My Baby Bump Progress at 20 Weeks

Whew!  I’m finally halfway through pregnancy and from now on I will be counting down to the last 20 weeks.  Praise God!  It’s hard to believe that I’m already five months pregnant.  For the longest time there was no baby bump that I can show off and then one day, bam!  Like it happened overnight!  I promise I didn’t eat back-to-back Chinese buffet.  Just once over the holidays and maybe I feasted a little too much at mom Aida’s house last Sunday.  Lol.  My overall weight gain since I got pregnant is 12lbs.  Ten of those were all acquired in the second trimester.  Funny, I remember gaining the same amount during our 7-day honeymoon cruise which was not difficult at all.  Perhaps during pregnancy is the only time a woman would wish to gain more for the sake of knowing that the baby is growing.  Nonetheless, I’m not yet encumbered by a large belly that’s why some people still think I’m only two months.  What’s important is that my doctor considers my progress ideal.

I did have a couple of scares in a span of ten days over the holidays.  The first time happened on Christmas Eve when I experienced pain on my left tummy as if all of the baby’s weight was going to tear something inside.  I was crying like a baby.  Jon almost took me to the ER and we thought we were going to celebrate Christmas in the hospital.  Jon prayed over me and Nathanael.  Thank God the pain went away after about 30 minutes of rest and raising my feet up.  Apparently, I suffered from what is called the round ligament pain.  The second instance was even more alarming.  We actually just came home from a routine OB visit on January 3^rd.  All of a sudden my uterus got really hard.  It felt like the baby has gotten stiff as well pushing down on my bladder too much.  Not sure if it was contraction or pelvic cramps but I appeared to be feeling both.  Thankfully there was no bleeding but it was extremely painful.  I made sure I was hydrated and my feet were raised to the roof.  Jon wrapped me in his arms and said a prayer.  I was in tears for almost an hour until I fell asleep.  When I woke up my bladder was still sore and feeling very sensitive but the hardening was gone…

Our next appointment is not until January 31^st so the wait to see Nathanael again can be tough.  But the good news is he’s been moving quite a lot recently which is yet another experience that will never cease to amaze me.  It’s really remarkable to watch God’s gift of life develop!

 

The Story of Nathanael

A little over a year ago when our Couples for Christ (CFC) Southeast Prolife Coordinator, Tita Beth (yes, Elizabeth :p), asked us to become the Prolife Coordinator of Florida, Jon and I requested time for discernment and prayers before we gave our yes.  We wanted to make sure that this is what God was calling us to do after all we were only married for a year and we felt like we were just rookies compared to other couples who have children and the years of experience under their belt.

During our discernment process, one of the messages I received from God was that He wanted me to name our child Nathanael.  At the time I wasn’t sure if this was just a figment of my imagination since I was contemplating too much about wanting to have a baby.  Because I second-guessed myself, I shrugged this off and didn’t tell Jon of this encounter.  Nathanael literally means gift from God.  I thought maybe God is giving us the Prolife Ministry and the babies that will be saved through our service as a gift.

Fast forward to August 24 of this year when I found out that I have mild endometriosis, this is when the doctor told me that it will be hard to conceive at this stage.  That day Jon and I went to mass with a heavy heart.  I needed to hear some encouragement.  It was the Feast of St. Bartholomew.  Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and was also identified as Nathanael.  Because of his feast, the gospel that was read on that day was from John 1:45-51.  God reminded me yet again about His same message last year that we will have a son and that He wanted us to name him Nathanael.  Dumbfounded, I wept for joy.  Not minding the doctor’s findings anymore, this time I’m firmly convinced that God was talking to me.  After mass I told Jon about this and last year’s message.

On September 29, the day the doctor confirmed that we are indeed pregnant, it was the Feast of the Archangels, and the gospel was once again about Nathanael (John 1:47-51). If this is not Divine Providence, I don’t know what is.  Needless to say, Jon was also astounded.

Today’s genetic ultrasound confirms this prophecy.  Nathanael is truly a gift from God. Our son is a healthy baby with a mom whose age risk factor is that of a 20-year old… Praise God!

 

My Encounter with Elizabeth

As I reflect back on the past 16 weeks of my pregnancy, I feel really blessed to see the hand of God every step of the way. Every time I had a doctor’s appointment to see how the baby was doing, I seemed to be feeling anxious no matter how many times I remind myself to trust God. The thing is God knew exactly what I was going through and He would always come to the rescue in a way that I think is somewhat amusing.

Going back to the time when I was told by my doctor that it would be impossible for me to conceive because of my condition at this point in my life, I remember how God uplifted my spirit and gave me hope through Mama Mary’s cousin Elizabeth. A few weeks later, my co-worker Elizabeth, whom I considered an angel, prophesied and told me that I will have a “Godly offspring” when she was inspired by Malachi 2:15. The following day I found out I was pregnant. (Elizabeth Mcgarvey, along with her husband Bob, joined our Heavenly Father on November 27 because of a terrible car accident. She will forever be my prayer warrior and intercessor. May the perpetual light shine upon her and Bob and may they rest in peace. I will surely miss you Liz…but I know you’ll always be my personal Guardian Angel.)

At my first doctor visit at the Southpoint location to check the baby’s heartbeat, I was so nervous. I think my fear was rooted from the experience of my loved ones who have lost their babies during the first trimester and that having PCOS I have a higher risk of miscarriage. That same day they also did the blood work to perform an array of tests. The nurse noticed my restlessness. She told me that she’ll take care of me. I asked for her name. She said it’s Elizabeth. I smiled and felt that loving reassurance from God.

At my next doctor visit at the Baptist South location, I found myself uneasy again because Jon got tied up at work and couldn’t be with me. I prayed while I was waiting at the lobby. I had to do another series of blood tests that day. I let out a great sigh of relief as soon as I heard that my baby’s heart rate was at 160bpm and that my little one is doing great. After the doctor left with a wonderful message, the nurse came in to draw my blood. Feeling more confident this time, I started chatting with her and casually asked what her name was. She said, “Liz”. Out of my excitement, I retorted “Elizabeth?” She replied it is pronounced like that but it is spelled as Lizbeth. I told her that the nurse from the other location has the same name. She happily expressed, “she’s my sister.”

“That’s fascinating that your mom gave you almost the same name! What are the odds?”

Before I checked out, I told her that every time God wants to reassure me that everything is okay, He sends me my Guardian Angel in the person of Elizabeth. She gave me a hug and told me that I will definitely see her and her sister again.  I’m surrounded with Liz!  Beaming with joy, I whispered to my baby that we are in good hands… God is watching…

 

Gift from God

Dear baby Yel,

You are exactly 13 weeks today! We have been looking forward to this day because we are so thrilled to see you again. The last time we saw you 6 weeks ago you’re only 1 cm.  Most people had a hard time recognizing where you were in your first picture. So now that we know you’re much bigger, the thought of seeing you with all your moving parts brings so much joy & excitement!

13 weeks

And finally when the time came to watch you on the monitor, it was a sight to behold. You were so animated. At first you were in upright position moving your hands, feet and head like you were dancing. Then you lied down when the sonographer needed to measure you.  It almost felt like you were showing off!  We were very proud of you. In our fascination, we choked a few times.  Mommy would have gotten more emotional but your image was getting blurry so I had to stay composed

Little one, you are truly a “gift from God”.  We surpassed the first trimester because you have been great.  Continue to be a happy camper.  God is taking care of you.  And there are so many people praying for you.  We love you!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

 

Our Baby’s First Picture

They say that hearing your baby’s heartbeat for the first time is a magical moment for most expectant parents. Honestly, that was an understatement.  After experiencing it for ourselves, it’s truly more miraculous than anyone could ever describe it.  It absolutely offered so much reassurance that all is going well and this realization that there really is a little person growing inside me is quite overwhelming.  Today our baby measures 10mm with a heart rate of over 130 bpm.  Way to go our little one!  Even our doctor was impressed that he kept saying “The Catholic Plan” works!

All of a sudden the sickness that I have been experiencing these past few days don’t seem to matter anymore.  We can’t praise God enough for this amazing gift of life!  The overflowing love and prayers from family and friends are much appreciated…