The Gift of Life

The Gift of Life

We could see the first line almost immediately after the test began. The instruction says however to wait for at least 3 minutes for the second line. We were excited but not knowing if it will yield us the result that would change our life forever. Then there it was, faintly and slowly becoming visible until it was almost the same colour as the first. It was Positive! Leah is pregnant! For the first few minutes we didn’t know what to do except hug each other.

We were not that confident a few weeks ago that it would come this soon. A close relative who happens to be a seer happily told us that a month before that a “breakthrough” on Leah’s condition will happen and the number 3 will be significant (see earlier blog article). That month, we waited in anticipation for it to happen. It didn’t. Then a fear hit home. Sometimes in the back of our minds, we are convinced that somehow we should also prepare for the possibility that maybe such moment is not meant to be. Then last Friday which fell on the 3rd week of this month (July) we got an answer.

Unlike other couples, we don’t have the luxury of delaying starting a family. Leah’s endometriosis hangs like a grim reminder that we could not take for granted having children. So when the second line appeared, we felt humbled. The gift of life as well as the gift of parenthood felt like God’s hand extending to us. We felt truly blessed.

- post by J

We just came from our very first doctor’s appointment earlier today. She palpated my abdomen and found everything to be well. I also underwent the usual blood and urine tests. We will be back to see her four to five weeks from now. Probably by then, we will be having our first ultrasound as well.

Everything right now is so surreal for me. It hasn’t really sunk in yet although I already knew from the very moment that my period was delayed. Thank God, I’m feeling generally fine except that I get frequently nauseous (having trouble burping) and I can easily fall into sleep whenever I’m left idle. As of this writing, I am already five weeks and five days on the way and we are to expect our little angel on the 23rd of March next year.

J is hoping that we’ll be having a boy, while I, on the other hand, would want a girl. In a few more months, we’ll soon found out. But whatever the gender is, we both just wish it to be healthy.

Speaking of J, he is soooo overprotective of me since we found out. Accordng to him, I shouldn’t be doing this, I shouldn’t be doing that; I should be eating this and not that. Hey, I’m not complaining. On the bright side, getting spoiled ain’t so bad after all.

How your baby’s growing:
Deep in your uterus your embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point he’s about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. He’s now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm — that will later form his organs and tissues. The cells are forming for his major organs, including his kidneys and liver, and his neural tube is beginning to develop. This neural tube — from which your baby’s brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout — develops in the top layer, called the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to his skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel. His heart and circulatory system begin to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, his tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form your baby’s muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue. The third layer, or endoderm, will house his lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as his thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job.

How your life’s changing:
Pregnancy symptoms may surface this week if they haven’t already. If you’re like most women, you’ll notice nausea (and not just in the morning), sore breasts, fatigue, and frequent urination. All are normal, all are annoying, but the upside is that they’re all a part of being pregnant and won’t last forever. The outside world won’t see any sign of the dramatic developments taking place inside you — except maybe that you’re turning down that glass of wine with dinner. It’s a good idea to avoid alcohol throughout your pregnancy since no one knows exactly how much — or how little — alcohol can harm a developing baby.

Source: BabyCenter

How your baby’s growing:
Deep in your uterus your embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point he’s about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. He’s now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm — that will later form his organs and tissues. The cells are forming for his major organs, including his kidneys and liver, and his neural tube is beginning to develop. This neural tube — from which your baby’s brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout — develops in the top layer, called the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to his skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel. His heart and circulatory system begin to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, his tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form your baby’s muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue. The third layer, or endoderm, will house his lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as his thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job.

Source: BabyCenter