The Bubble - Day 4

A typical conversation between Mommy D and Theo (on Day 4):

Mommy D: If you drink one more pint of my milk, I think you're going to burst, Theo...
Theo: Don't worry, Mom, just give it to me and get out of the way.

The Milk Guzzler - Day 2

If it is true that breast milk is best for babies, then this is what happens to a milk guzzler two days postpartum. Theo's face has considerably rounded up after downing almost constantly Mommy D's life-giving breast milk. Just today, for instance, he was sucking up like a sponge almost every hour, pausing only for brief, intermittent shutouts. As soon as he awakens, he promptly cries out and wiggles for more. At this point, those very cute, kissable lips are meant for only one thing: milk sucking!

Is he a milk guzzler or what?



Here he is in my arms enjoying almost an hour of rest, while his tummy is rapidly digesting the milk. I say rapidly because Theo has no problems as far as waste elimination is concerned. Just be careful when you remove his diapers because his little thingy (a potential 10-incher?) might be aimed straight at you, hehe...

D-DAY: 24 hours

December 26, 1:51 a.m.

I am writing this in the waiting area of the OB-GYNE department of the University of Tsukuba hospital while Mommy D is being thoroughly examined inside. As soon as we arrived at the hospital at around 12:45 a.m., the receiving nurse (concierge?, hehe…) whisked us directly to the 3rd floor, near to a room where I heard the sound of babies crying from within. This is probably the nursery, surmising from the kanji characters that are plastered on the door.

At this exact moment, I did not know what Mommy D is going through inside. What I am sure of, however, is that labor has definitely begun. The reason why we decided to head to the hospital at 12:30 a.m. was because the interval between contractions had shortened to approximately 10 minutes. During the day, the interval was still 15 to 20 minutes, and sometimes, there was only one contraction within the hour. In fact, Mommy D even still had the strength to prepare one of my favorite (sinigang) dishes. (Mommy D is a superb cook, by the way.)

2:17 a.m.

By this time, Mommy D had come out and the nurse asked me to bring some papers to the reception (or receiving) area. These papers were needed before she was to be confined. When I returned, I was asked to wait again while Mommy D was inside being shown to her bed. She will be confined starting this evening.

When she came out a few minutes later, she told me that they had just examined her thoroughly and had determined that the cervical dilatation was already 3 cm. In other words, the labor process had actually begun. But it will still take time, I thought, because this is her first baby.

2:45 a.m.

I left the hospital and proceeded to the Amakubo area (of Tsukuba) where there are taxis available. Before 3:15 a.m., I was already at home. Exhausted and hungry, I quickly downed some "instant" meal made of rice and chicken and hit the sack.

10:40 a.m.

I woke up at 10:40 a.m. thinking that, with a cervical opening of just 3 cm very early this morning, the delivery will probably be late the following day. (Besides, I was told that I can return to the hospital only at 3 pm, the start of the visiting hours.) I was right regarding the late delivery; however, at around 4:00 a.m., initially unknown to me, there was a message in my cell phone from Mommy D. The message read that she will make my phone ring if she'll be brought to the delivery room. At 4:46 a.m., she sent another text message, saying that she will already be brought to the DR. Obviously, I didn't notice these messages until I had awakened. Upon seeing these, I immediately dressed up and headed to the hospital, where I found Mommy D, to my utmost relief, still in the delivery room. This was 11:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

While the duration between contractions had shortened to around 5 min., the cervical dilatation was just hitting 6 cm. Thus, the doctor decided that she can still have lunch, and so we headed back to the recovery room on the 3rd floor where she ate. She finished roughly half the servings of the bland hospital food (what do you expect!) and half an orange before lying down again and enduring the contractions with much courage and strength. All this time, I was there providing the needed support and encouragement that she undoubtedly needed.

3: 00 p.m.

By around 3 pm, the contractions had become much prolonged and more sustained. Mommy D called the nurse, who promptly examined her and determined that the cervical dilatation was already 9.5 cm. Thus, they whisked her directly to the delivery room. I am writing this in the waiting area just outside. (What do you expect me to do, chain smoke and pace the corridors like they do in the movies? Yeah, right.)

9:15 p.m.

Between 3:30 p.m. and this time, I was just patiently waiting beside the delivery room. Sometimes I would send text messages to my sister Tippi or to my friend Romy, and update them of what’s going on. There wasn’t really anything eventful at this point, except that I would sometimes hear Mommy D’s screams from inside. Within these almost 6 hours, I finished the book on infant stimulation, which I had begun reading many months back but never got around to finish. Looking back, I should have brought the “The Da Vinci Code” which Tippi gave me for my birthday.

9:18 p.m.

From outside the thick door, I heard the muffled sound of a baby crying. It was probably the best sound that I have heard in years. Theo had been born, and given how chaotic the world has become, esp. with George W. Bush around, I couldn’t blame Theo for crying his heart out, hehe… (Enter Theo, looks around: “For chrissakes, what kinda world is this?” -->cry--)

10:30 p.m.

It wasn’t too soon before I was allowed to see my baby and Mommy D. By this time, the attending nurse had come in, handed me a Polaroid photo of Theo, and congratulated me with much warmth and sincerity. After washing my hands, I entered the recovery room, and, lo and behold, there he was, clad in white linen like an angel, opening and closing his eyes, and examining his surroundings (or should I say, the ceiling) with utmost curiosity.

What’s really very surprising was when I called his name while my face was just a few inches from his. Because I often talked to him while he was still inside Mommy D as part of our infant stimulation program, he immediately recognized my voice, his hands started flailing, and his lips parted and closed as if he wanted to suck milk. In fact, he even started drooling. When I placed my finger in his palms, he grasped it tightly and looked at me straight in the eye. (Contrary to old wives’ tales, newborns can see and recognize faces if they are within 13 in.)

Then and there I knew that life as I had known before is changed forever. I am forever captive to this new life that God has entrusted to me and to Mommy D.

Mommy D was still in a daze when I entered the recovery room. She was just staring pokerfaced into space, as if wondering what had hit her. If you had gone through very hard labor for more than 6 hours, with almost nothing in your stomach, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ll be left almost half-dead from that kind of ordeal. It was very much understandable. So if there’s anyone reading this who doesn’t fully appreciate their moms, I think you better think twice. Just getting you out into this world requires mothers to put one leg in the grave. I really admire Mommy D’s strength, courage, and resilience throughout this almost miraculous process. Mothers are really something else, and after seeing what Mommy D had gone through, I am now inclined to believe that women, esp. mothers, are probably much, much stronger than men.

December 27 12:00 a.m.

I bought some instant hot food from the hospital lobby and Mommy D and I ate them at the receiving area of the OB-GYNE department. By this time, we were already joking, esp. when it came to whose features Theo had inherited. But come to think of it, this was not really very important to us. What is more important, more important than anything else, is that the delivery was normal, and Theo, who weighed in at 3270 g (7.2 lbs.) is perfectly, textbook-true normal and absolutely healthy. No incubation or specialized care was required. “Theo”, meaning “divine gift”, is really apt as a name for this child, for he is indeed God’s gift to us this Christmas. I probably cannot thank God more than enough for this blessing; He has really been much too kind to us, esp. throughout Mommy D’s pregnancy. Theo is undoubtedly a miracle in the making. Let me also thank my own mom, the original Mommy C, for all the prayers.

1:00 a.m.

I left the hospital and headed for home. Mommy D was assisted back to her bed by the nurses and will be enjoying her much needed rest.

2:10 a.m.

I finished this blog and will be posting it in a short while.

Allow me to introduce to you the star of this blogsite. Enter Theo at 2 hrs. old (grasping my little finger):

Labor has begun...

At 4 a.m. today, what is commonly termed the "show" has occurred. The "show" is defined as the loss of the mucus plug that forms in the cervical canal during pregnancy.

Very early today, Mommy D awoke me with much concern in her voice because there was blood coming out from her after she urinated. Half awake, I told her that she should inform me immediately if there are any other signs such as the "breaking of the waters." At around 8 a.m., after she urinated again, the blood had become chocolate-like, which disappeared by midday.

This is a clear sign that the onset of labor had begun, and anytime soon, we expect to be heading to the hospital.

As had been previously calculated, today is Theo's expected delivery. And without a doubt, he'll be arriving soon, if not tonight, then tomorrow, or maybe Monday at the latest.

We are all very excited, even Mommy D who is currently struggling with so much pain. It's the start of her climb to reach the summit. And I'll be there to see her through.

Wish us luck!

Theo

With much anticipation, we await Boky's arrival within the coming week.

Initially, we had planned to name him "Troy" but my Japanese colleagues and friends informed me that this sounds like a Japanese adjective for someone who reacts very slowly. In other words, it is descriptive of a dull person. Certainly, we don't want the child to enter a Japanese school (assuming we stay here long enough) with a label on his forehead shouting "dull."

"Theo" denotes" divine gift." And since his expected delivery is December 25, we acknowledge his arrival as nothing less than a divine gift from the heavens. Boky, or "Theo" is, without a doubt, God's Christmas gift to us. (Whether he'll become God's gift to women when he turns 21 is another story, hehe...)

As of this writing, there are still no signs of Theo's impending delivery. (Let's call him "Theo" from now on; we will retain, however, the title of this blog as "Boky's Adventures.") According to Mommy D's obstetrician, the cervix has not shown signs of dilatation yet as of last week. We will find out on Tuesday, however, if the cervical dilatation has already begun. Optimistic as always, we are assuming that everything will proceed smoothly. Mommy D's own mother and female siblings have had trouble-free deliveries; in other words, that their wombs are "baby factories and conveyors" is genetic, haha...

Allow me to end this post with two quotations on childbirth:

"Childbirth is more admirable than conquest, more amazing than self-defense, and as courageous as either one."*

Gloria Steinem (b. 1934), U.S. feminist writer, editor

"No phallic hero, no matter what he does to himself or to another to prove his courage, ever matches the solitary, existential courage of the woman who gives birth."*

Andrea Dworkin (b. 1946), U.S. feminist critic

Probably, no other quotations are more apt.

As they say here in Japan, "Gambarre!"
_____________________________

*The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations - licensed from Columbia University Press. Copyright © 1993 by Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

Waiting to emerge

Looks can be deceiving! While this window-lit photo of Mommy D's tummy paints a picture of serenity, akin to a half moon that lovers savor on a romantic night, what lies beneath is a turbo-charged miracle with the attention span of a goldfish in hot water. Throughout the 30-minute photo shoot, Boky was rumbling and tumbling inside almost endlessly, as if consciously trying different poses and flashing the "peace" sign.

In less than 2 or 3 weeks, Boky will emerge from this "cocoon" to begin his own journey, not alone but with his parents at his side until he is prepared and ready to live his own life. For life is truly but a series of stages, with its various stage-related developmental tasks. For Boky, his first task is to emerge from the comforts of the womb to the discomforts of the outside world.

And we will be there to greet him when he comes...and cries.

Weight watching

Mommy D went to the University of Tsukuba Hospital last Tuesday for her regular checkup, as well as for the measurements of her belly and the fetus’ head size as observed from ultrasound images. On the basis of these information, the doctor concluded that the Boky is expected to arrive with just the right weight. There is also no danger that he will be born premature -- indeed, a miracle in the making!

As of this time, Boky is a little less than 3 kg (around 6.6 lbs), and given that we still have 3 or so weeks to go, he’ll probably weigh in at less than 3.5 kg at birth, which is just normal. It’s going to be a pretty big and very active baby, the doctor said. This is probably because Mommy D is a tall person and her male siblings are almost 6 ft. tall. This early, I already expect that Boky will probably end up taller than me by the time he reaches adolescence.

We already have more than enough sets of clothes for Boky and we expect to purchase his diapers and rent the crib next week. Mommy D wants everything ready two weeks before they’re needed, which is also what I want. Maybe that’s one advantage of having the same zodiac sign: Mommy D and I think in almost the same way, except when it comes to dessert, hehe…

From twice monthly, Mommy D’s checkup frequency will become once a week. Time indeed flies, and in probably 3 weeks or so, our lives will change forever!