I haven’t given birth yet. Thanks to Nurse Nilda for introducing the term “primigravida” or “nanganganay” (first child pregnancy) to me. She added that first children are mostly born late. That explains why Danah hasn’t still shown signs of coming out.
I began feeling pelvic pains two weeks ago. Mama Lloyd (helper) and Dave thought I was going to give birth that time so we stayed in my parents’ house overnight. Everybody was excited.
Dave thought of sending me to the hospital several times. I firmly said no, since I have had enough horror stories from moms who had false labor. Imagine eating hospital food.
I checked with my OB last Friday and she said my cervix is still closed. She said I have about a week or two before I give birth. The pelvic pains are caused by my heavy tummy. Well, yes, I’m 135 pounds heavy, seven pounds heavier than last week.
Everything is all-set now. Dave made amends on his PhilHealth membership, we have already acquired the doctor’s admitting instructions, our things are now inside the car, and personally, I’m ready to face whatever amount of pain delivery might give me.
I am on a strict diet now (although Dave can’t bear the fact that I become hungry and remain that way). It’s a big dilemma for me since I look skinnier yet I weigh heavier. All the nutrients I take go to Danah (vitamins, food) but amazingly, she isn’t that big. I think my tummy is filled with water too.
As much as I want to walk a lot, I’m afraid my pelvic pain is too much to bear. Dave gave me his Power Balance since it always looks like I’m going to fall everytime I walk.
I am proud to say that I haven’t had swollen feet yet (and I hope I never will). It’s quite saddening to see lots of stretch marks on my tummy, but I believe that those stretch marks are my trophy for carrying a child (and being a mom in the very near future). I suffered from leg cramps (which Mama Lloyd says are natural).
I’m glad Dave and Mama Lloyd are always there for me. Despite the pain I feel at times, I feel secured knowing that they are going to take care of me, and in a few days, of Baby Danah.
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Milenyo, our guard dog for years, has died.
Milenyo (who was originally named Tukmol) was rescued by my sister and her boyfriend (now husband) during the height of Super Typhoon Milenyo (September 2006). You may all recall that Los Banos was one of the most devastated places. A flash flood carried Milenyo away from his home, then my sister and her boyfriend found him afloat through a chair. They took Milenyo home. His owners did not mind.
Since he was a survivor of the typhoon, we renamed him after it.
He was awfully traumatized when he was brought inside the house. Since my niece was in the hospital that time, I had to take care of him like a baby. He was shaking, maybe the thought of the flash floods haunted him.
I built him a small house out of carton and kept him warm inside the house as the storm went. He hardly ate anything but I was persistent. The dog survived a dreadful flood and so he must live.
He grew so fast. Mom had to take him outside the house to be with other dogs. When Spanky and Fitch died (two of our most loved dogs), mom had to train him to be our new guard dog.
It was evident that Milenyo has some sort of autism. He can hardly run fast, he had no sense of direction, he twitched a lot, but he was a fast learner. He and mom had a bond — just like our previous guard dogs.
There was once instance when Milenyo played dead upon knowing that he’ll be given shots of anti-rabies. We can’t forget it since it was a good sign that he has intelligence.
Dave would fonly call him “Meleni”. Whenever Dave and I come home, it was Meleni who always welcomed us first. If there’s one thing we loved about him, that would be his cowardice. He loved to bark like he’s gonna kill, but when the gates are open, he would hide under mom’s car.
Perhaps Milenyo died of heartworm. Mom said he loved eating soil. I think that in spite his immunity (he is a mongrel) he was still vulnerable to heartworm. For a month he looked dreadful, lost his appetite and became less agile.
Mom just found him lying peacefully in the garden. She was crying while she was burying him, and I can tell that she can hardly move on with his loss because she wanted to tell us stories about Milenyo, as if he were still alive.
Now mom is too scared to love another pet, or as she puts it, “best friend”. She still has a fat chicken (“Kokok”), a useless virgin monkey (“Dodger”), a white and furry Spitz (“Japoy”), our Shar Pei (“Val”), a temperamental Dachshund (“Bro”) and a couple of dogs who love to hurt each other. She still has a pool full of Koi fishes, Japanese carps and white hammerheads. She still has three African Lotino birds. But nothing compares to Milenyo, her best friend.
I miss Milenyo. We all miss him. Maybe his service to our family is over, but we will not forget him, just like our previous best friends who have been of good service and have been part of the family.
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My husband and I decided to just settle down in Los Banos, a province in Laguna known as the “Science and Nature City”.
I was sad when we left Manila. I couldn’t even pack our things very well. Dave made sure that we have made most out of our last week in the city so we went out every night to pig out, watch movies, shop, and just savor the smell of the malls. We we’re pointing at particular places and saying “we’re gonna miss this.”
Now going to Manila makes me feel like a child going on a field trip in the big city.
This has happened to me before, when I used to commute all the way from Los Banos to Manila for my Master’s. I didn’t mind the stress of taking a bus, then taking two trains just to get to the graduate school; it’s like I’m indulging in the mixture of sweat and city-feel. You cannot blame someone who’s been tied up to the province for almost a quarter of her life (assuming that I live for a hundred years, haha).
I got to enjoy the little things the big city gave me — good or bad, are worth smiling for. It brought me two of the most important people in my life: my husband and our little girl.
I kind of admit that I get bored in the province. My husband has given me a new lifestyle in the big city, which is way too different from what we have now. We were mall rats, movie buffs, steak fans, and we socialized very well by means of late-night dinners and drinking sessions (but we were not party animals for Pete’s sake!) We two enjoyed almost all the alcoholic drinks in a bar in Makati that going home both drunk was not unusual for us. There was once an instance when we couldn’t get home since we had no cash left and all the ATMs were down.
I can’t compare the big city to the province. Each has its pros and cons and feeling constantly bad about going back to where I was raised is like turning my back against my past. There are still reasons for me to love my province yet the thought of being in the big city is much, much more exciting for me.
I’m about to give birth anytime so I’m hoping this is just some pregnancy blues. My actions are limited to walking, sleeping, eating, writing (for a living) and attaching myself to our friends via internet.
We are not certain if we’re going back to the big city soon or we’re ever gonna go back there. There are lots of things to miss, but surely when our little girl comes out, we wouldn’t care about where we are — for as long as we three are together.
Definitely we’re taking our little girl to the big city often when the right time comes. 
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Sheenah dela Cruz on June 29, 2010 | Filed Under Danah, Food, Joy, Living with people, Marriage, Movies, Nostalgia, Parenthood, Things, Work | 5 Comments
“Anytime”. That’s what I tell my friends whenever they ask about Danah’s birth date. Yes, everyone’s waiting for her arrival, but personally Dave and I still want her to arrive a bit later.
We believe we still haven’t finalized everything. Although my hospital expenses are already secured, there are a few things which make us quite nervous:
1. Have we bought enough stuff for baby? It’s suffice to say she has more than what she can wear for a couple of weeks, but there are other things like feeding bottles, nappies, sterilizer, a plastic drawer, et cetera.
2. Is her room clean enough for her? I don’t think so. Dave has been very busy with the room design, which includes repainting, ceiling redecorations, flooring, and making sure the baby’s room is well-ventilated. As of now the room is partially filled with unpacked boxes and an unpleasant smell left by the previous tenant.
3. Do we have enough knowledge about baby stuff? Like how to properly sterilize a bottle, how to make a baby burp, what to do when she cries and how to deal with her mood. I have washed most of Danah’s clothes, mittens, booties and blankets, but when she comes out, these things will just last for a couple of days.
4. Are we ready to go overtime in baby sitting? Sure, my yaya (the one whom I became really attached to when I was young) is going to help us with chores (thanks to nanay for finding her after two decades) but taking care of Danah is primarily my job (and Dave’s job). People say we have to get used to waking up at the wee hours to change her diaper or feed her. I don’t really mind, but is my body ready for it?
5. Are we ready to deal with people who believe in the customs? I remember my sister hiding her son Zeus inside the car since a lot of old-fashioned people put their saliva on the poor baby’s forehead and tummy to prevent usog, or the inexplicable and sudden baby illness. I simply can’t handle that yet, lest people tag me as suplada (snob). I don’t mind if they call me over-protective; every passionate mom is.
Dave and I are really excited and nervous about Danah’s birth. But if we were to decide on her birth date, we prefer having her delivered at the end of July.
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We just can’t describe the feeling of finally seeing Danah. Every word related to happiness and joy comes along.
I feel Danah growing inside me. She’s becoming participative which makes it easy for me to walk and do a lot of things. Everytime Dave would place his hands on my tummy, Danah would twitch. Ah, the joy.
Tomorrow is Dave’s birthday. This will be the first time Dave will be celebrating his birthday with the family of his own — us, and I feel nothing but happy for him. He has worked so hard to ensure our safety, and now he’s working even harder to give us a good life.
We’re doing some big decisions right now. We’re not that sure if they’re worth it, but we know it’s all for Danah’s best.
Today is the start of our last week in Manila. We’re moving to Los Banos since we believe Danah will be raised well here (but she’s still going to be born in Manila). I like the idea but giving up the urban life seems a bit hard. Rest assured that our careers won’t be sacrificed. Dave and I have to do a lot of parenting and after that, we’ll go back to where we left.
I’m close to my 8th month of pregnancy and so far I’m doing great. I look thinner and paler but it’s a good sign that Danah is getting all the nutrients I take.
Anyway, Dave and I will be very busy hauling our things to the province and getting ready for our little angel.
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