First Month Visit

Time flies pretty fast. Louna's first visit to the pediatrician has finally come. We have chosen Dr. Jean Louis Guimas in Chenôve and the choice was great. He's a super cool old fella who obviously loves children and his job.

Louna's first visit was a remarkable one. This little girl has an enhanced natural defense, if we could consider it that way. She wasn't crying during the process, which is quite remarkable for a baby of one month, right? But then, she's actually preparing for something: she did pipi twice and caca thrice. What about that? The visit turned out to be a comique one, Louna just gave us a show.

Back to technicalities, I started to sort out her clothing stuffs, putting in the shelves those sizes for 1 month and dress her up in 3 month sizes now. She's now 4.54 kg compared to 3.9 kg at birth. She's grown too. 58 cm from 54 cm at birth. Her head diameter has grown bigger from 35 cm to 37 cm now. Well, my baby is growing...

Next month, vaccination will start..

Updates

Louna's umbilical cord fell last November 24, her supposed birth date. It was the day when the first snow of winter 2005 fell down in Dijon too. Isn't that a good coincidence?

15 days after birth, Louna started to regain her initial weight. The pediatrician who attended to her remarked that she seemed older than her age, the way she moved her head. She's full of energy!

At almost a month, Louna could finish a 120 ml bottle and could sleep 6 hours straight at night. She's being breastfed during the day and bottlefed at night. She's gaining weight progressively and becoming more and more attentive to things around her.

She particularly loves going out. She hates it when she has wet diapers. She cries when she's got air in her stomach. She farts like her mom. She loves her bath but not the procedure before and after that. She looks more and more like her dad.

Particularity: She could hold her head upright since 2nd day!

D Day

It was the most awaited D Day, Tuesday, the 8th of November 2005. Louna Clarita Marie Bourcier is about to join us...

What's in a name?

How did Papa and Maman came up with my name? Well, Louna came actually from papa's search from the internet, it was a love at first sight, and maman loved it at once too. But if we look at it closely, it's actually a good melange of papa and maman's name, don't you agree? Clarita is just so simple, it's mommy's name. Marie on the other hand is papa's grandmom's name (maternal and paternal side).

The Works

8 am: Papa and Maman finally arrived in the Clinique Ste Marthe's Maternity Ward. Midwife Delphine took us in charge and examined maman at once. Maman is already 2.5 cm dilated. With that, no more pre-labor procedures, maman was directly confined in the delivery room and had perfusion to induce labor and contraction.

9:15 am: Dr Vert, the anesthesist came to inject the epidural (péridurale) for painless labor.

10:15 am: Maman's amniotic bag was pierced, with this, I know, there's no turning back. She was already 5 cm dilated. Errr, was it obvious I was kinda excited to go out?

11:15 am: 6 cm dilated.

12:15 pm: 8 cm dilated.

2:00 pm: 10 cm dilated. Midwife Delphine started to prepare the paraphernalias for the delivery. Maman on the other hand started to tremble, probably due to stress, fear or fatigue or just the simple realization of giving birth was just minutes away.

2:10 pm: Maman started to push (4 doses of epidural before labor). 3 series of contractions, with 3 consecutive pushes each. It was tiring for both of us. The 4th push was aided by a ventouse (sucking instrument) and voila, I was out. Finally, I was on maman's tummy.

I just did one short cry which obviously made maman worry. Dr Andry-Serain, maman's gynecologist, midwife Delphine and the assistant brought me to another room. I had my first bath under the caring eyes of papa.

3:50 pm: I had my first ever breastfeeding session. Wow, that was yummy!

Please click on the picture on the left to access on my baby announcement card. It's a tradition here in France to announce each addition to the family and here's maman's electronic version of it...enjoy yourselves!

More of me next time..

Last Medical Visit before D Day

Maman: 60.4 kg (+13.1 kg)
Bébé: ~4.3 kg, 145 bpm

Induced labor programmed on: Tuesday, 08 Nov 2005 at 7h30.

My 8th Month Visit

At the end of 36th week, petite Bourcier weighs 3.5 - 3.7 kg already with 138 bpm heart rate, that makes here around 4.5 kg at birth. I'll have another appointment in 2 weeks time to verify her evolution. If growth continues at the same rate, then, an early intervention might be declenched. If so, no problem, that would mean we could cuddle her in our arms earlier!

Stretch Marks

Ok, I thought, after 35 wks of vergeture-free pregnancy, I could eventually get by without this maudit stretch marks. Heck NON! Just checked closely yesterday, and I mean closely, and was shocked to find out the screaming reality, yep, I'm no exception...inspite of the daily Mustela application from the 3rd month onwards.

Morality: If it is destined to crack up, it will.

7th Month Visit

Now, who's lips is that? If you look closer, you could even distinguish her nose..well, bébé, we're impatient to cuddle you in our arms now, but take your time inside, ok?

Today marks the start of my long leave..congé pathologique then congé maternité..isn't life in France cool?

Some important updates:

At 33 weeks, bébé measures 2.5 kg, wow, that's quite a lot. Doc Gynéco thinks she'll be around 4 kg at birth so I'll have to do pelvic xray to check if I would be able to deliver her naturally.

Heartbeat is at 150 bpm. Maman is now 11.5 kg heavier, look at her now.

Réconnaissance d'un Enfant Naturel

There you go baby. Papa and maman finally recognized you as their official heir.

It was today and the process was all too simple. We just went to the Bureau de l'Etat Civil, went to the Reconnaissance Booth, presented our passports, and voila, the official document is out. We're just waiting for you to arrive now...everything is ready sweetie..

6th Month

Just some essential details:

Bébé: 1.2kg, 141 bpm
Maman: 55.9kg (+3 kg in 6 wks!!!)

Aquagym and Jet Massage

Just an idea of what I'm doing in my aquagym class in preparation for the delivery. My OB Gyne suggested that I get this course for the reeducation lombaire en piscine pour sciatique de grossesse for whatever that means! Well, for Juan de la Cruz, it's simply to prevent having backaches. All of the 15 seances will be covered by my Social Security so no sweat.

I had my first participation last Wednesday, and I assure you, it's no joke. I could feel my tummy muscles compress and decompress, it's a great exercise! I'm sure my baby adored it. She never stopped agitating inside during the session, accompanying me in every move.

I'm already looking forward for my next class...

Halfway to Hands-on Motherhood

Time flies. From the moment I knew it till the very moment I felt his first movement, I was like a neophyte scientist on his very first experiment, savouring this priviledged moment, patiently waiting for each little change, each overwhelming little change that only mothers could precisely explain.

5th month, whoa, that was pretty fast.

Maman: 52.9 kg

Bébé: 500 g

Heart Rate: 146 bpm

Gender: F

We will start preparing the room for the new family member and start completing the necessary gadgets for the much awaited arrival. Get excited with me, I've just changed my baby's diaper, please scroll upwards!

The excited parents...

Coucou, I’m here…

At 19th week, baby Bourcier started to announce his presence. A tiny kick here, a sudden push there…hmmm, life…enjoying this magic moment.

Contente Maman

4th Month

Maman: 50.8 kg
Bébé: 16.5 weeks, heartbeat = 154 bpm

Doc Gynéco finally announced the due date, it will be on November 24 (I thought it's on November 17, anyways), a winter baby under the sign of Sagittarius, to be born on the year of the rooster. Laurent and I were kinda excited with this visit as both of us are hoping to eventually know the gender of petit Bourcier. So Doc Gynéco tried to verify this point and it seems that our petit Bourcier is actually une petite Bourcier, to be confirmed of course on our next visit which will be next month.

Contrary to our last visit, petite Bourcier was very active today, she developed a lot from the last time too. She's long and lean which is normal, as Doc Gynéco assured us. Another good news is that I have no risk of Trisomie 21, a real good news, the result was 1/717 which is far from the limit identified at 1/250. That means that I don't have to undergo amniocentesis.

My tummy is getting bigger and bigger each day. But as some says, I'm lucky as the weight I'm gaining is concentrated on my belly and not anywhere else. But hey, I'm just on my 4th month, still a long way to go before the D Day!

16th Week

I'm quite overwhelmed by how fast time flies. Already on the 16th week, I'm almost halfway to the D Day, and my little baby starts to show his existence to the whole world, pushing my big belly out.

Today, I received an important phone call from Doc Gynéco to convey to me the good news. The result of the last blood test to detect the risk of Trisomie 21 showed that I have 1/717 probability of risk, limit of which was fixed to 1/250. That would mean that I wouldn't have to undergo amniosynthesis. That also means that my baby is healthy and perfectly normal.

Funny how wishes change once a mother becomes pregnant. At first, every father would want a boy, mother, a girl. Now that its my turn, regardless of the sex, first and foremost, I want him to be healthy and normal. With the result, we could certainly sleep with tranquility.

Just perfect!

13.5 Weeks

Uh oh, growing me! See that lovely fingers saying Hi? Not only that, i could kick and put my hands around my face now.

Oppps sorry Maman and Papa, i was kinda tired the last time I had the ultrasound, I didnt even notice that you were there watching me! But you've seen my back right? Hmmm, nice ass huh (oppps, sorry again).

Ok, here's some good news. I'm ok inside and loving this cozy place. I'm sure you've heard my heartbeat and saw how i grew up since the last time...I,m now 7.5cm and still growing!

Mom gained weight again, oh, I mean us, we're now 49.1kg, oh wow, never did she weighed this much under normal circumstances, ehem, I'm aiding her to fulfill her dreams.

Ok buddies, that's all for now, I'll continue with my siesta, sayonara!

12th Week

Your Body Week 12
Your uterus has now enlarged so that it protrudes above your pelvic bone. You may have begun to "show". It may be time to buy some maternity clothes!

Your doctor or midwife can feel the baby by external examination around this time.

Your heart is working harder to pump the increased volume of blood around your body and as a result your body temperature has risen. Your heart rate may have increased by a few beats per minute to cope with the increased blood volume circulating throughout your body.

Morning sickness may decrease and you may not need to urinate as much as in early pregnancy. You may become constipated, however, as bowel movements slow down in pregnancy.

You may notice a dark line, called the linea nigra, running along your abdomen from your navel to your genital area. The linea nigra shows where your abdominal muscles are stretching to allow for your uterus to grow. The linea nigra may remain for a little while after the birth of your baby, but over time it will fade.

Your Baby Week 12
The end of the twelfth week of pregnancy marks the end of the first trimester. Your baby is now almost 2.5 inches long (6.1cm) when measured from crown to rump, and weighs between 0.3 and 0.5 ounces (9 to 13g).

Your baby's fingers and toes have separated and are getting longer. Your baby can open and close its mouth and drinks amniotic fluid which it passes out as urine. Its head is becoming more rounded, though it is still large in proportion to its body. It has eyelids.

You can now hear your baby's heartbeat with a Doppler Ultrasound device!

Your baby continues to grow rapidly and has doubled in size in the last three weeks alone.

The face is beginning to look more human, and all body structures are present with a few refinements still in progress. Fingernails and toenails begin to develop this week.

Your baby's muscles are sufficiently developed to allow for involuntary movements at this time. The messages which control your baby's movements are sent from the spine, rather than the brain, which is not yet sufficiently developed.

Pregnancy Expenses Updates

Click here.

Goodbye Embryon, Bonjour Fetus

10th Week. Whoah, that was quite a fast transition! It seems that I'm as big as an orange inside my mom's womb. I have all the body parts already on development. Isn't that great?

Well, I guess mom's happier now, I don't give her that much difficulty anymore.

So what will be up for the coming week? Any idea? Ok, here you go:

Me This Coming Week

Your baby is growing incredibly rapidly right now. She is approximately 1.75 to 2.4 inches (4.4 to 6cm) when measured from crown to rump. She will double her length in the next three weeks. Your growing baby weighs about 0.3 ounces (8g).

The neck is developing and the chin lifts up from the chest. Fingernails are also present. While your baby's sex was already determined at the time of fertilization, male or female genitalia are now visible. Essential organs are formed and most have begun to function. The blood vessels in the placenta are increasing in number to meet your baby's increasing nutritional needs. Her ears are moving towards the sides of her head, away from the neck. Your baby's head is still not in proportion with her body. Her head accounts for about half of her body length.

Mom This Coming Week

Many women who have suffered from morning sickness find that their nausea begins decrease from this week on. (Unfortunately, for some it may continue).

You may have noticed you have more (or less) hair than usual, which is thought to be linked to the increased amount of blood circulating through your body as well as hormonal changes.

You are probably anxious to feel your baby move, but it is still a bit early. You may notice an increase in cervical fluid and you may also notice a darkening of your labia around your vagina and the areola area around your breasts due to hormonal changes.

During pregnancy, the cervix usually feels firm, but it will soften during labor to allow the baby to pass through. Your cervix is protected by a mucous plug to protect your baby. The mucous plug will be expelled shortly before or during labor.

Your body is burning calories faster than it did prior to pregnancy and your metabolism may increase by up to 25%. The quantity of blood pumping through your body will also increase, making you feel warmer than usual. The increased blood flow can also give you a rosy "blooming" feeling.

You may notice that you have an improved skin condition during pregnancy. For some lucky women, pregnancy hormones can cause skin to appear to "glow" and appear smoother. You may even have shinier hair and brighter eyes. Some women develop a "pregnancy mask" (chloasma) caused by deeper skin pigmentation. This can cause irregular patches of brown skin to appear on your forehead, cheeks, neck and nose. Exposure to sunlight can exacerbate chloasma, though sunscreen can reduce its effects. Chloasma usually disappears after birth as your hormones return to their pre-pregnancy levels.

Elevated estrogen levels and increased blood pressure can cause the dilation of your skin capillaries which can in turn give rise to spider nevi (raised red marks surrounded by spidery lines) and palmar erythema (redness of the palms) during pregnancy. Both conditions are considered minor and fade after the birth of your baby.

On Yaya Search

Click here.

9th Week

After my last visit, Doc required another blood and urine analysis for my pregnancy follow-up (just did it this morning). She equally prescribed Elevit Vitamine B9, a vitamin and mineral supplement to be taken daily. Call it good news, I've been taking the vitamin since 3 days now and my afternoon sickness became tolerable. I could continue to be active and stopped crouching myself on the sofa every afternoon.

I've been folllowing a website (you can click on my Daily Guide) where I check weekly updates about me and my baby:

Your Baby This Coming Week

The crown-to-rump length of your baby is about 1.25 to 1.68 inches (between 3.1 and 4.2cm). He weighs about 0.18 ounces (5g).

The placenta is now producing progesterone which helps to make nutrients for your developing baby.

Your baby has passed the stage when he is most susceptible to damage. By the end of this week, the danger zone for congenital abnormalities has passed.

The plan for your baby's body has been completely laid down by now. Further growth and cell division will build on this plan.

Taste and tooth buds have appeared.

Your baby has recently developed fingers and toes which are now well-formed. Ankles, wrists and the inner ear have formed. Your baby's nose is flat and his eyes are far apart. His eyes, ears, mouth and nose are all recognizable. The tail is disappearing.

Your baby is moving around the amniotic sac, and moving his feet and ankles. You still will not be able to feel these movements but you may be able to see them on an ultrasound.

Blood is circulating through the arteries and the vein of the umbilical cord.

The brain of your baby is developing at a phenomenal rate. About one quarter of a million new neurons are produced every single minute at this stage in your pregnancy.

If your baby is a boy, his testes, though they are not even clearly visible, are already producing testosterone.

Your baby is no longer called an embryo, but rather a fetus.

Your Body This Coming Week

Your uterus is now about the size of an orange, but you still don't "show". However, you probably have noticed an increase in your breast size.

You may be having mood swings, feeling happy and elated one moment, crying the next. This is perfectly normal, caused by the changing hormones in your body as well as all the hopes and fears you have and the realization that your life will be forever changed by your pregnancy.

There is little increase in abdominal size during the first trimester, though you might be starting to see some weight gain. Hormonal changes, however, especially the increase of progesterone and relaxin can cause your joints and ligaments to soften as your body begins to prepare for birth.

The joints in your pelvic bones are widening now. This may cause you to feel unstable at times, even sometimes dropping things or bumping into things.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

12 April

The D Day, when everybody in our entourage was informed about the great news. Everybody was of course happy to know that I’ll be arriving soon. I guess they were even impatient to see me.

Papa, as usual did the announcement in a unique way. He sent my 3D photo thru fax to Mamie and Papi, but hélas, they weren’t able to guess it at once.

He then sent 4 hints thru SMS to my cousins Louise and Martin. (mon premier mange avec la bouche fermée. on ne recommande pas la viande saignante à mon second. mon troisième nage pendant des mois sans respirer. mon premier, mon second et mon troisième ne font qu’un dont le cœur bat très fort !) Chantal, my aunt was able to decode it at once. Great! Louise wants une fille while Martin wants un garcon! Jean Paul, my uncle, had a puzzle thru email. And he was happy to hear the great news too!

Jean Paul: Salut à tous les deux,
J'ai réarrangé le puzzle du mieux que j'ai pu mais ce n'est pas facile à partir du moment où le fond des morceaux n'est pas transparent !
Je devine que c'est une échographie d'Ana du 11/04/2005 et comme j'imagine que ce n'est pas un calcul rénal, j'en conclus que vous avez une bonne nouvelle à annoncer !
Bravo donc et c'est pour quand ?A+, JP

Maman, on the other hand was not so extraordinary on her announcements, she just sent emails to her family and friends plus text messages to Mommy Arit to which she responded at once, at 2am phil time!

Look, everybody’s excited to see me. Aside from phonecalls, I have a list of email messages which I want documented so I could savour the moment anytime when I'm older. The news was all over the world, hey, am I that famous?

From the Philippines
Mommy Arit : TY God. Ingat ka lagi. Tuwa kami lahat dito.
My Nasty Tita Denden: wow, sino ang ama? (Papa was always in Thailand when I was conceived, my loko tita!)
Tita Jean : ANA congrats!!!
Tita Maribel: Congrats!!! I'm so happy for you.
Tita Jelyn: congrats .... akalain mo may ovary ka pala..joke..grabe i am hapi for u mareng frend..pag artistahin mo dito sa pinas ha! congrats to u and laurent....
Tita Gina: ana, congrats!!!pasensya na babago lang ako ng check ng emails ko...basta ingat lang lagi...
Tito Ran: oi insan ana congrats ha. lola na c tya aret.hehe
Tita Lea: Congrats ana! Ilang months na!

From Qatar
Tita Aldine: wow!congats...hope to c u soon! (yes, tita aldine will soon meet me here in france!)

From Japan
Tita Haze: Ana!!!Grabe!!! Congrats!!!

From US
Tita Liza: CONGRATTTTTTSSSSSS!!!!!
Tita Mitch: wow,it's your turn mare... congrats!!!!!!!!!!! u're gonna' be a mom soon!!!!!!!!!!! i'm so happy for you and laurent...!!!!!!!!!!!!! yey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tito Osep: congrats ana, isa lang ang maipapayo ko: breastfeeding is still best for babies...
Tita Joy: Congrats! the soon to be mommy Ana.....
Tito Mar: Lagi kang tumingin sa salamin at ng maging kamukha ni h. Berry ang baby
Tita Grace: Ana, CONGRATS!!!!!!! I'm so excited for you!
Tita Rhona: OMIGOSH>>i didnt have to zoom it!!! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tita Lauren and Tito Richard: WOW,,, thats blessing
Lola Liza: congrats! di ka pala baog.. hehe
Tita Rhona and Tita Eve: Ana....from the bottom of me and your "lamo's Heart" congrats sa inyo ni Laurent..wow im sure he's excited...!! I wanna hear more preggy stories huh.....
Tita Eleanor: Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwww congratssssssssssssssssssssss. Grabe nakakatuwa naman. Im very excited to see your baby. You take extra care now okay for you and the baby. Update us sa happennings okay. Congratulations Im so happy for you.

From Mexico
Tita RosaMaria : Je suis vraiment contente d´entendre cette nouvelle, c´est super!!!

From Canada
Tita Meanne: balitaan mo naman ako asap. excited na excited na ako eh hehe!!!

From Europe
Tita Leng: Click here. Too kind this tita, she even sent me an electronic greeting card!
Tita Emily: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FELICITATIONS!!!!!!!!! galing galing galing, magiging Maman ka na!!
Tita TinTin : congratulations ana.....take care!
Tita Addi: CONGRATS ,Ana!!! grabe na to. lahat ng field ofwork angkin mo na.Welcome to motherhood, mama!!!!
Tita Ayeen: anaaaaa!!!! sa wakas!... hahahaha... now, you're going to> be a mother, the hardest> but the best job position in the world
Tita Lourdes: Congratulations Ana! Simula na talaga...
Tito Yves: Je suis content pour vous, c'est super d'avoir un bébé

And lastly, from my maman’s blog community. Whoah!

April 11, 2005, 18h45

Me : 48.7 kg (+ 1.40 kg from last visit)

My Future Buddy: 2.5 cm and growing, 8.5 weeks old

New Info: Start of Pregnancy : 24 Fev 2005

It was my first visit with Laurent and surely, the emotions were there. Unlike the first time where I almost saw nothing, this time, I even heard my future buddy's heartbeat, pumping at 171 bps, whoah! I guess he was happy to see us too! I saw him move a bit, there was a sudden rush of unexplained emotions when I saw that magic moment. There was life in there, huh!

shhh, he's just there watching, observing, listening: preparing himself to see the outside world.

In the image above, we could almost distinguish his eyes, his hands and feet are starting to develop too, we could barely see them on the pictures though.

Another blood and urine analysis were asked, routine check-up, ya know. I was prescribed to take Iron supplements too. Okidoki.

We had the green light from the gynecologist for the pregnancy declaration to the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales, a government organization which assures financial aide to all families in function of their ressources, and another one to the Social Security Service. That would mean that all my expenses from consultation, to the medicines up to the D Day will be taken cared of by these two organizations, well, the government. All I have to do is to take care of myself and the baby, isn't life cool?

8th Week

It will be my 8th week tomorrow and life has not been so kind with me. Every afternoon, after work, para akong nauupos na kandila (o overacting phycholological effect lang?). I feel very weak and very cold and very hungry. And Laurent, kulit as he is, just couldn't understand why i stay immovable and completely submerged inside my duvet on our living room sofa, more so, with the TV switched on but my eyes closed. Hay naku, ang mga lalaki nga naman.

If I were lazy before, I'm double lazy now. Yesterday, I asked Laurent if I could go with him at the same time, pati kasi pagdadrive, kinatatamaran ko, and bakit hindi, we're both working in the same area, magkaiba lang ng building. Ang mokong, after work, he wen't home alone, nakalimutan ang beauty ko. So I took the bus instead, oh well. I took my car this morning.

This morning, I had some tiny blood spots, but it stopped naman kagad. I hope it's just nothing.

Tomorrow, I will have to prepare a solvent-based chemical solution. Kasi naman dito, engineers ang nagpreprepare, not the technicians. I asked my boss to help me, I'm doubting tuloy if I have to tell him na or not. He might find it weird that I'll take all the necessary safety precautions. Bahala na!

7th Week

I'm on my 7th week now, and we could now distinguish my future buddy's face. He starts to grow faster now - heart, brain, eyes, hands and vertebral column are becoming more and more developped.

On my not-to-to list, it's forbidden for me to touch the soil, thus, Laurent does the gardenning alone (it's spring!) while I do the in-house chores. Not a bad deal. I could do internetting at the same time.

We're counting the days and we're more and more impatient to announce the good news to our families and friends. We actually made a deal that we will formally announce it after my second visit to my gynecologist. Oh well, we're both excited!

Amazing Finds

I've been reading the book 'Naître' even before I got pregnant and precise informations and pictures are listed that I could follow the development of my future buddy as we stride along together day by day.

Here are some interesting facts that all mothers should have known. And now, it's my turn:

8th day after ovulation - Arrival of the fertilized ovule in the uterus. Great traveller huh!

15th day - The brain. Nerve cells are now formed. Some experts says that this is the start of a new life as these nerve cells allows perception and expression.

22nd day - His heart starts to beat. And oh my, it pumps twice faster than mine. Kaya ba ako laging pagod?

Ok, i'll stop here. I'm actually reading the book in the same rhythme as my pregnancy. O di ba, every week, I could follow what's new with my future buddy.

18 March, 9:45am

7mm
Originally uploaded by analyse.

Me: Height: 1.65 m, Weight: 47.3 kg

My Future Buddy: still too early to have his exact age

Last Menstruation: February 10, 2005

Highlight 1: My future buddy's first photo!

Highlight 2: Always hungry so i always have a stock of caramel inside my drawer. At 7pm, you could see me on the sofa while the TV watches me. Are these the first signs of pregnancy?

Well, first diagnostic was that I wasn't immunized against toxoplasmose (toxoplasmosis). In consequence, I have a list fixed on my refrigerator door on what I should and shouldn't do. To sum it up, I should stop drinking any kind of alcohol, stop eating half-cooked viands, more so with uncooked sea shells, wash thoroughly all kinds of fruits and vegetables and peel them in preference, I have to disinfect the kitchen as often as possible, I have to wash my hands every meal, and I have to avoid touching the soil. Oh well, there are still some other stuffs I guess that are not so pertinent in my case, so I don't list them here. Oh my, I didn't imagine it to be this complicated. Ok, let the disinfection begin!

15 March, 1:05am

I suddenly woke up with only one thing in mind - the Pregnancy Test I bought the other day. 5 days had elapsed since the supposed zone rouge and now, I'm too impatient to give it a try. Switching the lampshade on, I frantically searched for my thick robe and zoomed my way to the toilet - the instrument has been eagerly and patiently waiting for me at the corner.

After I seated comfortably on the throne, I then proceeded with the simple task, observing that liquid as it migrates slowly on the control windows, making my heart stop and jump at the same time at each second. That very short wait has transported me to somewhere totally unknown to me, to a mix of emotions too difficult to discern. After barely a minute, this instrument has quickly transformed itself to Angel Gabriel, conveying to me the good news, transformed itself into something very significant - my future baby's first sign of LIFE!

I was glad and frightened at the same time.

Glad because we really planned for it. And who wouldn't, right?

Frightened because I quickly counted the months and aligned them with all my upcoming projects. Career buff as I am, I find it hard to leave unfinished projects.

With this mixed emotion haunting me to bed, I thought I should rather share this BIG news with my partner in crime, who, a day earlier just left for Thailand. He would be delighted to hear this new event in our life. And so, I let this little budding creature write to his papa..

Hey Dad, it's already 2h05 here (March 15) and 20 minutes ago, i just whispered
to Mom a secret. So I thought, I have to do the same for you. Shhhhh....I just
thought I could be a star, I took my first picture portrait at home and look! Am
I not beautiful? Remember when Mom sent you a photo of my cousins Ate Nikki and
Kuya Ivan? When she said her family produces the best children? Hey, me too, me
too!

Shhh, just between the 3 of us, ok? Promise you won't tell Mamie and
Papie yet? Mom whispered to me she wanted to be sure first...and hey, she told
me too, no phonecalls at work about me being a star....Shhh, just between the
two of us..you know, she will surely cry again..you dont want people to see her
crying right? hehe, she just looks awful afterwards...hey, it's a secret,
shhh.

And hey, dont worry Dad, she feeds me all right..je t'aime (oppps,
that's the only french word she taught me! What does that mean?)