The Grace of Summer (Story for Anika)

I would like to borrow this idea from my fellow mommy blogger.

This is for my baby Anika so that she has something to read from Nanay and Tatay when she's grown up already.

Dear Sweetheart,

I'll be jotting down things here while they are still fresh in my mind. The doctor gave Nanay plenty of anesthesia while giving birth to you so I might forget some of the things that has happened while you were just a tiny tiny living thing.

Pregnancy Symptoms

   -Before I knew that you were already in my tummy, I felt I wanted to have some pineapple. I DON'T even like to eat pineapple because it makes my tummy acidic and my tongue itchy. But when your Lola Lydia bought some, I almost finished eating the whole thing! Tatay was looking at me in a very weird way.

   -I felt like throwing up all the freaking time. We thought it was just from the stress of planning our wedding.

How We Knew We Were Having You

  -I wanted to drink my tummy medicine but Tatay forced me to take a pregnancy test first before he buys the medicine.

   -When I saw the two red lines of the preg test, the world stood still for like 10 seconds. I blinked and blinked but the two red lines didn't disappear. I felt something I couldn't explain.. It was a mixture of happiness, anxiety, excitement and worry.

   -You can read na lang how I told your Tatay that I was pregnant. Don't get Tatay's reaction wrong.. He was super happy he'll be having his own baby na but was just really scared of Wowa that time.

People We Told

  -Ofcourse Tatay texted your Lola Lydia and she called to say congratulations and that she's really happy for all of us.

  -Tatay also texted your Lolo Pete. He replied with "k". Don't get offended sweetheart, Lolo Pete's like that lang talaga but I think he told everyone within hearing range that me and Tatay are expecting =)

  -It was a little difficult to tell Wowa (Lola Winnie). You will understand more why when you're a little older. For now, I just want to say that, never try to make babies BEFORE getting married. Tatay and I will have a heart attack. We will die if you do that. Anyways, me and Tatay were debating who will tell her and we almost fought over it but in the end, I was the one who called her. As expected, she got mad (even if I was already 29 years old then--> but still, no sex until you are married period) but eventually warmed up that she's now a lola na.

  -If it was difficult to tell Wowa, telling Wowo (Lolo Nanding) is a different story. I told him he'll be a lolo na when we picked him up at the airport. He was so happy for us =)

Weird Cravings/Symptoms & Pregnancy Problems

  -I didn't mean to but one night, I really wanted to eat the spaghetti of KFC. It was past the delivery time so your Tatay had to plead to the operator so that they can deliver to our house. However, it took them too long to deliver the food (at least i thought they did) that when it arrived, I only ate a forkful then ayoko na. I wanted Tatay to finish eating everything. Sayang the food eh.

  -I didn't like Tatay's smell. Actually, I HATED Tatay's smell. It made me nauseous! I also didn't like talking to him. Everything that he did, annoyed me to hell! But, I wanted him around all the time. Basta he's beyond my smelling reach and he doesn't talk to me. I appreciated your Tatay more for being so patient to me that time.

  -When you were just six months in my tummy, I woke up one night because my tummy was hurting so bad!! We went to the hospital and learned that you wanted to come out already!!! Tatay and I were so scared. I was crying when they wheeled me to the emergency room and Tatay was continuously praying the rosary outside (without mentioning the mysteries because he doesn't know them). Good thing, my OBGYN was a good doctor and prevented you from going out. [Sweetheart, what the hell were you thinking that time?! You scared the hell out of everybody! Seriously!!]

  -That incident ended me up in bed rest for the remaining months of my pregnancy. I was bored to death but it was okay as long as it meant that we get to keep you.

Names We Wanted For You

  -You were originally called Pepita (after your Lolo Pete). I loved the name but there were a lot of kontras. (Your Ninang Michelle Arnaiz was very very vocal about it). But up until you were born, when people refer to you, they call you Pepita =)

   -Tatay wanted to name you Anichka but your Ninang Nessie said parang pambakla as in anech or ano in gay language

   -I wanted to name you Anata (Japanese word for darling) but your Ninang Katie shotgunned that name na for her future baby.

  -Tatay saw the name Anika in the internet which is the Latin term for GRACE. He also wanted to name you Autumn after he watched the 100 Days With Summer movie.

  -Tatay picked na your first name, sa akin naman ang second name. I originally wanted to give you the name Faith so it will read Anika Faith and the first letters will be the same when you combine mine and Tatay. However, Nanay is maarte and wanted the name Summer. And since, you are born on a summer month and we believe you are God's grace to us so we named you Anika Summer (or the grace of Summer), cute noh?

What We Did To Prepare For You

  -Hay naku anak, since I was bed rest, all I did was to shop online. Seriously. And then the same day when my OBGYN said I wasn't bed rest anymore, I went around the malls shopping for you like crazy!!!

   -Nanay kept on reading pregnancy books too. I memorized na ata the What To Expect When You're Expecting book.

   -Tatay and Nanay prayed hard every night also. We prayed that it's okay for you to be a boy or a girl as long as you were healthy and free from any defects (physically and mentally)

How We Knew Your Gender

  -We went to My Womb to have the ultrasound. I initially wanted a boy because I felt at that time it was easier to raise a boy than a girl. But when we were told that we were having a girl, I was ecstatic! I was thinking na of all the nice things I will make you wear =) You looked like this inside my tummy:

Total Weight Gain

  -Dyosme Anak, Nanay gained 45 lbs while pregnant with you. I seriously looked like a baby killer whale back then. It was so hot kasi and Girlie makes these amazing fruit milkshakes so there, I gained so much weight. They thought your were getting bigger inside my tummy na so I had to watch what I ate. But when you came out, you only weighed 5.5lbs! It was all me pala, syet! It's okay though, I lost 25lbs in the first two weeks after you were born. Galing ni Nanay no? =)

When You Were Born

  -Nanay spent 36 grueling hours in the labor room (my cervix was taking its sweet time opening up!) and then they had to do a cesarian section din pala sa akin. I was 9cm dilated for an hour already and you're head was coning na so my OBGYN decided to open me up. It's okay na rin kaysa you'll grow up with a cone head diba? Thank Dra. Gomez for that.

  -I don't remember much na anymore in the operating room. All I remember was somebody called the operating room to say  make sure that my hiwa is a bikini cut. It was your Tatay pala. Hehe!

   -Nung nagkadiwa na ako Anak, I was alone in the recovery room. Very much different nung pinagkakaguluhan nila ako sa operating room a few hours back. A kind nurse brought you to me. When I saw you, I cried. You were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! I wanted to carry you already but cannot pa because I have to recover from all the anesthesia they gave me.

   -Tatay was the very first one who got to carry you.

  - And you look like this when you were born:

   -We were so excited with you that we roomed you agad with us sa hospital!

So there Anak, those were the things that happened before and after you were born. We thank God everyday because He gave us you, the Grace of Summer, 2010 edition! =)