Hello Baby Number Two!

I've been feeling something strangely familiar the last couple of weeks. I was feeling tired and sleepy most of the time. For some reason, I started getting irritated with the smell of some food that I used to love (particularly the Adobong Pusit that we buy every MWF at a nearby karenderia, na super favorite namen ni Mike!) I get nauseated with the smell of cooking oil too. I checked my calendar and found out that I was 11 days late, so I told Mike that I think he needs to buy me a pregnancy test.

The night before I took the test, there were lots of things going through my head. We were all set to fly to Japan this November to celebrate Mike and Shiko's birthdays. Our flight and hotels were already booked and every single detail of our itinerary was finalized. Getting a positive pregnancy test result would mean a total change of plan. But this didn't bother me as much as doubting myself if I am now ready to become a mother of two. Knowing everything that I have to go through (being an APAS mom) during my pregnancy, and now having to go through it again, this time with a very active toddler, makes me feel a little anxious. So I prayed that night and told God my concerns. His answer comforted me and helped me to have a peaceful sleep:

"You are made to soar, to risk—with Me—and see Me and grab my hand and live unlike you’ve ever lived before: Free.

Stop pondering the ways you need to do life differently. Stop second-guessing where I am and what I love doing with you and how amazing and beautiful I’ve made you to be.

You, my daughter, are the princess-warrior who knows who she is and goes forward saying ‘yes’ to situations where you have to rely on Me."

(From a Loop Devotion)

In one of my Bible reading time, God also led me to the story of Mary being informed by the Angel Gabriel that she will conceive the Son of God. Mary's response was:

"Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. - Luke 1:38 

Teenager Mary couldn't have been ready to bear God's call of being the mother of the Messiah, but she accepted this call with her whole heart. God's message to me was very clear: IT IS NOT ABOUT BEING READY, BUT BEING WILLING TO TRUST AND RELY ON HIM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

So I took the test on Tuesday morning, and as expected, the result turned positive. Mike and I were very happy for the privilege that the LORD entrusted another precious gift to us. Magiging kuya na si Shiko!

The first thing that we had to do was to set an appointment with my OB Perinat. I was surprised with the number of patients that Dra. Guinto now have! The earliest sched that I was able to get was Saturday, and I was patient number 25. I didn't realize that it would mean a 1:30am (which was already a Sunday) check-up! Doc Guinto had an emergency that day so the consultation started at around 5pm and my turn was pushed through way past midnight. Anyhow, we didn't really have a choice since we had to monitor our baby's condition ASAP. My TransV Ultrasound confirmed that I was indeed 6weeks and 6days pregnant, and baby's heartbeat was 130bpm (still a bit low, but acceptable). Dra. Guinto ordered lab tests to check if the treatments given to me when I was pregnant with Shiko will still benefit my 2nd baby. To be on the safe side, she also advised us to see my Immunologist for an LIT Booster shot while waiting for my lab result. She also gave prescription for my oral meds and advised me to already start my everyday Innohep belly shots (I will do this again for the entire 9months of my pregnancy).

We went to Immunology Solutions at 8am on Monday morning for my LIT. Fourteen tubes of blood were extracted from Mike which was later on processed to separate the WBC. At 11:30am, we went to Dra. Carol Gloria's clinic. I was very surprised to see her Wall of Hope entirely filled with APAS baby pictures! Two years ago, it was just one cartolina of baby pics which became a source of hope for me that I will hold my own baby in my arms too after this whole APAS journey... and now, the whole wall was full! Of course, Shiko's newborn pic was there too! And we were so happy that he has now also became source of hope for other families dreaming to have a baby! Doc Carol was very delighted because it was her first time to meet our baby Shiko too.

Mike's WBC was injected to me and yes, it was still painful like the first time, but I somehow knew what to expect so I would say that I was a little braver this time! :) Dra. Gloria also advised me to have an Intralipid Infusion that day just to be sure that my NK Cells will be in their proper number (this is usually given to Category 5 patients), I am a Category 1 & 2 patient but we agreed to have the drip since the intralipid content will be good for the baby anyway even if my NK Cells weren't elevated.

I had a total of 10 needle pricks in a day and its been a long, exhausting, day... but I felt very blessed. I am blessed that despite my condition, God gave us good medical providers to take care of me and baby. We are blessed that God has been faithfully providing financially for everything that we need (we already spent almost 100k in less than one week of finding out that I was pregnant! -- consultation fees, oral meds, innohep shots, labs, LIT, intralipid etc...) We still have a long, long way to go, but we have faith that the LORD will continue to provide for us just like how He did with Baby Shiko. We will continue to do our part as much as we can, with as much as we have, but ultimately, we know that the life of our baby is in God's hands alone. I feel blessed to have a husband that I could rely and depend on. He has always been working very hard to provide for us, and is very hands on in taking care of Shiko and our household chores during this season. I don't know how I could get through all of these without him by my side.

Going through this journey is both a privilege and a blessing because it is another opportunity to witness and experience God's power and faithfulness in our lives once again. 

"Children are a gift from the Lord ; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!..." - Psalms 127:3‭-‬5

Other Posts Related to my APAS Pregnancy:

http://steady-myheart.blogspot.com/2012/12/an-amazing-promise.html?m=1

http://steady-myheart.blogspot.com/2013/01/conceived-in-grace.html?m=1

http://steady-myheart.blogspot.com/2016/04/my-precious-tiny-heart-letter-to-my-baby.html?m=1

http://steady-myheart.blogspot.com/2016/04/miracles-and-needles-our-first-lit.html?m=1

http://steady-myheart.blogspot.com/2016/05/through-needle-pokes-and-pricks-letter.html?m=1