One month Old and Omiyamairi

Our baby Azumi has just turned 1 month two weeks ago, November 8... Of course, the three of us celebrated it. Her hello kitty dress was given by her grandma... she looks like a cat right? hihi




The next day was her ceremony, OMIYAMAIRI in japanese.

In Japan, they usually bring their baby to a Shinto shrine on the 31st day after the birth a baby boy, and 32nd day for a baby girl for introduction and first contact with the gods. A Shinto priest performs this ceremony to ward off evil and give blessings of good health. A baby is dressed in kimono or a white gown. Our baby wore a white gown bought by her grandma.

Good thing about being HALF is you learn, practice and enjoy two different culture. We`ll be visiting again the temple where she had her first and have the ritual ceremony called OKUIZUME which literally means "start eating". When she turns 3, she`ll gonna wear a kimono and will have a ceremony again in the same temple where she had during her 31st day and 100th day.

However, We`re planning to have her Christening in the Philippines next year or year 2010. I`m excited. I`ll see to it that all her pretty ninangs and goodlooking ninongs will be present on that day. It would also be her first time to meet our huge and yet happy family. It would be fun for sure, kids will be all over our place again, like when I was still a kid, this time, it`s her generation.

First 4 weeks

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I can proudly say, I LOVE BEING A MOM.

My baby is so behave. She only cries when she`s hungry. Everybody was asking me kung napupuyat ba kami. Yes she wakes up around between 2 to 4 am, but she sleeps right away when I feed her. Her first two weeks was so busy. She always has visitors, almost everyday. Dami na nya na-receive na OIWAI =) In Japan, there`s a certain envelope for every occassions like weddings, funerals, etc. Meron din for new born babies. Of course, moolah ang laman nito =) Galante yata talaga mga Japanese... every visitor ni Azumi, meron presents and envelope hihi...

What I love about Azumi, parang she loves people. Lagi sya gising pag may tao, and as if she can see and hear na. She stares at you when you look at her. Even when she was newly born, tinitigan na nya ko pati dad nya. She doesn`t cry kahit lagay mo lang sya sa crib... sana lagi sya ganyan....

Although of course, may time na she cries lalo na lately, marunong na sya magpapansin =) kasi wala naman luha lumalabas, and she warns us muna bago sya tuluyan umiyak, like "ahhhh-----" ... "ah---", parang she`s calling our attention.

On her first week, she can handle her neck na which is rare daw for newly borns... kakatakot pag bigla sya gagalaw... she kicks so hard, parang soccer player.. she smiles alot when she`s sleeping... she can stretch both hands and feet...

All we do is stare at her when she sleeps... play with her when she`s awake... our life has change eversince she came. During her first few weeks, we`re witnessing her "first" things.

My say, one of the essence of a human being is to be a parent, if not, to raise a child with dedication.

Sweetest Pain II

October 7, 2008

It was my usual every week check up... I was gonna ask my doctor (Dr. Kaku this time) kung kailan talaga due ko coz supposed to be October 4 based on my last mentrual period. I thought another week na naman coz I don't feel any symptom yet. Then when he IE me, pinatawag nya sa nurse agad si Honey who`s waiting then outside... Akala ko kung ano na, my gosh bigla ako kinabahan...

He said that I have to be admitted na.. di na daw ako pauuwiin. May nakita yata sya water leaks "down there".. Upon hearing that, mixed emotions ako, excited and scared at the same time. Si honey full smile naman. That time, I didn`t feel any pain yet. Kaya I thought, swerte ko naman, baka di nako maglabor, agad na sya lalabas.

Pina-admit na nga ako, binihisan pa nga ako ng nurse =) Napaka-warm talaga ng staff and nurse sa hospital ko. Actually, maliit lang sya, 2 flloors, 10 private rooms... 1 dining room. Parang nasa house ka lang pero pang hotel ang service =)

Honey went home to get our things. My gosh, yung ni-ready ko lang, mga damit ni baby. Mga gamit ko lang daw dapat dalhin coz the hospital will provide for the baby`s stuff. Ang dami ko pa binalak dalhin sa hospital, di naman alam ni honey kung saan saan nakalagay mga things ko, and you know naman mga guys, tamad maghanap.

Sarap ng lunch ko, sinerve sa room ko... U know when you say hospital food, parang ayaw mo na kainin right. Pero iba talaga service ng maternity hospital ko. They really know patients' satisfaction. After ng lunch, na-feel ko na yung sinasabi nilang "my water bag has broken..." ... kaya pala pinampers ako ng makapal ng nurse kasi ang dami pala lalabas... not only once... soo warm and ang sarap ng feeling na may lumalabas na warm water from you.... Then nagsidatingan na mga visitors ko, family. Some said, agad daw sya lalabas kasi lumabas na tubig, worse daw pag blood... yung iba naman, warning nila ako, umpisa pa lang daw yan =(

Which is right, exactly 9pm, sumakit na tyan ko... Wala pa naman ako kasama coz di pwedi magstay ang family sa room, until 8pm lang mga visitors. My gosh every 3-5 mins sumasakit, pero yung sakit last about 1min. Di na ko nakatulog coz every time na nakakatulog ako, dun yung sobrang sakit pero bearable pa naman. Sabi nga ni sistah JL, enjoy ko lang ang labor of love... I thought, this is it na pero sabi ng nurse, di pa bumababa... Madaling araw na yun... Dinextrose na nila ako para daw magbaba sya, di ko gets ano yung sinasabi nila. Pero wala ako masabi service nila, ang bait and they encourage you talaga, parang kapamilya.

October 8

Akala ko before lunch ok na, kasi non stop yung sakit. Lalo pa sumakit nung mga 1pm na, as in tuloy tuloy na, di na every 5 mins. Di na ko nakakain ng lunch, sarap pa naman... Di ko na rin ma-enjoy yung labor of love sa sobrang sakit =) Naku pinahirapan talaga ko ni baby... Unforgettable experience talaga.

Our lil Bundle Of Joy, delivered at 7:31 pm of October 8, 2008

And yet most memorable naman nung lumabas na sya at 7:31 pm by my favorite Doctor Yamaguchi. All those hours of unbearable pains become the sweetest pain of my life. Dun ko na din na-appreciate sinasabi ni JL na labor of love. As in you'll forget lahat ng sakit naramdaman and nararamdaman mo. Tinatahi pa ni Doc yung ano ko pero di ko man na-fi-feel coz I was in cloud 9, overjoyed, while looking at them, my husband, the nurse and the baby...

memorable polaroid photo by the hospital (service)

Kainis nga lang yung mga no-ready ko na video cam and camera, di nadala ni honey sa Operating room sa sobrang panic.. naglowbat pa yung mga fone namin kaya konti lang na-captured =(

Sa mga friends ko na preggy din, enjoy nyo ang pregnancy nyo. When the time comes, don't be scared. All worth it. Wag sana ma-CS, after kasi yung sakit nun.

my first moment of breastfeeding

In a week, fully recovered na talaga ako. Super enjoy na pagiging mom... They all love her, kahit mga neighbors namin, kakatuwa. Sarap ng feeling, lalo na pag may OYUWAI kami natatanggap hehe... but of course, it would be greater if my loveones and friends in PI were here with me.

As of now, 3 weeks old na sya... Miss ko na yung first 2 weeks nya =). Always sleeping kasi and ang gaan nya. Ngayon medyo bumigat na and namumuyat na sya my godd...

Sweetest Pain

We are greatly as overjoyed as like the other first time parents.

No words could really express how we felt the first time we knew I have life in my tummy, couldn`t wait to tell everybody then...

.... the first time we saw her thru ultrasound, she was like a tiny peanut then

.... the first time we felt her kicks, and her constant moving during my 2nd to 3rd trimester

.... the first time we saw her face thru 4D ultrasound on our 30th week.

.... the first time I felt my water bag has broken... thinking that "this is the beginning of my hardest and yet the sweetest pain of my life". I was in labor for 22 hours.

.... and the first time we heard her cry.

It`s been almost 2 weeks since I gave birth to Azumi, and yet I still get teary eyed whenever I think about the day I was admitted to the hospital until the day she was born. It was definitely the hardest and sweetest pain I have ever experienced, the most unforgettable and memorable moment of our life. Now, I really do believe in miracle, it was an unimaginable scene.

I cannot blog further the things happened during that time FOR NOW =) I`m starting to get emotional again =(..

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Right now, my baby and my husband are sleeping. I`m just thankful that my husband is very supportive and responsible. We are a family now and I will do my best to be a good mom and a wife.

I`ll share more next time when I have a chance, coz you know, Im a all hands mom.

I would to thank everybody, my gurl friends, friends, loveones and even my online friends, my blogmates =) Thanks for your warm messages for me and my baby Azumi.

Salamat sa pag-welcome. I`m so touched...

here she is on her 8th day

10 / 01

Wow it`s October already... Time is so fast, kelan lang September pa lang. I was so excited then coz I thought we`ll gonna see our lil princess on the last week of September =(

Well it`s ok. Yesterday I had my weekly check up.. mataas pa daw kaya hindi pa time =( She weighs 3,251 grams according to Ultrasound while I`m 62.9 kilos now =) She`s so big. Normally, yan na ang weight ng mga newly born babies. I just hope na di ako ma-CS

Next check up, hopefully may progression... Coz it will be my 40 weeks? Ang gulo nga, i thought this week is my 40 weeks... Magulo din kasi yung last day of my last menstruation coz I was treating my period that time.

I`ll let you know.. Thanks to all those asking me kung nanganak na ko. Hehe, im so touched. Sabi ku kasi September, that`s what I thought also.

Kanina pala, I was watching Jhayelle`s bebe klara`s videos. She`s so cute and my baby was moving constantly, lalu na kapag naririnig nya iyak ni klara hahaha... FUSHIGI da ne... ang galing, it`s like she can hear na talaga. Parang she knows na baby ang umiiyak... (labas kana kasi Azumi)

Overdue =(

Good Morning.

I thought I`ll gonna give birth this September, like what I always wish and pray for =(

NO SIGNS at all...Not even a twinge, although there`s always slight contractions which last for seconds only....

My tummy is so huge, she doesn`t have the space to dance around anymore, but she`s still squirming every now and then.

2 weeks ago, Dr. Fugawa told me to walk atleast 30 mins a day... If only i followed him.... Kakatamad kasi and I was confident that this will gonna be a September Baby, atleast according to my baby calendar widget.

I already finished a book, SHopaholic & Baby which I was originally planning to read when I get admitted in the hospital... Kaso ang tagal nga, and it`s really hilarious. Well, my very best gurlfriend Lhei actually influenced me to read books, it could be addictive daw. And she recommended Sophie Kinsella`s Shopaholic for a start... Ganda promise, hilarious and i think some of you girls makaka-relate kayo, especially those gurls na shopaholic dyan hehe... I already finished the last book kainis...

In the last book, I learned about Nesting Instinct in pregnant woman. Have you already heard that? It`s a sudden urge for a pregnant women to do something weird in the house like totally cleaning all day, etc... It`s called nesting instinct daw... It occurs pag malapit ka na manganak?????

Oh well I didn`t have anything like "sudden urge" to do something in the past 3 days. I just did what I usually do like doing the laundry, cleaning, cooking, napping, internet.... Honey did the baby crib last Friday. Di pa namin naaayos ang room ni baby. We`re planning to use this entertainment room where I am right now, kasi mas malaki itong room na to kesa sa bedroom namin. Paglilipat lang namin mga gamit dito like computers, tv, etc dun sa kabila... kaso wala pa kasi URGE eh. LAzy din si honey, na-addict na naman kay hitman =(

Obviously, the room is so messy. I`m planning to clean and do the laundry today although I feel so tamad talaga... Lamig na kasi... it`s already AUTUMN na yata... wala pang sun, medyo cloudy ngayon dito.

I have to do something hard today... but for now, lunch muna... =)

My 38th week Check Up

My 38h week Check Up

We had our weekly check up awhile ago. Dami patients kahit na naka-schedule ako ng 10am. I waited for about an hour.

This time, it was Dr. Kaku =( Ok naman sya compare to Dr. Tanaka, kaso lately he looks so boring. Unlike the first few times he checked me during my first trimester, super explaine din sya and may drawings pa for me to understand, and he was so jolly, lagi nakatawa. But now and the other time, after Ultrasound, wala masyado chit chats... Ok lang, no further eplanations. He didn`t even bother to show Azumi`s face =(

I guess nagsasawa na sya sa profession nya, that`s what I think ha... Family of OB GYN kasi sila, they own the hospital, and everyday, super dami patients, siguro sawa na sya kaya he`s not as jolly as before, parang pilit na yung tawa nya =( Or maybe, nahihiya sya sa kin hehe... I wasn`t wid honey kasi.

AFter US, he checked my u know... Mataas pa daw kaya I think di pa sya labas this September huhuhu....

Then I had been monitored in the 2nd floor. I think that was fetal monitor for the baby kung stressed ba sya or something, 20 minutes din ako nakahiga... I had a hard time standing up, sakit ng hips ko grabe... Then wait na naman for the explanation of the result.... He just said na baby is fine, i should be back next week for a check up, that`s all... I was expecting more.

I miss Dr. Yamaguchi and Dr. Fugawa, buti pa sila....

Of course, as usual, after check up, my leisure time na naman, just me kaya it`s ok na hindi ako samahan ni honey pa-check up so I can go shopping or window shop. I have to walk para bumaba na sya and enjoy at the same time =) I call it LEISURE WALK. Ayaw ko kasi sya kasama pag sa shopping, u know guys...

I went to the bank first for my Dad... di nagreply agad si nikka kaya pinagshopping ko na lang yung sobra money, yahoo... =) Lucky me coz may sale sa fave store ko...

I wish I could give birth this SEPTEMBER. Please Lord........(crossing fingers)

But it`s ok if it didn`t happen, as long as I would have safe delivery and no complications si Baby.