Our little family is growing!!! Yay!
As I write this blog post, I am already on my 37th week of pregnancy, which means that Baby Number 2 could make her grand entrance literally any day now. I’ve been sharing bits and pieces of my pregnancy journey on my Instagram and Youtube channel, but I thought I’d memorialize it here on the blog as well. I have taken some time away from blogging as I’ve put more focus on my other online platforms, but this blog has always been my home and my happy place. It has witnessed so many of my life’s greatest milestones, and it just makes sense to celebrate my pregnancy here too.
It still feels so surreal that in just a matter of days, a new person is coming to change my life all over again. This baby was once just an idea, a wish, a prayer. And soon, we’ll be holding her in my arms!
Prosperity in Family
At the start of this year, I wrote a blog post about my word for the year, which is ‘Prosper.’ In this post, I wrote about how Mike and I wished that we could grow our little household with the addition of a new baby. Our church held its annual prayer and fasting week, and I stormed the heavens with prayers for another child. My mom and sister also participated in the fast and they included this in their prayer requests as well.
I’m not going to lie though: despite praying for it, I have to admit that I wasn’t so unwavering in my faith that these prayers will be answered. I didn’t want to get too hopeful for fear of being disappointed. I thought, “Mike and I aren’t young anymore. Our chances of conceiving are so much slimmer now than they used to be.”I was turning 38 at that time and I wasn’t exactly the most health-conscious and physically-active person in the block! True enough, we started trying at the start of the month and my heart sank a little when I got a negative pregnancy test. But what else do we do but keep trying, right?
The Best Birthday Present!
We tried again the next month but I told myself not to keep my hopes up. But then… my period was late. 5 days later, it still hasn’t arrived. On the exact day of my 38th birthday – well, not the exact day because my birthday is on February 29, but close enough! – I finally gathered the courage to take another test. Imagine my surprise and thrill when those two lines appeared on the stick! No way! For real?! I was excited and happy and nervous and scared all at the same time! I wanted to scream, but my 4-year old was sleeping soundly just a few steps away from me and I didn’t want to wake her!
After I’ve finally collected myself and my thoughts, I whispered a silent prayer of thanks to God, and I felt Him speaking to me, saying: “My child, what did I tell you? Just have faith. You limit me too much. Have you forgotten that I can make all things possible?”I thought that our age and physical state would determine our success in conceiving, but I believe that it was primarily because God called us to be parents and He believed that it was the right time for us to have this second child.
Pregnancy Challenges
The past nine months haven’t been the easiest for me due to the sensitive nature of my pregnancy. This second one is such a contrast to my first, which was smooth-sailing all throughout. For my second pregnancy, I had an assortment of issues (i.e. subchorionic hemorrhage, partial placenta previa, etc.), I had countless ultrasounds done, and I was on bed rest for quite some time, rendering me unable to work, perform energy-consuming household chores, go out with friends and attend events, and do anything strenuous. I did travel to Australia on my third trimester (with my OB’s clearance) since I had visa requirements to fulfill, but I had to be careful not to strain myself too much while I was there.
Anyway, even with all these ‘complications’ in my pregnancy, I was still grateful and happy despite the constant worrying, and I do appreciate my body more now for being able to grow and sustain this baby despite all my physical restrictions. I think that with all the stumbling blocks I’ve had to go through, I’ll just feel so overwhelmed with relief when I finally meet my baby!!!
Family: The Best Support System
Having a not-so-easy pregnancy also made me appreciate my husband more. Not that I didn’t appreciate him before, but I just have so much more admiration for him now. Sometimes, I feel guilty because I can’t work, I can’t do too much of the heavy stuff at home, and I have to inconvenience him for tasks that I am unable to do and for all the medical bills, but not once did he make me feel like I was a burden to him. He has been so patient, understanding, and supportive all throughout, and I am certain that I couldn’t have weathered all the ‘storms’ in this pregnancy without him by my side.
As for Andi, she’s extremely excited to be a big sister! And I know that she’s going to be an amazing one. She’s already so in love with and protective of her little sister even if she hasn’t met her yet. She even addresses the baby as ‘my dear beautiful princess (name of baby).’ How precious is that?!
A New and Exciting Chapter
I am nearing the end of my pregnancy and we’re looking forward to another new chapter of our lives to unfold. I know that there will be a lot of changes, adjustments, and sacrifices that come with being parents of a toddler AND a newborn, but there will also be more joy and beauty. And with all the love and support that we’ve received throughout this journey, I’m positive that we can do this!!!
Thank you for sharing in our happiness! I share all our pregnancy and baby-related updates on Instagram and Youtube so you can connect with me there if you’d like. 🙂
