Astra's Birth Story

Finally sharing Astra's birth story with you guys! If you read my previous post about my pregnancy, it was fairly easy for me up until my last trimester. Especially the final month, when I started having difficulty walking due to manas/swollen feet and feeling a lot of pressure and pain in my pelvic area. I experienced having trouble sleeping, and just turning from one side to another was so hard! And ugh, the constant need to pee!

Skyler's birth announcement

I've been seeing so many creative pregnancy photos in Pinterest and one of those I've been wanting to do was this picture above - from bump to baby! I've also been documenting my preggy belly week after week and I've yet to compile all the pictures in a nice collage to show how my tummy has grown. But for now, here's Skyler's birth announcement - shot by hubby and edited by me. :)

Welcome to the world Skyler!

If you follow me on IG, then you must know that I already gave birth a few days ago! I may not be able to blog as much since I’m pretty much a walking zombie most of the time these days, but I just wanna share my birth story while I have some time (baby is sleeping peacefully for now...)

I finally gave birth last January 8, 2014 at 12:13 am to a healthy 6.13 lbs. baby boy! My due date was actually January 19 but I've been feeling so heavy and uncomfortable lately that I just knew I’d give birth earlier. Besides, I’ve also given birth before reaching the full 40 weeks in my past 2 pregnancies as well (trivia: Miley was born at 36.3 weeks, Sabe at 37.3 weeks and now I gave birth at 38.3 weeks!).

I’d been walking like crazy since the start of January and when I went for my check-up last January 6, my doctor told me I was already 2cm dilated after doing an internal exam. She told me to keep walking and to just come back the following day.

So basically, here’s how everything went down on January 7:

3:30pm – I arrived at the hospital (Makati Med) and by this time I was at 3cm with irregular contractions.

5pm – I was brought to the labor room and given Buscopan via IV to help thin my cervix I believe. Pretty soon I was having contractions every 3 minutes but the pain was still tolerable. I was just doing breathing exercises to help me get through it.

8pm – I was getting really hungry (my last meal was at lunch) so my doctor allowed me to have soup and crackers. But just as hubby was buying my food, my water broke on its own so I wasn’t allowed to eat anymore! Super bad timing! ;p

9pm to 10pm – The pain was getting worse. I was still at 4-5cm but each contraction was so strong I couldn’t stand it anymore. I was gripping the sides of the bed so tightly and asking hubby to squeeze my hand as hard as he could (he told me after his grip was so strong but I honestly didn’t feel it since I couldn’t even think straight!). I finally asked for an epidural and I swear I didn’t even feel it because I was such in pain from the contractions.

11pm – I was at 6cm by this time and although the epidural did help, I could still feel the pressure down there. Each contraction was about 1-2 minutes apart and I swear I could literally feel the baby’s head moving down!

12 midnight – My doctor checked me and by some miracle I was already fully dilated and ready to deliver!

I was rushed to the delivery room and everything happened so fast. I gave birth at 12:13am so imagine it took just about 13 minutes from the time I was wheeled out to the delivery room, prepped and then finally gave birth. I think it helped that I wasn’t completely numb down there since I could still feel the urge to push. I think I just pushed for about 3 times then the baby was out! This was the fastest labor and delivery for me, but also the most painful. With Miley and Sabe, I got the epidural early on and was in labor for a loooong time so I really couldn’t feel a thing even when I was pushing. But even though it hurt like hell, I’m thankful for this experience because I think it makes you appreciate being a mother more haha!

Say hello to SKYLER CALEB!

first family pic!

And now, we’re back to sleepless nights all over again. I’m carrying the baby almost 24/7 and breastfeeding on demand. My milk just came in and my boobs are so engorged and sore! Having a new baby is wonderful but it’s also challenging, demanding, and frustrating at times. But since this is my third, I also feel more confident and in control now. Less frazzled and more calm during certain situations (like when the baby won’t latch, when he’s crying non-stop and you don’t know what’s wrong, etc).

However, I also feel a bit guilty since I feel like I’m not being able to give my other kids the attention they need... Oh well, I guess we’re all in the adjustment period now and everything will get better in time. I’m just thankful that my son is finally here and that he’s healthy, strong, and so, so beautiful. I can’t stop looking at him and marvelling at how tiny he is. I almost can’t remember the time when Miley and Sabe were also this small. Reminds me that time flies by so fast and before I know it, this little baby will be walking and talking and going to school already... So really, I just want to cherish each day and embrace each moment as it comes.

hi there little brother!

So welcome to the world, my little Skyler. We love you so much and can't wait for lots of new adventures with you! :)

I've been hit by the nesting bug!

The urge to clean and organize is known as nesting. Nesting during pregnancy is the over whelming desire to get your home ready for your new baby. The nesting instinct is strongest in the later weeks coming up on delivery. It is an old wives tale that once nesting urges begin, labor is about to come on. (source)

images from google.com

I've been so calm and collected this whole pregnancy, probably because this is baby #3 already. I feel like I already know what to expect and I have everything I need like the crib, stroller, baby clothes, toys, breastfeeding stuff, etc. Piece of cake...

But then about 2 weeks ago, I suddenly realized that I couldn't remember where I stored my favorite breastfeeding cover-up. This led to me search my entire closet for it and when I couldn't find it, I then moved to the attic to search through the old baby stuff in storage. Well, I never found it, but I then realized that I finally needed to fix the stuff for baby #3's arrival!

So there I was, going through box after box of baby things, looking for the newborn sizes, mittens, socks, receiving blankets, and anything else the baby might need. I'm in my final weeks of pregnancy so you can imagine the effort it was taking me to do this - heavy belly, aching back and all. I knew I shouldn't exert myself so much, but I just NEEDED to do it! I was lifting and opening boxes like a madwoman, separating the things I needed from the stuff I could already give away. I discovered so many things in storage I had already forgotten about and felt like I needed to organize and sort everything! I was in panic mode when I started to think about old baby things that were put away which I needed to bring down - are the crib's parts still complete? where was my breastfeeding pillow? what about that sleeper, rocker and car seat?! Aaargh, why was I just doing this now???!!!!

Even though I knew I could ask help from hubby or our yaya, I just wanted to do everything myself. I was so ready to spend the entire day in the attic but then common sense took over since I was already getting lightheaded and got scared I might suddenly go into labor hehe!

Well, it didn't stop there. I now also want to clean out everyone's closets and categorize everything. I'm a self-confessed hoarder but I now have a sudden urge to throw most of our stuff out. Oh, and did I mention I want to redecorate the house? (serious!)

Now that Christmas is over, our house has become even more filled with new toys and gifts! They're currently in the guest room which is supposed to be the nursery, but it's so messy right now I don't even know where to start. I honestly can't even sleep just thinking about the clutter and wanting to put everything in order before the baby comes. I mean, I haven't even fixed my hospital bag yet!

This nesting instinct is really hitting me hard and with everything I want to do, I wouldn't be surprised if I go into labor soon hehe. Wish me luck!

I've been keeping a BIG secret...

How time flies! It's now November and before we know it, it's already Christmas and then the start of another new year.

And since everything's been moving so fast, I finally feel that it's time I shared with you something I've been keeping under the radar for many months now...

SURPRISE! We are expecting baby no. 3!!!

I'm now in my last trimester and we couldn't feel more excited and blessed about this new addition to our family. :)

Whereas we were more open during our first 2 pregnancies, this time hubby and I just wanted to keep the news to ourselves for a while. In fact, we only told immediate family at first and then other family members and just a few close friends after the 1st trimester. Even up to now, some of our friends still don't know we're expecting since my baby bump isn't that obvious from most of the pictures I post on Facebook or Instagram hehe. Although some very sharp-eyed people have noticed it and have messaged me privately asking if I was pregnant. ;p

It's not that we're hiding the news or anything, it's just that our views have slightly changed over the past years. Of course if it's your first pregnancy, wanting to share the news to everyone, on every social media platform is understandable (as well as sharing ultrasound photos, doctor updates, etc.).

This being our 3rd baby does not lessen the excitement factor one bit, it's just that we didn't feel the need to announce the information publicly (hindi naman tayo artista na kailangan may press release pa diba? haha!). We wanted to share the news with family and friends personally. And I've noticed that more and more of my friends have been doing the same, whether it's their first pregnancy or not. Someone I know just posted a picture of her 2nd baby after she gave birth, without most people knowing she was even pregnant.

And of course, there's always that anxiety factor. Of wanting to be sure everything is normal and the baby is healthy before coming out in the open. You don't want to jinx anything too right? ;p

So there, I hope you understand why I've just shared this news only now. After this, I can already post my pictures with my huge tummy haha! And finally, I hope you'll keep me in your prayers in this last stretch... I have to admit I'm getting nervous but of course still super excited for another milestone in my life. :)

Our little boy turns 1 (Sabre's birth story)

Today is Sabre's 1st birthday! I still remember the whole journey of being pregnant with him. If you read my posts before, you'll know that we didn't really plan on having a baby so soon after Miley. Sure we wanted more kids but we were thinking of maybe waiting a year or two. But I guess God had plans for us because I was pregnant with Sabe 6 months after I gave birth to Miley. We were nervous and excited at the same time. Excited because we would be giving Miley a sibling and a playmate (more so when we found out we were having a boy!) and nervous because we were still getting the hang of being parents and now we would have two babies to take care of!

Being pregnant for the second time was easier and yet it wasn't. It was also very different than the first. With Miley, I was so health conscious. All I wanted to eat were fruits like grapes and melons. With Sabe, I couldn't stop eating chocolate! I kept drinking Chocolait and eating Hershey's Kisses. I'm not a believer of your baby ending up looking like whatever you made him or her "lihi" to. But my mom swears that's why Sabe is darker than Miley haha! Hmmm, sige I won't be eating chocolate if ever I get pregnant again! ;p I was working all throughout this pregnancy as well and all I remember was that I had such a difficult time moving around. With Miley, I was still so active all the way until I went into labor. With Sabe, I found it so painful to walk or even turn around in bed that I just wanted to sit or sleep and do nothing.

The day before I gave birth, I was feeling so much pain and pressure on the lower part of my abdomen. I didn't feel this way with Miley so i went to my OB-GYN in the morning. Upon giving me an internal exam, she found out I was 1 cm dilated and instructed me to just keep walking around and come back at night. Even though it was torture to move, I went to Glorietta and went shopping haha! I just wanted to give birth already!

right before going to the hospital

We went to the hospital at around 10 pm. Everybody kept telling me that giving birth the 2nd time around would be a breeze, that labor wouldn't be as long as the first. Well, I was still in labor for about 10 hours! I had an epidural like before but my anesthesolgist this time was so good! I didn't feel it when he placed he needle at all and he kept me comfortable the whole time.Worth every penny we paid him. Anyway, even my doctor was puzzled why it was taking so long since I was dilating pretty well and then I stopped at around 6cm. I was stuck there for a couple of hours (they would find out later on when I pushed Sabe out that there was a cord coil around his neck, thankfully it wasn't serious). Finally at around 9am, they said I was ready to push...

Our baby boy Sabre Cael was born on April 20 at 9:16 am weighing 7 lbs. 5 oz. Our little family has now grown and was now more complete than ever.

I remember the first time Miley saw Sabe. She kept looking and pointing at him and saying "baby!"  It was like she knew instantly that this was her baby brother because she's been so sweet, gentle, and protective of him ever since he was born. No jealousy, just pure love.

Well, Sabe is indeed the baby of the family for now and I cant believe he's now 1! I keep reminding myself to cherish each and ever moment with the kids because pretty soon they'll be all grown up.

I'm sure before I know it, Sabe will be a young man, going out with friends, dating, working... But for now, he's just my baby, my little angel who'll probably grow up to be a mama's boy. =)

We love you so much Sabe! Now, I can't wait to finally celebrate his party. A labor of love indeed!

Our baby girl turns 2 (Miley's birth story)

Today is Miley’s 2^nd birthday! This day brings back so many memories from the day Miley was born, so let me share with you her birth story. 

Miley’s birth was definitely an unexpected one. It was so unexpected that I actually missed 2 baby showers haha! When I was pregnant with Miley 2 years ago, I was still very much working in an ad agency in Makati. The day before I gave birth, I had lunch at Greenbelt with my officemates then after, went on a shopping spree in Mothercare (they were on sale!).  My office is just near the mall so I just walked going back carrying all my shopping bags - which I think was partially the reason why I went into labor. 

Now the main reason I went into labor is this. That night, Vins said he was going out for drinks with friends and would be home around midnight. When Vins is out, I can’t really sleep until he gets home. So there I was, waiting and waiting, excited to show him what I bought from Mothercare. Vins gets home at around 2 or 3am, drunk. I’m super PISSED at him, but I figure I’ll just save it for the morning. After a few minutes of sleep, I wake up feeling period like cramps and like I have to go to the bathroom. I didn’t think much of it since my due date wasn’t for at least 2 more weeks. I wake up several more times during the night, and then finally I noticed light spotting after I went to pee. I then read What To Expect When You’re Expecting on signs of labor. I kinda had a gut feeling this was it though but since this was my first pregnancy I couldn’t really be sure. The last thing I wanted was to drag Vins all the way to the hospital for false labor. Anyway, to add to everything, at about 6am, our lights go out! We then find out that the brown-out was just in our house since one of the electrical wires on the roof was in flames! Our yaya grabbed the wire with bare hands and was able to prevent the house from burning! After that near panic mode and with everyone calmed down, I asked Vins if we could go to my OB-GYN for a check-up. Vins looked at me like I was crazy and asked if we could just do it next week (since he was obviously drunk and wanted to sleep). I told him that I was feeling cramps and just wanted to have it checked-out. Finally, he agreed (as if he had a choice). I hadn’t packed anything yet for the hospital so I did that in about 5 minutes, just in case this was really it. 

Before going to the hospital, I even passed by the office first to tell my boss that I would be gone for a few hours. I guess I must have looked like hell since my reliever at that time asked if I was ok since I looked so pale! To which I replied that it was probably coz I didn’t have make-up on pa kasi haha. Anyway, Vins and I then headed to MMC. While waiting my turn, I was still experiencing cramps and to make it worse, Vins was making me laugh the entire time (pure evil!). Anyway, when my OB-GYN finally saw me, she did an internal exam and found out that I was already dilated at 2cm! So yes, the cramps I had been feeling since early morning were indeed contractions!

Vins actually had a flight to Bangkok that afternoon so thank God he was here and he was able to cancel it. I was admitted at around 1pm, bore through the contractions all the way till around past 8pm, and finally gave birth to our 6lbs 10oz daughter at 8:38pm after pushing for just about 10 minutes (even I couldn't believe I was still able to push despite being so tired, thirsty and hungry)! 

still smiling for the cam despite intense contractions!

FINALLY! Welcome to the world Miley!

Our beautiful baby girl who would change our lives forever.

1 month old Miley

It’s now been 2 years and I marvel at how fast time really passes by. Before we know it, I’m sure Miley will be going to school, making her own decisions, hanging out with her friends…  But for now, she is and will always be our little baby girl. We love you Miley and happy 2^nd birthday! Don’t grow up too fast ok? =)

Oh baby baby!

Vins and I always knew we wanted a big family. We both loved kids and even dreamed of having twins, a girl and a boy (who knows, maybe in the future it’ll happen). People would always look surprised when they’d ask how many kids we wanted and we’d say at least 4. According to Vins, he wants 10 (that’s coz he’s not the one carrying them!).

We got pregnant about 4 months after we got married and we we’re thrilled! We couldn’t wait to find out the gender of the baby. Actually, we (especially Vins) wanted our eldest child to be a boy because it just seemed nicer for the “kuya” to take care of his younger siblings. But of course, as long as the baby was healthy we were ok. When we found out we were having a girl, we were happy but I could tell Vins was a little disappointed (he even asked the doctor if it was already 100% sure ;p). Turns out he was just worried about having a girl because he was scared of spoiling her and of boys courting her in the future (did I mention Vins is the eldest of 3 boys?) He’s probably just scared of guys like him haha!

Anyway, a few months later and Miley was born! She was sooooo cute and Vins just fell in love with her. She's such a daddy's girl!  =)

our little princess

Little did we know that about 6 months later, we would be pregnant again! A happy accident! I wasn’t sure if we were prepared for this at first. I mean, I had just gotten my body back, I was back to working, and now here I was about to go through everything all over again. But I firmly believe that everything has a reason and God must think we’re very capable parents to be able to handle 2 little munchkins in a row.  This time, we were over the moon when we found out we were having a boy! Our family was now complete.

meet Sabre!

Even though we don’t get enough sleep, we don’t have time for ourselves, we don’t get to go out on gimmicks like we used to, our lives have completely changed for the better. Do we want more kids? Vins says DEFINITELY while I’m honestly okay with Miley and Sabe. We agreed that it would be ideal to have another baby 3 years from now, but who knows? Whatever happens, happens. =)