That was why we were very surprised when you decided you wanted to come out way ahead of schedule. You came out on a Saturday at 31 weeks, about 2 months premature, and weighing just over a kilo. That week I did not feel strange. I had lots of energy to go about my usual schedule.
On a Tuesday, I went to a marketing convention for a whole day and shopped for the curtains in your nursery, some other stuff for you and some pillows.
On a Wednesday, as if I had a premonition, I decided to do your Papa's taxes even before the month-end close, some filing, accounting, encoding and posting work. I also wrote him a letter for him to open and read when I am in labor in July.
On a Thursday I had breakfast while waiting for your Auntie Monette, then had a meeting with the BIR before shopping for some clothes for you and having lunch and halo halo for merienda. Your Auntie did not feel well when she got home because of the heat during our walk from Greenbelt 3 to Landmark. I, on the other hand, proceeded to have my nails done and have dinner with your Papa.
On a Friday (the day before you were born) I woke up feeling great. I assembled the sewing machine that I bought online so I can sew some clothes for you and practiced my rusty sewing skills. Then, I did some light gardening to harvest my ginger and replant some of the new sprouts of the birds of paradise. I then cooked our lunch before we went to Makati. First we bought movie tickets to watch The Avengers then proceeded to Landmark to do our grocery shopping and buy some breads and snacks and our KFC Zinger meal movie food. We barely made it in time for the movie. After the movie, we went home and rested. Your Papa slept early while I stayed awake until midnight because I was excited to look for patterns for the headbands that I was planning to sew for you.
At 3:00am, your Kuya Chopstick woke me up. He wanted to go out to pee. I opened the front door and sat down to wait for him. After he came back in, I got a Cheese floss sandwich and a glass of water and ate. I kept on going to the bathroom to pee. After a few more times, I started to be suspicious. Because I knew it was not pee anymore, I looked it up briefly and found out it might be amniotic fluid. It was 5am then. I woke your Papa up but told him I wasn't feeling any pain. He said we better go to the ER just to be sure. I though I should take a bath and pack my stuff just in case I was about to go on labor already. I had not prepared my delivery bag yet at that time. Thankfully, years of backpacking has trained me to pack swiftly and I already knew exactly what I will need for atleast 4 days. I even packed my laptop. We were calm going to the car. All throughout the ride, we were laughing and talking about this and that. I even manged to put on some makeup.
In the hospital, I wanted to walk from the parking lot to the ER instead of being dropped off on the driveway. The nurses and the doctor in charge immediately attended to me when we got in. When the doctor checked, she looked puzzled and told me that she can feel your feet. I was already at 8cm. If you were positioned head first, you could have had a normal childbirth. The doctor kept on asking me..."Mommy, sure ka hindi masakit?". Because she said by this time it should be quite painful. But I did not feel any pain. The original plan was to give birth in another hospital but the transfer can no longer be made because there was a huge chance of me giving birth in the ambulance. I sure did not want that, so we gave our consent for me to be wheeled into the labor room. Just my luck, my doctor was in a convention in the US so you had to be delivered by a substitute doctor.
Your Papa was not allowed to come in. I am no stranger to hospitals and operating rooms because of my prior illnesses so I was not scared at all. The clock said 6:30am. Around 10 minutes after, I started to feel some contractions. I was at 10cm by this time. It felt quite weird. I could not describe it as painful, I can only describe it as weird. I meditated as soon as I felt it and it soothed me and took my mind of it. Within less than 20 minutes, all the doctors were in. First the OB who would perform my operation. When she talked to me, I knew I had to remind her quickly before I was sedated..."Doc, bikini cut please". Then the anesthesiologist came. He oriented me in detail about what will happen. Then the NICU pediatrician came in. He will be the one to catch you when you are ready to come out. I was awake during the operation and I could hear the anesthesiologist asking the pediatrician where the Carillos are from. They were all chatting away about many things which kept me entertained. The anesthesiologist would also come to me from time to time to narrate to me what was going on. He said he will only make me sleep after I hear you cry.
At 10 minutes before 8, I heard him say..."Baby out!!!" You cried just a little, the softest and the sweetest cry that I have ever heard in my life. The anesthesiologist said..."Iyak pa, baby". I looked at you as they took you to the table to be cleaned. Then, you cried louder!
Afterwards, I was asleep and woke up in the recovery room where the anesthesiologist was waiting to see how I was doing.
Afterwards, I was asleep and woke up in the recovery room where the anesthesiologist was waiting to see how I was doing.
Although everything did not come as planned, from the labor day to the hospital to the doctors, everything went great and everyone was so helpful, caring and very professional.
This beautiful memory is something that I will hold in my heart forever. I will never forget the very first time I heard your voice and laid my eyes on you.
May 2, 2015. The day we became your Mama and Papa.
