This continues Matthew’s Baby birth story. Read the first part, A Baby Story, Part 1.

So I was under epidural, smiling again but my mother who was there with me in the room was looking all sick and pale after she’s seen the epidural procedure – when my spinal was stuck by a very big needle. I told hubby to watch out on her ’cause I was basically fine already, but she assured me that she’s fine and she just needed to sit for awhile.

So the time for active labor, the time to push, was nearing in when I saw the nurses and the doctor getting busy walking around. All the monitors are also telling us that it was time. I was brought to the position and the coach (nurse) was telling me when to hold my breath for 10 seconds and push as hard as I could like I was doing the biggest bowel movement in my life – her exact words!

But, after 2 hours or so of no success, I was starting to doubt if I was doing it right! I doubted if I was pushing right! The nurse kept telling me not to put force on my feet and all that… but I really couldn’t tell if I was doing it right. I kept asking my mother, who positioned herself on my head area, if I was doing it right, but she’s just told me to just listen to what the nurse is saying.

And hubby just couldn’t stay put. His big teasing smiling face was all over, like he keeps hopping all around the room. While my mother couldn’t move her feet from where she was.

Since I was under epidural, I wasn’t feeling a thing. I wasn’t feeling the contractions, so I thought I wasn’t pushing right because I wasn’t feeling a thing and couldn’t synchronize my ‘pushing’ with the contractions. So I asked them that maybe if we lessen the dosage of the epidural enough to feel the contractions just a little bit, enough to help me with active labor. So they did!

Oh my God, with half dosage of epidural, I started to feel the contractions again, and I was in pain again! But I didn’t want to stop the labor anymore and just get on with it. At that time, I was in serious business, yelling, screaming and cussing with every push! Around my English speaking husband and doctor, my mother scolded me in Tagalog, our dialect, for being too noisy. I remember talking back – ‘Masakit! ‘ (It’s painful!).

I basically have a smooth sailing pregnancy in terms of pain before all that. I didn’t experience morning sickness and there wasn’t any memorable pains during the pregnancy. So I didn’t expect the pain of labor would be that bad!

Then my look was locked on hubby as he was looking down there, and he looked back at me and said ‘Push, don’t stop, the baby is almost out!’. Just then, I felt like big bowling balls chained together being pulled out of me! That was the most painful physical feeling I have ever felt in my entire life. Then I saw baby Matthew. Hubby cut the cord and both of them went to the other side of the room where the baby was being checked and bathe. I was weak with exhaustion, but I managed to keep asking hubby if the baby was alright, and he assured me that the baby is alright taking a bath.

Matthew Alexander, Born 7 pounds 9 ounces 49 cms long on August 14, 2006 at 10:42 p.m. at Yokota Airbase Hospital, Japan

At 10:42 p.m., after almost a whole day of labor, Matthew was born 7 pounds 9 ounces 49 cms long.

Matthew and Mommy

Matthew and Daddy

Matthew and Grandma

Later on, I found out that I had 2 cuts (episiotomy) and that Vacuum Extractor was used to help pull the baby out. And that after the delivery, while the baby was being taken cared for, I was being stitched. Hubby mentioned that when the baby came out, his little head was funny looking cone shape (that is because of the Vacuum Extractor).

I couldn’t described how I felt when finally the baby was given to me to be held. He was so tiny, wrapped around by garments with his little face showing and his eyes were swollen. He’s so perfect. And then he started to cry, and I panicked. I didn’t know what to do with my own crying baby. I looked at my mother to somehow get a clue as to what to do. My mother just laughed at me, and then I started to feel delighted by the baby cry. Oh my God, it’s just indescribable. The first kiss Matthew got, hubby beat me to it! We took turns taking photos with him.

It was pass 2:00 a.m., when we finally settled in. We transferred to the recovery room, and I was encouraged to walk but I passed out. I think I passed out ’cause I have no recollection as to how exactly we were able to transfer to the recovery room. I woke up the next day, painful all over but delighted by the sight of my baby in the bassinet in the same room with me.

It took us 2 year of trying so hard to conceive him… well, I did – tried so hard to conceive him and hubby was just happy to comply. Matthew will be 4-years old in a few months. He’s an active little man, couldn’t stay put, always smiling, loves to learn, and so ready to be a big brother. We are so proud of him!

Matthew at 3.5-Years Old

I’ve often heard that it’s quite normal when nose bleeding happens. I’ve never really thought about it until Matthew’s nose was bleeding early this morning. I was alarmed, worried, …

We had been under the weather for a few days now. I’ve lost my voice since Valentines Day, but I’ve so far recovered a little bit… getting there. On the other hand, Matthew seems to be following along. He’s had stuffy nose and couching. And then, this morning was the first time that Matthew had a nose bleeding incident. For the past nights, he keeps waking up in the middle of the night, crying because of nasal congestion and probably some soreness. He hasn’t learned how to effectively blow his nose so, all we could ask him to do is drink water and keep his head up. Then he falls right back to sleep only to wake up again in an hour or so. Medicine drops can only work so far.

Last night, I’ve decided that the two of us to sleep in the living room so that hubby can get his much needed sleep – so he doesn’t have to wake up with us when we had to get up. Very early this morning, Matthew woke up to his bad spells again, but that time was much more alarming when I saw blood dripping from his nose. I’ve often heard the nose bleeding is normal and I’ve taken it as that, until I saw my own child’s nose bleeding for the first time. It doesn’t feel normal … all I was trying to think is if he had injured his head or something, or if this is a symptom of something bad, worse than the cough and colds he has. Hubby was already up, getting ready for work, so I called him out. He said it’s normal, and it’s probably caused by dry air. I read more about nosebleeds. I am relieved by the information I got that there really is no cause for alarm since the nosebleeding didn’t persist so far.

Daytimes are pretty much easier, except today, Matthew has pink eyes (sore eyes). Hubby and I had mild pink eyes, aside from the cough and colds. Hubby got it first and then me. We thought we had it pretty much under control, got some eye drops and my hands had become so dry for constantly washing my hands. Mine is healing now. And then Matthew got it too. He looks droppy with swollen eyes and he can’t keep his hands off his eyes! So he has stuffy nose, now he’s got stuffy eyes! His will take longer to heal. Sigh!

As of this writing Matthew is taking a nap. I’ve had him drinking lots of fluid and resting, just watching Mickey Mouse the whole morning. He is not really his energetic self. I hope we get better soon.

Lately we had been sick – sore throat, runny stuffy nose, coughing, mild fever, and other symptoms – all three of us. The nights had been difficult as each one of us has to get up in the middle of the just to relieve ourselves from our symptoms – getting up, drinking water, …

With difficult nights, morning is more difficult including morning of Valentines Day. I stayed late in bed, even when Matthew was up and about. I just turned on the TV and had him watching Disney Channel for those early Disney Shows, while I extend to snuggle in bed. Hubby has been up and about from very early morning. Poor Daddy, even when sick has to attend to his cadets. What made me get up is Matthew telling me he’s hungry for bread.

When he headed downstairs, we were delighted by the display of red stuffs in the living room – the cards, candies and chocolate (Thanks to hubby for all these Valentine thoughtfulness.) They’re supposedly from hubby and Matthew for ME, but Matthew got so excited with the candies and chocolates, that as soon as he has seen them – he is not hungry for bread anymore. This time he is hungry for candies.

Valentine 2010, Matthew at 3-years old. Photo taken on Feb.14, 2010

Anyway, the rest of the day went on, with hubby coming and going and still sick. And we just stayed indoors watching movies, etc…

Matthew at 16-months old, showing off his Filipino spot. Photo taken on Jan 9, 2008

After dinner, I let Matthew pick a chocolate cookie. He only picks and eats the chocolates in the cookies, so you can imagine the mess he makes to himself when he is done. With cookie crumbs and chocolate crumbs all over himself, I took him to the bathroom to clean him up. I took off his shirt, wiped him up and dust off crumbs off his shorts as well. While doing so, he was looking at himself in the mirror, and then, pointing to his shoulders, he told me “Mommy, chocolate!”. I thought I’ve missed some chocolates stuff so I wiped him again, but he kept telling the same thing. Then I realized that he was pointing to his own mole at his back just below the shoulder.

For the first time, he discovered the big mole at this back, which he thought was chocolate. Hubby calls this his Filipino spot, since it’s the only Filipino colored spot in his white skin.

From this point forward, I’d be seeing the OB every 2 weeks. I saw him yesterday. I found out, after much worrying, that I do not have gestational diabetes. I still have to eat right, keep myself hydrated and all that, but i’m just happy i don’t need to follow a portioned diet or worse, have insulin shots, as what’s needed for someone with gestational diabetes.

The baby has good heartbeat and all measurements are great. However, with this pregnancy I had been experiencing contractions on irregular basis (Bracton Hicks). My belly gets too stiff and painful at times that I have a hard time moving. Shifting positions at night means actually waking up and struggling to move, and catching my breath at the struggle. I get cramps in my legs as well.

Hubby and I can’t help but compare this with my previous pregnancy. When I was pregnant with Matthew, I was really active. We were in Japan, and my sister and brother visited us from the Philippines. We brought them to places for sightseeing and more and I never ever felt that I was taken aback by pregnancy.

But this time, I get too tired easily and it seems like whatever I do causes contractions. Plus the baby’s movement has become more and more vigorous. When I told my OB about this, he told me that usually subsequent pregnancies will be harder because the uterus has become more sensitive and stronger from the previous pregnancy. For short, “Shut up, You are pregnant for crying out loud. You are suppose to feel this way.” He didn’t exactly say that, but my previous OB did. When I was pregnant with Matthew, I complained about pricking discomfort in my left side. My OB then shushed me with those exact words. And to think, now I feel that pregnancy, even with gestational diabetes, was a breeze compared to this one.

With all my pains and discomfort, I can’t wait when this pregnancy is over. I have more or less 10 weeks to go. So far, Matthew had been feeling impatient as well for the coming of his baby brother. At one time, he came up to me with a can opener in his hand, attempted to raise my shirt and said “Baby brother wants to come out now.” Although, our can opener is not sharp or pointy, and it is relatively safe for Matthew to be holding around, with what he tried to do, I have to hide it from him now. Where does he get these ideas?

Matthew, while in bathroom, at potty time …

Matthew: (yelling) Mommy!

Me: Are you done?

Matthew: It’s not working.

Me: What’s the matter?

Matthew: It’s stuck.

Me: You got to push. You got to push really hard.

Matthew: It’s not working.

Me: Maybe later. All done now?

Matthew: No! Poopoo some more.

Moments later, repeat from start 5 times until he gives up. Sigh, if only I can poop for him.

Matthew has been potty trained. A few accidents here and there, but for #2, there has been no major setbacks. He is independent, would sit in the big potty and does his business without messes. He still needs assistance cleaning up and lot of reminders with washing and all, but he is there. #1 is another story. When he is busy, in a hurry or too excited, he thinks he can hold it, but he can not. So there’s lots of getting wet on his pants.

I just wanted to wash him a little bit, brush his teeth and get him ready for bed. It was a really long day of chasing Matthew with no nap time. I was feeling crappy, haven’t showered for days, my hips were hurting and my head was heavy with stuffy nose. And all he still wanted to do was to jump and down the bed, run around and make me chase him. He is in his most playful mood. While I wasn’t in the chasing mood!

I used my scariest voice, scariest face and even spanking him just to get him to settle down and listen and just do what I want – which was to get in the bathroom, stand still at the tub so I can wash him. But nothing I did worked. I was really frustrated. It seemed that he is even enjoying my frustration as part of his game, as he made me chase him again. He laughed everytime I wouldn’t catch him.

As I have managed to get a hold of him, literally dragging him to the bathroom, I was out of breath by his struggling to get off my tight hold. I was able to wash him but not too easily. The next task was to brush his teeth, but as soon as he was able to get off the tub, he ran off like he was happy to have escaped. He ran off towards the door and started slamming the door.

I just heard a ringing in my head at the slamming of the door. I told him to stop but he continued to do so. I was afraid he was going to place his other hand at the slamming door like he did earlier that day, so as soon as the door closed I locked the door. I was inside the bathroom by myself, while he was outside, yelling out ‘Mommy!’

I didn’t open the door. I was pacing myself, just hiding inside the bathroom. I was just so tired, that I started crying. I heard hubby’s voice from the outside then he opened the door. Somehow, him seeing me crying like that made my feel even worse, that I cried even more. I just wanted to brush his teeth and him ready for bed, so when he’s fallen asleep I can take a shower and hopefully feel better, but Matthew wasn’t cooperating and i was feeling really frustrated.

The rest of the night was easier with hubby’s presence but I couldn’t help my tears from falling down as I was brushing his teeth and putting his jammies on, while his lips were curled down like he was about to cry but preventing himself to cry. To his innocent mind he was only playing and having fun, but at that time, my poor baby was scared and absorbing my negative feelings.

Then hubby took him to his office, made him sit in the corner and not letting him play for slamming the door and not listening to mommy. I brought him his milk, then he dozed off while drinking his milk. Then he was off to bed, finally.

This happened a week ago. I was definitely not at my best as a mother. Frustration got the best of me. I had to cry.

It has been more and more apparent that Matthew is aware of his baby brother and is so ready for him. Everyday, he ask me while touching my belly, “Baby brother want to play?“. And we tell him, “He’s not ready yet. He still needs to cook inside mommy’s belly.“

At one time, about a week ago, I was using the bathroom, sitting in the toilet, doing my business, and then Matthew slid open the door. And then, in all seriousness in his face, he asked me, “Is baby brother coming out now?“. I was stunned. I told him, “No. baby. It’s not time yet!“. Then he closed the door.

It was the first time he asked me that. And I am still wondering how and where he got the idea to ask me that while I was in the bathroom.

Drinking Warm Milk with a Straw. Photo taken on Jan 22, 2010. Click photo to enlarge photo.

I don’t know what it is about milk that Matthew had a hard time drinking it from a glass when he drinks everything else, water, juice, smoothie, from a cup even before he turned 1! He had always been drinking regular whole milk from a milk bottle, but I am happy to announce that it has been more than a week since the last time Matthew had his milk in a milk bottle. I have hidden the milk bottles away from his sight, and we have been using a regular glass or the sippy bottle with straw to drink his milk. Although, he didn’t exactly throw himself crying over his milk bottles, it wasn’t exactly easy to get him to drink milk from a cup/glass. At most times, he would still specify he wants milk on a bottle. I’d say ‘NO’, give his milk in a glass, and put a straw on it. And he is fine. Somehow, the straw made the transition easier for him. Also, the milk has got to be warm too. It’s easier and quicker for him to finish warm milk than cold milk.

About food, I got to be honest! I think I have to stretch my creativity when feeding him! He only eats – macaroni and cheese, noodles, plain pasta, bread, pancakes, cheese, eggs and that’s it! NO hamburger, hotdog, chicken, nuggets, fried chicken, fruits or vegetables, etc.!

At one time, I sneaked in a few green beans in his macaroni and cheese. Spoon-fed him while he was watching cartoons. I carefully placed mac-and-cheese on top of the spoon while hiding the green beans. Halfway He didn’t have a problem until he strategically spit out a few green beans to his hand, and told me – “Mommy, there’s dirt!”. I wanted to laugh about how he has caught up with my tricks but didn’t want him to see me laughing at his remark. I just told him “It’s not dirt, eat it!”. He didn’t want to eat anymore after that. If only the green beans wasn’t green but yellow, so it can camouflage itself better with the mac-and-cheese! If only green beans can take the taste of mac-and-cheese, maybe that would have worked!

I had been teaching Matthew a few tunes, more nursery rhymes actually, since he was born! His little delay in speech dragged down our progress a a little bit. After a few Nursery Rhyme CDs, some preschool DVDs and a lot of hours in YouTube, Matthew finally memorized a few songs.

On our trip to Florida last summer, his Grandma got him this cool Elmo CD Player with some nursery rhymes CD. It has a built-in microphone on it and he’d sing to it. Unfortunately, holding the microphone he drags it around so most of the time, I tend to hide it from him. But the CDs work wonders. One of the CDs is actually a Lullaby CD that works on him at bedtime. He would ask to play it, he’d settle down, listen to it, sometimes sings with it and dozes off wonderfully most of the time anyway.

Matthew YouTube-ing, Photo taken Nov 11, 2009

I had mentioned before that I got this Preschool DVD for him. It worked well to expand his vocabulary. But the thing that got his attention the most is the clips from YouTube! Because of YouTube, I now have to compete with him for computer time – him and YouTube and me and my blogging.

I filter the clips in YouTube for ‘nursery rhymes’, set it up to play Full Screen and then I leave him in front of the computer. He knows where to click and the ‘nursery rhymes’ clips would play for him one after the other. Sometimes, he does this for hours. We would start with ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’ and after a few minutes, he’ll be watching clips from Elmo. I have to admit that YouTube became more effective than me with teaching him songs. Sigh! I just make sure that the clips he’s watching will remain ‘nursery rhymes’ and not just wherever his clicking fingers would take him.

This is the event that happened three years ago. When we were welcoming a precious little angel into this world.

Hubby and Me at almost 9 Months Preggy, Photo taken on 2006 July 30 at Tama Hills, Japan

It was Friday, Hubby and I saw my doctor on a regular appointment at Yokota Airbase Hospital. We were still living at Yokota Airbase  in Japan that time, and had been privileged to see the capable doctors at the base.

The doctor said I’m almost ready, in my full term pregnancy at 38-weeks, but since I haven’t shown signs of labor, he gave me an inducer pill. The doctor didn’t want me to go further in the pregnancy since I was diabetic. There are risks like the baby will get bigger in the womb that it will become hard labor. So I was induced. It should take effect in a couple of days.

I went back to work and finalized my maternity leave. That day was my last day before the leave. Hubby on the other hand, had filed his leave weeks prior mine! My mother had been with us for a few weeks already. She visited from the Philippines to help out with the baby.

That night I had been feeling pain, which I thought was contractions. After a few tabulations of the intervals of the contractions, I called the hospital. I talked to a nurse and she asked me series of questions. Later on she evaluated that it’s a false alarm. She said that if it was real contractions, I wouldn’t be able to speak on the phone so calmly as I did because of the pain.

Saturday and Sunday came by. Hubby was playing with his XBox and my mother was doing cross stitch. We are all anxious for the baby to come. I can tell that my mother’s anxiety was becoming more and more apparent with every sigh she makes when she looked at me. And with a frown, she tells me ‘Manganak ka na kasi! ‘ (Rough Translation: Be in labor already!). I was still able to go around the house, and do some light housework and a few times we walked around the block. I felt pains now and again but nothing serious.

Monday came. It’s my next appointment to the doctor. We went like every other doctor’s appointment. But I was congratulated. The inducer worked, I was dilating. It’s time!

The nurse strapped me with their gadgets to monitor me and the baby – our heart rates and even the contractions. I was having contractions but the intervals were still irregular. I wasn’t feeling any severe pains. I was stapled in bed, anxious and just waiting. Hubby came back home to pick up my packed stuffs and my mother. She wanted to be there when the baby’s born.

I wasn’t allowed to eat anything except ice chips and water. Made me wish I ate a hearty breakfast! Lunch came, then dinner but no changes, I was still in manageable pains. I was feeling more hungry pains than the supposed labor ‘pains’ or contractions. I frequently implied to the anesthesiologist and the nurses that I am having the baby the natural way, no epidural necessary. At this point, Hubby was playing with the video camera, going through the hospital gadgets, and just acting funny, and we were just laughing along.

Matthew at 5 months

Then the doctor checked me out. My contractions were getting more regular and more frequent, almost every 5 minutes or less but my water did not break yet. When the baby’s heart rate was getting erratic, the doctor decided to break my water herself. This is a really really painful procedure! I felt a whoosh of water from me. From then on, I just felt so weak with pain with every contraction. I don’t know how other women in labor was able to yell out loud. I was just in so much pain! I had blurred vision, I couldn’t even breath right because of the pain. I felt like my hips were being crushed and all my insides are being pulled out. Then the nurse asked me if she should call the anesthesiologist. All I could manage is to whisper ‘Yes, please.‘.

At this point Hubby was getting excited, his smile was all over the room. We all knew that the baby is coming anytime very soon. My mother was trying to massage my back to try to relieve my pains. Then the anesthesiologist came, and performed epidural procedure on me.

I was on the seated position during the epidural procedure. Hubby was hugging to support me and prevent me from moving during this very delicate procedure. While all this was happening, my mother who was right next to me, had to sit at the other side of the room at the sight of all this. After it’s done, I was smiling again, relieved and free of pain. Thank God for epidural! Then, I saw my mother all pale and looking like she’s going to pass out! Maybe it wasn’t a good idea for her to be there …

Continued at A Baby Story, Part 2.