will be two weeks from now, and will then be on a fortnightly basis (later weekly) from thereon out.  We will be in full-term by the third week of October. Yes, we're nearing the homestretch!

9 weeks to go...

Time is really going by so fast. We're now 31 weeks pregnant. It seems like yesterday, we were just 6 weeks along! We're both a little anxious and excited at the same time. Our baby's been jabbing much lately, as if to say, "Nanay! Tatay! Malapit na 'kong lumabaaaas!!!" Lately, she would often bear through Nanay's tummy her elbow -- or knee? We couldn't tell for sure -- and everytime she does this, we'd giggle with excitement. Amazing what this little wonder could do, even in utero!

We'll have our next check up in two weeks...

Hello, Nanay and Tatay!

WE'RE PREGNANT!

This has been a long, overdue blog announcement, we know. We have been overwhelmed with so much excitement; we really haven't found the time to document this important news right here. Posting up tickers was the only thing we've managed to do here so far. And of course, there is Facebook and Twitter. Aah, social media. 

Since getting married more than two and a half years ago, we both made a decision to not get pregnant right away and only after two years, begin trying to have a baby. We wanted to first enjoy each other's company, travel together, focus on our careers and education, and prepare for our future family. We both knew that this is the right thing to do and we were just so faithful that when the time comes when we decide to get pregnant, God will give us a child. We just knew that God is going to bless our requested timing. With this bag of faith in tow, we were never affected by friends and family taunting us to hurry up and get pregnant (now na!). Some were even worried (sincerely and not) -- and some were speculating, that something might be reproductively wrong with us, that's why "we couldn't" get pregnant right away. We just brushed these remarks aside and went on with our happy lives.

The time soon came when our married friends trended the baby boom trail, at unti-unti na rin kami nainggit. It was surely God's way of telling us that it's time for us to have our own cookie bundle. We started trying after our second wedding anniversary, and two months later, out came these two incredible purple lines! Wohoo!

POSITIVE!!!

After using three test kits (yes, three -- to be really, really, really sure; the one above was our first), it finally dawned on us that we are soon-to-be parents at last! We were overjoyed! We are still on a high until now, actually. We visited the doctor that weekend and had our first sonogram. Our baby was still a peanut-sized wonder then, and we were only too excited to look forward to our next sonogram session. 

On our 21st week, we had another ultrasound scan of our cookie. We were both amazed that the little peanut has grown so much and busy somersaulting! And on this session, we also found out that we are having a girl :-)

IN THE WOMB. Yup, definitely a girl. Nothing protruding there ;-)

See her face?!

We're now 27 weeks along and it has been truly an amazing roller coaster, thrilling ride for us! We still have lots to learn as first time parents, and the need to prepare (ALL ASPECTS!) for the coming of this little princess is exhilarating and a little nerve-racking at the same time, but we know we will get by. We can never be 100% prepared for anything, can we? That's why we are keeping the faith. We are praying for nothing else but the best of everything for her every single day. 

We praise God for this amazing miracle!

Celebrating March birthdays

This was the 2nd year in a row that Vincent (March 7th) celebrated his birthday with our cousins, Ate Naw (March 28th) and Ate Letty (March 31st). As usual, dami food, same venue.

Last year's celebration photos HERE.

Having fun in MATH?!?!

We haven't had anything interesting to follow on KBS World for the past couple of months. But now we have something to look forward to again every Monday and Tuesday nights...Ta-dah!

Master of Study

To explain the subject line, these bida kids are students in a special class and for the past two episodes, their subject is math. We are both allergic to numbers (wah!), but somehow we are having fun WATCHING THEM solve mathematical problems. Hehehe.

If you have KBS World at home, you might want to check them out. 

Pre-Valentine treat: RENT!

02.13.2010
RCBC, Italianni's and Greenbelt (Makati)

♫ Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes ♫
La vie Boheme!
No day but today!

We went to catch the matinee show of Rent the musical by 9workstheatrical, and it was AWESOME! Glen and Yani were with us.

Next stop for these guys: The Wedding Singer in October! Yuhoooo!!!

Kutsinta challenge

It's been months, almost a year in fact, since our former boss and mentor Mrs. Flor Mallari (Reference Librarian, UPD) gave us the recipe of her legendary kutsinta (brown/orange rice cake). Ma'am Flor is known for her Kapampangan cooking, and so her staff (ourselves included) would always look forward to her semestral staff meetings where her lunch treats were always, ALWAYS a hit! The kutsinta has been one of the favorites.

We finally found the time to try whipping it up ourselves this evening. We got all the ingredients ready the night before, and we were really excited to get the steamer going. If it's going to be a success, this is what we're going to bring to the Valentine potluck lunch our cousins have scheduled next weekend 

This text message served as our cookbook.

The ingredients are not hard to find, actually. Cassava flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, water and lihia (lye water) for texture.

All the ingredients were combined and whisked.

Our first encounter with lihia (2 tablespoons into the mixture)

Dapat ba may bubbles?!? *kamot ulo*

This was our final product. We over-steamed it. It was a bit tough, but in fairness, it did look and taste like kutsinta. Hehehe.

Not bad for our first try! So yes, this is what we're bringing to the potluck on Valentine's Day 

Singapore New Year 09-10 (day 3)

01.02.2010

Our last day at SG with a bang! =) Had brunch with Iris -- another SG-based friend, at Yishun, strolled along Orchard Road, bagsak-panga over The National Library (too bad picture-taking is prohibited inside the library), pigged out on Indian food, and enjoyed Changi Airport once more =)

There's still so much to see, but so little time. See you again, SG!

Singapore New Year 09-10 (day 2)

01.01.2010

Enjoyed the sun, MRT rides, Fullerton, Asian Civilizations Museum (where Denise is the Librarian), IKEA (Oh, we heart Ikea! Kung pwede lang i-taxi pa-Pinas ang mga mabibili namin, marami sana kaming mabibili!), the Esplanade, and finally meeting Mr. Merlion!

Singapore New Year 09-10 (day 1)

12.31.2009

This trip was 3 months in the making. Finally, we had our first pleasure trip abroad as husband and wife! =) Thanks to our good friend Denise for hosting us and welcoming us into her home.

Airport scenes and New Year's Eve dinner.